Curacao

"If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Feeling the heat of warm rays sink into my skin is as much a tonic for the psychic disequalibrium I've been experiencing as any dose of Prozac could ever be.  The sun has rejuvenated my spirit and lifted the cloud I've been struggling  under due to a lack of sunlight and the frigid temperatures these past two months.

Curacao is pretty though certainly not the prettiest island we've been to.  The sand is white and the water is crystal clear.  We're staying at the Hilton Curacao.  Surprisingly it is the least luxurious resort we've stayed at in the past 20 years.  It is clean but tired.  The services is indifferent.  The staff are cordial but far from friendly not that it really matters.  We're having a good time.  We've ventured into Willemstad the last couple of nights.  Yesterday we went to a gorgeous upscale restaurant on the beach, populated by beautiful young people.  I felt like we were on the set of Gossip Girl.  Tonight we went to another restaurant in town and once again dined at the water's edge.  Our meals have been delicious.

Willemstad is beautiful to look at from a distance.  The buildings are colourful and bright.  It is as one would expect a Dutch island to be, very clean.  But there is little to buy in the city and little to do other than to eat and drink and up close it is worn and shabby.  The tourist population seems to be comprised largely of middle-to-late-age Dutch couples.  They are surprisingly uninhibited about their bodies, the women wearing skimpy clothing without a seeming thought to their rolls and bulges.  I hate to generalize but in the main, they would benefit from a lesson or two in foundation garments. 

On Thursday we have booked an island jeep tour where we will spend a day exploring the national park and doing some snorkeling.  Tomorrow we will rent a car and explore a couple of the islands best beaches.  This will probably be our only trip to Curacao.  At this point neither of us feels there is a reason we would choose to come back.  But the sun is warm and the drinks are cold.  For this week, that is good enough.