April 27, 2016
Well, it is my turn first. Yeah!! It is 10:10 pm and we just pushed away from
the dock in Curacao. Very nice day. We got up
about 7:30 and laid in the bed for awhile. Then, showered and headed for
breakfast about 9. As we were dining we could see the island. After breakfast
we went to the Cabaret for a talk about Panama. We got a few Spanish
lessons interspersed with a video showing a Panamanian man tells us all about
the canal and the country. Very
interesting. After that we were coming into to port so we went up to deck 10 to
watch us dock.
After a short lunch break, we went off the ship about 12:30.
It is the kings birthday so it was a holiday and most everyone was off and in
the downtown area where we were headed. There were thousands (no exaggeration)
of people. Bands playing and people dressed in costumes of all kinds. Jennifer,
you have loved it. In honor of the king's birthday you were to wear orange.
Almost everybody had on orange. Hats, dresses, pants, flowers, etc. Most
everything we went to was closed. But we enjoyed the walk. We stopped at an ice
cream store and bought a cup of coffee ice cream (one scoop $3.45) so Dad could
use the wifi.
After getting on the ship it was naptime. And boy did we
nap. I sleep till 5:15, time for supper. We went an sat at our regular table
though tonight you could set anywhere tonight. Our one couple was there and we
sat and talked till 7:15. Our waiter said don't leave stay then they won't send
us any more people.
We went to the cabaret for the show. It was the comedian,
Troy Thirdgill, and he was hilarious. We laughed for almost an hour non stop.
Clean good humor.
Well, Dad is waiting for his turn so tata for now........
Shoot, she left me nothing to say, so TTFN.
Just kidding.
The cruise director did not what would be open and what
would be closed because the island was celebrating the birthday of Wilhelm,
King of the Netherlands. Suffice it to say that everything we had
marked to see was closed. We wanted to
see the Jewish Synagogue again.
Closed. We wanted to see the National Museum again. Closed.
There is a hotel near the museum and there is an outdoor refreshment
stand which serves the hotel. I asked
the young lady working the stand if she had a key to the museum. She allowed as how she did not.
Walking across Queen
Wilhelmina Bridge
(the draw bridge across St. Ann's
Bay) we were serenaded by an 8-piece band.
All the members were dressed in orange -- the King's color as my
co-correspondent reported earlier. And all
were playing drums. An 8-piece
percussion band! I thought for a minute
a hip hop parade or break dancing would break out.
Across the bridge we looked at the throng packing the main
street, and the empty street to the side, and opted for the empty street. We went into a square of government buildings
which surrounds a small park and took a few pictures. One was a selfie in the governor's private parking
spot. Take that, Gov!
We evidently missed the premier event of the King's Birthday
Party -- a truck pulling contest.
Watching Curacao slide into the night
as we sailed away a few minutes ago, one man was regaling us about sweaty,
muscle-bound men, lashed to huge trucks with rope and pulling in a winner take
all contest. I don't know if I will be able
to sleep tonight, knowing I missed it.
Listening to him talk, I thought of the line from "Airplane"
where Peter Graves -- playing Captain Over; his co-pilot was Captain Under --
asks a young boy, "Do you like Gladiator movies?"
The sail away was quite beautiful. I snapped a few pictures of the lights from
downtown, decorations on the draw bridge flashing red and green, and lights
from the very tall Queen
Juliana Bridge. As we turned towards Columbia,
we counted 7 ships waiting their turn to sail up St. Ann's Bay. Most impressive.
My talk tomorrow is on "Salt: The Rock We Eat,"
and the time has been moved from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I like that better for rehearsal -- I can run
through it twice before show time.
Well, enough for tonight.
As was said earlier -- TTFN.
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