The Corazon of Curacao

Colorful hues of blue, orange, green and aquamarine tower high overhead with matching umbrellas serenely situated below. A vast outdoor farmer’s market, discovered along the waterfront’s edge, offers a fascinating variety of exotic fruits and vegetables, many foreign to those visiting from afar.

A sea of papayas, melons and tomatoes are viewed along the nearby floating market now boasting its many offerings. It is said that vendors sail their boats over 35 miles from Venezuela every morning to sell their goods here in this port.

Since much of its food is imported, visitors can enjoy access to a multitude of international flavors, spiced with a uniquely local flair. Dutch, Spanish, Creole and Indonesian-inspired favorites can all be sampled at Curacao’s famous old market “Marsche Bieuw”, located in downtown Willemstad. Possibilities include bami (noodles with vegetables and meat), sate (skewered meat with Peanut sauce) and Yuana (stewed iguana) for those desirous of a truly authentic experience.

Even on a dismal looking day in Curacao, the sights, sounds and aromas are transformational with colorful displays in each direction you turn. As the largest of the ABC Islands, Willemstad, the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, is home to almost two-thirds of the population.
Of the many possible origins of the word Curaçao, the most likely explanation stems from the Spanish calling the island “Corazon” (Heart). Famous Portuguese mapmakers adopted this word into their own language as “Curaçau” or “Curaçao.” Today, to many of the locals, the island is known as “Dushi Korsou” (Sweet Curaçao).

The architecture effortlessly blends its intriguing Dutch heritage with an adornment of the Caribbean’s celebratory pastel shades. The people of Curacao are of Dutch, African, Spanish origins along with nearly every other race and nationality imaginable. The multicolored building facades seem to be appropriately representative of Curacao’s international appeal.

The native tongue, Papiamento, can be heard along the streets wherever you roam. A combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and African dialects, developed early on by the slaves—it became the main means of communication when the Dutch West Indies Company claimed the Island in 1634. Curacao soon became a Dutch commercial center and developed extensive slave trade activities.

Punda, the colorful downtown sector, offering a wide selection of outdoor markets and shopping escapades, is best known for its Dutch colonial architecture, dating back from the 1760s. The new leaders began to build Fort Amsterdam, to protect their settlement. Soon, thereafter, the city began to flourish.

Combining tourist-oriented shops with local shopping areas and outside vendor fairs, Punda’s multifaceted personalities are all intriguing enough to slowly meander through. Everywhere you look, on the outside walls of both homes and businesses, are a wide assortment of beautiful colors. Willemstad is highly regarded as one of the Caribbean’s favorite photographed cityscapes.

According to local stories, one of the early Dutch governors, under the context of medical advice, outlawed buildings being painted pure white. He was supposedly told that the reflection of the sun glaring off of them could cause major headaches, leading to eye inflammation or even blindness. After his death, it was discovered that he quite ironically had shares in a local paint company.

Looking across the bay, a quick ferry ride from Punda across the channel to Otrabanda transports you toward a long line of shopping stalls, quaint old hotels and several wonderful restaurants. It offers awe-inspiring panoramic views in all directions.

Look back and you’ll see the towering Queen Juliana Bridge, which allows the largest of ships to pass underneath to the oil refineries found back in the inner harbor, Schottegat. After oil was discovered at Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela in 1914, the Caribbean petroleum Company had decided to build a refinery on Curacao.

In 1707, building permits were granted for Otrobanda, "The Other Side.” The buildings along Otrobanda’s Breedestraat are similar to those in Punda, with commercial space downstairs and living quarters on the upper floors. Off Breedestraat, a grand residential neighborhood was built by those desirous of mansions reflecting their higher social standing.

In contrast to the orderly fashion of Punda, Otrobanda is a maze of twisting streets and alleyways, giving the neighborhood its own unique appeal. By 1774 Otrobanda was as big as Punda and in the 18th and 19th centuries, free blacks began to migrate to the city.

Some of the spacious Otrobanda yards were rebuilt with more modest living quarters and small craft shops, forming the city's first working class neighborhood and urban center. By the 20th century, Otrobanda had become a major cultural center for the rising black middle class. Many of the island's notable politicians, professionals, artists, and musicians grew up there.

A mural in the waterfront’s colonially-inspired Gouverneur De Rouville Restaurant offers the rich hues of blue, green, earth tone reds while telling a story of long ago. Be sure to stop for lunch and try the plantain squash soup…it’s unbelievable with a hint of curry mixed in. Enjoy the views across the bay of Punda and take a look at the restaurant’s quaint secluded courtyard with a beautiful fountain out back.

Ordering a Curacao margarita appears to be appropriate here so naturally lunch includes one. Curacao, a liquor known best for its blue-colored dye, is now a generic term for liquor flavored with bitter oranges. It’s fun to try once, just to say that you did, but locals generally prefer rot-gut rum and beer.

If you have the chance, head out to the Curacao liquor distillery, just a short tour or taxi ride away, to gain a better perspective on the area’s liquor making industry. It’s a great place to pick up a few small gifts, gain a little history and sample numerous flavors of rum all in one inclusive stop.

If you decide to embark on a two-hour tour of the island, you’ll venture past beautiful beaches and quaint residential areas along the way. It offers an intriguing perspective of what island life here is all about while continuing to learn more about its multi-faceted historical and international charm.

While heading back to town, you’ll pass through Scharloo and Pietermaai, home to a wealth of gorgeous restored mansions. These two suburbs are listed along with Willemstad on the UNESCO World Heritage List, commemorating their unique value to the world's cultural and natural heritage.

Museums plentifully abound in and around Willemstad’s many unique sectors. The Curacao Maritime Museum, the Jewish Cultural-Historical Museum housed in the oldest continuously operating Jewish congregation in the western hemisphere’s Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue, and the Museum Kura Hulanda, depicting an overview of the one-time extensive slave trade of the islands.

The day ventures by much too quickly, as usual, and the hour soon approaches to re-embark on the ship. Time to move on to new ports, however, “The Corazon of Curacao” will remain alive and well in your mind long after you leave.

Published in Traveling Tales Online Magazine (June 2006)
www.travelingtales.com