Curacao Adventure

December 2013

We went on our first ever trip to the Carribean this winter. My parents very generously took us as well as my sister Gretchen and her husband Gus. Curacao is a very interesting place, just off the coast of South America. I had no idea, for example, that it houses the oldest Jewish synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. The blue liqueur named for this place was developed hundreds of years ago by a family of Marranos. Curacao represents an eclectic mix of cultures. Although because it is officially part of the Dutch Kingdom the official language is Dutch, the local spoken language is called papiamentu and is a mix of Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and African and Native dialects. Click any picture to enlarge it.


The worn, rusted edges matched the laid-back environs perfectly


The view from our room


Uncle Gus with Jen and the kids


Fresh coconut


The start of an artist's way in the capital


The kids in the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere -- note the floor made of sand


Sadie and Jen at a colorful mural


Iguanas roam freely


A real yellow submarine, just sitting around


Jen and the kids in an immersive display at the aquarium


A tableau in the aquarium


Micah and Sadie getting ready to hit the beach


Sadie and Naida

Sadie and Micah after face-painting festivities


Sadie made friends with kids from Venezuela and Holland


Enjoying a frozen treat


Gretchen and Zayde


Brian, Sadie, and Jen ready to get to the beach


Bubbe, Zayde, and the kids


A lovely scene with a brightly colored house and local flora


Playing on a local playground


Dushi means 'sweet' in papiamentu


Sadie next to another colorful mural we passed


Curacao is known for brightly colored homes and buildings


Return to galleries homepage