2019-12-14  Curacao:  (8am-10:30pm)

I really did plan to do ship excursions this trip since I was going off the ship by myself, but I really didn't see the sense in paying so much to go to a beach so close to the port.  So I decided to go to the taxi stand and see if I could share a taxi with some other cruisers.   I really expected we'd end up back at Blue Bay.  I had been there the other 2 times I was on the island, but would have been happy to go there again.  The other beach the excursions went to was Mambo---another close beach.  I hadn't been there and would have settled for it, too.  But the ship excursion prices were outrageous. 

 They aren't advertised as snorkel beaches, but if you go around the points here at Blue Bay, it's not bad.  Looks like Mambo might be interesting around the rock walls off the beach.

Last time Ken and I were here, we went to the taxi station which is right by the port and waited and waited and waited for another couple to share a taxi with.  I had hoped to go to Porto Marie then, but the other couple just wanted to go to Blue Bay.  So instead of waiting any longer, that's what we did.  There doesn't seem to be many people using the taxis here.

 Just so happened, this time, as soon as I got there a couple was talking to a taxi driver about going to a beach.  They didn't really want to go to Blue Bay since they had been there before and the driver suggested Porto Marie!  I asked if I could share the taxi with them and they were happy to oblige.  So in a couple minutes we were on our way.
A glimpse of Willemstad as we drove by.

 Getting out to the boonies.

 where pigs roam freely.

 and civilization appears to end.

 After about a 30 minute ride, we were at Porto Marie.  We agreed to have him come back and pick us up in 4 hours. 

 It was a really nice place to spend the day---chairs for rent, showers, restroom, bar, ...  .  A place I'd feel confident we could call for another taxi if our taxi driver didn't come back.  But he did.  He even arrived about 30 minutes early. 

 Not a big crowd, either.  Although more people did show up as the day went on.

 The 3 of us got chairs together.  They were a wonderful couple from the great country of Canada.  They were on the other ship in Port---a Princess ship.   They didn't snorkel, but did play in the water and enjoy the beach.  When I wasn't snorkeling I enjoyed visiting with them.

 looking left.

 looking right.

 shortly after we got there, this group of kids and , I assume, their coach showed up. 

 We watched them swim around a bit.

 Then I headed in.

The water was fantastic---clear and warm.

 looking straight out

 I headed right first.

 thought there might be better snorkeling near the rocky coast line, but it really wasn't.

 but I was just thrilled to be in the water.

 striped wrasse.

 little chromis and a snapper

 a juvenile puddingwife wrasse

 wrasses and surgeonfish

 a trunk fish

 butterfly and parrot fish

 almost to the rocks

 lots of cactus

 a few anemones here and there

 a few more parrotfish

 a juvenile something.

 another type of butterfly fish

 a blenny?

 sargeant major.

 and more Christmas decorations!

 worms I actually like

a black tail snapper

blue tang

not sure what this guy is but I love the design on it's back.

Looking back towards the beach.  I meant to go check out the lookout, but forgot.

I went to the left side to see if anything was under the cut out rocks.  not much there.

a juvenile surgeon fish

I didn't go to far since I knew my companions would be keeping an eye on me.

Looks like an eel.  I waited to see if he'd come out and play, but he didn't.

more surgeonfish (tangs)

a young wrasse

heading back to the beach for a bit

Love the "sign" for the beach

by the steps at the end of the pier by the beach.

Almost back to our chairs.  Quite a few people arrived since we got there.

After visiting with the Canadians for about an hour, I went back out.  This time there were more snorkelers in the water so I went farther away from the beach.

I was surprised to see all the artificial reef balls out there.

Only flounder I saw this trip.

young French Angelfish.

wrasse

lizard fish

I can't believe there were so many of these reefs so close to where I had just been and I missed them.

They certainly attracted a lot of fish

many even had coral growing on them

a sargeant major protecting his territory.

Love how colorful these parrotfish are.

so many different kinds of parrotfish

looking towards the beach as I head to the other side again.

lots of artificial reefs there, too.

a grouper?

school of yellowtail snapper

I got out about 45 minutes before our taxi was due back so I could shower and dry some before getting in the taxi.  That's how I know our driver arrived early---I saw him pull up as I was heading to the shower.
Our route took us by the pond where the flamingos hang out.  Didn't get a great picture of them since I just had my Olympus P&S camera and we didn't stop.  But it was still pretty neat seeing them.

Back at the port, I enjoyed the Christmas decorations by the shops.

walking back to the ship.

Weird sculpture by the dock

The couple I went to Porto Marie with actually got dropped off downtown.  Looked really pretty.  So I figured I'd go back to the ship, change, have lunch with Ken, then go walking around town a bit. 

I found Ken by the Lido pool again.  Shared a Dive Bar burger and hotdog, then took off on foot to check out Willemstad. 

