So I'm going to try to update this post / thread as I go because...well I never got around to doing the trip reports for Bangkok or Sri Lanka this past winter. Ah well.
We got into Miami around 8am local time and I got a chance to check my email, speak with my worker-bees who are going to be stepping up their game while I'm away, fix a couple of site problems, respond to a bunch of emails, update my to-do and we were off by 11am. Thankfully, I got some more sleep on the plane to Curaçao. I've only been doing occasional 1-2 hour naps the past week trying to keep up and catch up with work and it's been awful. So sleep, even plane sleep, was absolutely outstanding.
Mandatory plane and from-the-plane shot.
We picked up our rental car after a bit of trouble with our reservation. I haven't been on prepping for this trip of it so I didn't have an offline PDF with all our reservations and there are no sim-card stalls at the actual airport. Being disconnected sucks.
After some haggling and agreement to take a stick shift (yay) in hot pink (FUCKING YAY!!!!!) we were on our way.
The first place we are staying is an amazing little AirBNB in the heart of Willemstad. It's adorable. It's a few little standalone bungalows that are very private in front/back of the owners house. He also has constructed a 3-story high tree-house type thing complete with hammock, electricity, reading light, and awesome views.
After a much needed shower (fuck, it is humid here), we went for a short little explore from about 5pm-8pm.
We walked down to the floating Queen Emma Bridge.
- The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. On the opposite end from the hinge is a small shelter where an operator controls two diesel engines turning propellers. The propellers are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing parallel to the shore. The process only takes a few minutes to complete.
We enjoyed the Dutch architecture and tried every beer on the menu while watching the bridge move in and out of the way for passing boats and ferries. My favorite was Dinos, a Pilser brewed in Curaçao and served in adorable 8oz bottles. randomuser also enjoyed the $1.50USD Polar. They are about as big as his hand. The reviews on Beer Advocate are terrible. Honestly, it's not a bad beer and I really enjoyed it too. I'd but it on line with Heineken. I still preferred the Dinos.
And now it's 12:30 and I'm finishing up some work and going to bed. I'll keep you posted!