Column: One week in the Caribbean sun
Two-thirds of our family arrived on the Island of Curaçao last Saturday. (The other third opted for Ocean City, Maryland.) I’ve personally struggled for months trying to figure out how to say Curaçao, but finally decided to pretend I was an Italian doctor and pronounce it Cure-a-Sal?
If, like me, you hadn’t heard much about Curaçao, it is an island not far from Aruba, a Lesser Antilles island country located in the southern Caribbean Sea. It’s considered part of the Dutch Caribbean region, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands about 40 miles north of the Venezuelan coast. We chose it because it was not a budget-buster.
Because I don’t like islands or beaches, the equator, tropical storms, all-inclusive food plans, and extreme temperatures, I’ve often been described as the Goldilocks traveler. Add to that I also can’t stand sitting too long, standing in endless lines, and sunbathing, so we called this a family trip.
Our hotel, a Hilton-related property with plenty of amenities, was very nice. There was a gift shop where suntan lotion only costs $34 a bottle or $272 a gallon, but you could get a free $24 ball cap when you bought two T-shirts. So, there was that. (Anybody need a Curaçao hat?)
Except for one short rainstorm and a tropical storm warning that turned into an all day soak on Wednesday, if you like 84 degrees with 80% humidity, the weather was great. The van driver who took us to the hotel had informed us that Curaçao never gets hurricanes. In fact, their last hurricane was in 1887. He also said that’s a good thing because none of their buildings could withstand strong storms. Consequently, that tropical storm warning added some significant excitement to our stay.
The people here generally speak not one or two, but five languages. (You know, just like we do in Western Pennsylvania.) There were 20+ languages to choose from when you tapped into their wireless network. We met people from South America, Holland, North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and goodness knows where else. It’s a virtual melting pot of humanity which, I personally loved.
When your 7-year-old grandson is playing in the sand and switching playmates from nationality to nationality, things all come into focus. We’re all meant to play and work together, to get along and enjoy life. He gleefully shared his sand bucket with them and ran in and out of the sea without noticing the language barrier, the skin tone, their religion, or even their attitude toward what has become an international puzzle, the United States.
We had seafood from the actual neighboring Caribbean Sea under a thatched roof while looking into a Southern Hemisphere sunset. We walked into the center city to explore the colorful Dutch buildings, restaurants, and even a casino where the slot machines were friendly. We ate a wonderful meal in an old fort restaurant, and another one on the shore that was as Italian as any restaurant in Italy. There some aggressive pigeons around our hotel that had to be pre-fed to keep them from dive bombing our plates, but that was fun, too.
Honestly, if you like sand and beaches, good food, diversity, beautiful properties, nice people, and no monkeys, (the little guy is terrified of monkeys), consider Curaçao. There are some beautiful tropical birds, a few Iguanas, and some mosquitos here and there. There are also lots of great entertainers in the evening, Miami television stations, Wi-Fi, and plenty of free (part of the package) drinks which, of course, includes Heineken beer. (They’re Dutch, remember?) If it wasn’t for the air fare, you could probably come here for less than you’d spend in a week in Ocean City, and it’s all inclusive. If this sounded like an advertisement, just remember from the mid to the late ‘80’s, I was the CEO of Laurel Highlands Tourism. It’s in my DNA.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Nick Jacobs column about vacationing with his family