There were hundreds of cruise ship passengers wandering around.

Loved all the walking tour placards

Love all the clean colorful buildings

and all the Christmas decorations!

Lots of neat little shops to pop into.  And I did.

lots of neat Christmas displays

Probably the only snow they see on Curacao.

It is a beautiful clean town.

I really found it interesting that they made this old 1828 fort into a shopping mall!

Rif Fort

heading into the "mall"

love the way this tree is decorated

they really know how to do it up for Christmas!

the mall even has a 2nd level.

almost to the other end of the fort.

the other entrance to the fort on this side of the bay

I probably should have gone up the stairs to check out the view!

And it's an Unesco World Heritage site.

Just past the Fort is this statue of Efrain Jonckheer,  He was prime minister of the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 1968. 

Looking across at the fort on the other side of the bay

looking towards the floating bridge--Queen Emma Bridge.  Built in 1888, "Our Swinging Old Lady" is supported by 16 pontoon boats and two motors.

checking out more Christmas decorations.  This is where the other couple was let out of the taxi earlier.

more little vender booths.  But they all seemed to have the same stuff and I bet it was from somewhere like China.

almost to the bridge.

gotta cross the bridge!  I didn't know it at the time, but when it's about to open, a siren goes off and you better get off quickly or you'll be stuck on it until it closes again.  Fortunately I didn't find that out the hard way.

There was even another Holland America ship here---the Veendam.  It's one of their smallest ones now so it can get into smaller places like this.

 Punda Love Heart---The sculpture is made of metal mesh and is called “Lock your love”. It is designed for lovers to clip a padlock on to seal their loving bond.  I actually didn't find this out until I got back from the cruise or I would have examined the sculpture a little closer.  Sure is a neater idea then clipping locks to a bridge! 

another Unesco World Heritage area.

some pretty impressive "graffiti"

working on my minimalist photography

hope this guy had just taken a bath and wasn't scruffy cause it was sick.

There were lots of these birds in the trees chirping away.  Hard to find them, though.

Such a pretty town.  Can't believe we've been here 2 other times and I never walked around the town.

Wonder if he's where they get the color orange as their national color.

another tree---this one was huge.

I noticed there was an excursion that took you here to where Blue Curacao Liqueur was made.  I noticed a sign on the window that said free tours.

Loved the swings for seats outside this restaurant.

just another cannon.

looking across the bay

I was going to cross back over when i noticed the bridge was gone!  About that time a walking tour arrive and the docent was telling them about it opening 30+ times a day and staying open for awhile.  She also explained the alarm that lets you know it's getting ready to open.  I guess i just got lucky earlier that it wasn't about to open.  Plus she said it could be open for 45 minutes or so and that there was a ferry that was free when the bridge was open.  So I walked back down to the ferry and waited 'til they packed it full before it headed across the bay.

views from the ferry as I waited for it to go

another view.

finally almost across and right next to the Veendam.

Looking across at the pretty buildings on the other side.

Have no idea what this is for!

beautiful

By the time I got to the bridge on this side of the bay, it had already closed. 

looking back at the ferry.

walking back to the ship

more decorations.  Must look boring when it's not Christmas time.  Then you just have all the World Heritage buildings to look at

Neat artwork by the bridge.

the Netherlands flag?

Heading back into Fort Rif.

more decorations.

love this tree, too

By the time I got back to the little shops by the port, I was thirsty.  They advertised a local beer for $2, so I decided why not!?  Sat there and drank one and gazed at the ship.

Back on the ship and looking back over the town of Willemstad.

a pool area within walking distance of the ship.  I believe they let cruise passengers hang out here for a fee.

Caught sunset from the ship while we were still docked.

Looks like I was almost to the pool when I was on the walking path earlier.

looking down at the port shops.  The taxi stand is the first tarped area after making the turn to the right.

the pool inland a bit.  

Tonight I was pretty tired.  So we decided to head to the Main restaurant and be served our dinner.  I was looking forward to the Split pea and ham soup (which was just ok).  I also had the pot roast which was very good.

We were seated by ourselves. 

the split pea soup.  I guess I like it thinner, but with bigger chunks in it.

my roast.

I couldn't decide on the fruit crisp or the creme brulee, both of which I really enjoyed on the other ships, but these weren't as good as I remembered.

I did still go to the 7:30 Mainstage show: Planet Earth II.  It was the Zuiderdam orchestra playing music to video of animals in nature.  I can appreciate what the photographers went through for their videos.  The orchestra was very good, too. 

The orchestra before the show began.

And it was time to take advantage of our complimentary laundry service for being in a Neptune Suite.  We ended up using it twice and had our clothes back the morning after we sent it out, even though we didn't have it out until about 9pm.

And this was our towel animal tonight.   Our stewards Andi ad Ray were great.

I thought yesterday was about as good as a day can get.  Today was way up there, too!