Willemstad, Curaçao

During our February vacation, Jack and I flew to Curaçao. Although it only takes four hours of actual flight time from Cayenne, we had to change planes in Paramaribo (Suriname) and there was a stop in Port of Spain (Trinidad). In all, we needed roughly nine hours to reach our destination.

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Willemstad, the capital. It's a big stop for cruise ships so it is well-kept and brightly colored with cozy restaurants and high class shopping. Jack and I were quite startled by the contrast with other parts of Curaçao which were dirty, full of litter and poverty-stricken.

Willemstad is most famous for it's mobile bridge and fancy waterfront.

There are a number of nice museums which inform visitors about the island's history. This picture was taken in the courtyard of the Kura Hulanda, an impressive history museum.

 As we roamed the streets, we were impressed by all the flashy colors of the local architecture.

 This picture was taken near a posh restaurant where we had lunch.

 Next to the remains of Fort Riffort, now an upscale shopping center, is where the cruise ships dock for the day.

 The flamboyant Dutch colonial architecture was fun to photograph.

 This pastel green building is actually the maritime museum. Unfortunately, we preferred the outside to the inside.

 On our second day visiting Willemstad, we had lunch in an eccentric restaurant called Mundo Bizarro. It looked somewhat like an attic that once belonged to the Addam's family. The food was fantastic, but portions were too small... so a great place to bring friends who are dieting.

 Colors, colors, colors...