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Aruba Slideshow
Curaçao Slide Show
By Hideaways Editor Pat Chaudoin
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Sweet Relaxation
The two adjoining pool areas at Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort were
uncrowded and especially inviting after a toasty morning spent exploring the
island of Curaçao.
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Delightful Dinah
While on Curaçao, I visited the fascinating gardens of Dinah Veeris, a
charming local woman known for her line of healing herbs and natural shampoos
and soaps made from local plants. As we walked among her plants and herbs, she
explained each one's medicinal use and some interesting folklore, too.
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Wild Flamingos
Curaçao has a number of shallow salt ponds that are home to wild flamingos that
feast on the ponds' brine shrimp. The flocks have been known to migrate to
Bonaire in search of food if the pickings get too slim on Curaçao.
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Substation Curacao
The thrill of a lifetime was my adventure aboard the mini Curasub, a research
vessel that can descend to 1,000 feet. Here it is being lowered into position
for taking on us passengers and our pilot, Barbara (shown at the rope).
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Down the Hatch
Once the Curasub was in position, it was literally "down the hatch." Five of us
were packed in like sardines--those with claustrophobia need not apply.
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Underwater Gardens
Though we descended to the cold and dark depth of 548 feet, the most
fascinating and colorful sponges and coral were found at about 180 feet and
above.
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Fish-Eye View
This is what we must have looked like to the schools of fish that swam by us at
about 65 feet below the surface--which is where the Substation Curaçao diver
was when he took this photo.
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Perfect Day for a Sail
I also enjoyed an afternoon sail with a small group aboard the gorgeous 85-foot
sailing yacht, Domicil, which is available for charter out of Curaçao. First
mate Christine guided Captain Hans to our mooring, and then we were dropped by
dinghy at this beautiful deserted beach.
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Dinghy Landing
It was a picture-perfect evening as we made a somewhat wet landing on the
beach, with the elegant Domicil in the background.
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Deserted Beach
It felt like we were on Gilligan's Island to be dropped off at this quiet cove
with not another soul in sight. (Actually, our driver was waiting in the nearby
parking lot to take us back to the resort.)
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Free-Spirited Bigala
I couldn't have asked for a better private tour guide than Bigala, whose love
for her native island of Curaçao was contagious. Here she is in front of Fort
Amsterdam, on the Punda waterfront in Willemstad. Built by the Dutch in 1635,
this complex of mustard-yellow buildings now serves as the seat of Curaçao's
government.
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Calabash Gourds
On our wanderings through the alleyways of Punda, Bigala pointed out a basket
of ugly brown calabash gourds outside a shop, just waiting to be transformed
into . . .
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Eye-Catching Beauties
. . . wonderful and whimsical bird feeders, nativity scenes, and hanging
ornaments!
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Pontoon Bridge
Willemstad's unique pedestrian Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge swings open to let
boats enter St. Anna Bay.
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Knip Beach
This gorgeous little cove beach is typical of the 38 or so white-sand gems
scattered mostly along the southwestern coast of Curacao.
Want to see more?
Click here to view the Aruba slide show.
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