31 July 2013 Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea

 We docked in Curacao this morning.  We did not have a tour booked.  The view from where were docked very pretty.  Curacao much the same as Aruba, discovered the by the Arawak Indians, the first Europeans were Spanish and they arrived in 1499, many of the indigenous population were exported to other colonies and in 1634 it was occupied by the Dutch.  It is located in the southern Caribbean is an independent country and the largest of the three ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.  Beautiful climate but they do have a rainy period October through February.  Population 160,000 (2011), Dutch the official language, but Spanish, English and Papiamento also spoken. 

It is very much like Amsterdam but so much prettier, not inundated by bicycles, lots of lovely shops all painted in pastel colours.  Very expensive shops in the mix.  We only did the town but others did lots of other tours and said the tours took them to some lovely places.  National Parks, breathtaking scenery and the most beautiful blue seas you can imagine.  These islands are indeed picture postcard, holiday brochure stuff really. 

We have had an early sail today and we have a sea day and then we head through the Panama Canal.  All the best Sabine and Sam  XXXX