First I must thank–you all for the Christmas updates! How much easier to swap Christmas greetings and hear so much more of your year at home. Luckily (or not) you have it all to do before the event, unlike me who needs to write up each new Island just so that I have an aid memoire for the future. I was so lucky that Malcolm wrote the last blog!
New Years Eve then, began late afternoon for sun-downers on the beach at a club in Curacao with Otto & Esther. Ottos' son Wicher is flying home to Holland tonight so Esther is driving us.
We limed downtown taking in the ambiance and having a great time with the revelers, raising our glasses at your 12.00 time.
All feeling peckish we then returned to our hosts house where we cooked and devoured our New Year meal. Yum Yum.
Out again and we went to the Hotel at Avila beach. Very up market , friendly and best of all FREE champagne from the start!
...plus (of course) Fireworks to ring in the New Year.
Then back to ’Piano’ for a small snack and more drinks!
Well it was a great night for all of us I just hope you can say the same.
The rest of our time here has been viewing the Island. We have been to many wonderful beaches
and done some awesome snorkelling in mostly clear water. Malcolm maintains he has seen a new species every time he has been out.
Rather than spend a whole day at the beach we also did some sightseeing. This was a hike around the Pastors garden involving an 800 year old Kapok tree:
Another day another hike, which started early in the cool of the morning. This is the peak of the highest point on the island in Christoffel Park:
And here some of the fauna, which has benefited from the recent wet weather:
Our Boxing day lunch , although why we look happy I don’t know. It is the busiest time of the year and we waited hours after ordering then gave up and went for a swim.
We even managed to get our dive tanks filled so that we are prepared for our next dive. Of course with the water being so rich and soupy we have had massive growth on the underwater-sides of the tender and ’Piano’
....and after the cleaning:
We spent a good 3 days cleaning the tender and have a diver coming to do the hull before we leave.
Just for the record it isn’t all a bed of roses! The washing machine seems to be on it’s last legs, major surgery on the door catch every time it is called upon to function. The electronic ignition on the cooker regularly need attention to work properly but on the plus side the bread maker is performing very well. (I’d better not speak too soon…)
Probably more to come from Curacao but that's it for today.
New Years Eve then, began late afternoon for sun-downers on the beach at a club in Curacao with Otto & Esther. Ottos' son Wicher is flying home to Holland tonight so Esther is driving us.
We limed downtown taking in the ambiance and having a great time with the revelers, raising our glasses at your 12.00 time.
All feeling peckish we then returned to our hosts house where we cooked and devoured our New Year meal. Yum Yum.
Out again and we went to the Hotel at Avila beach. Very up market , friendly and best of all FREE champagne from the start!
...plus (of course) Fireworks to ring in the New Year.
Then back to ’Piano’ for a small snack and more drinks!
Well it was a great night for all of us I just hope you can say the same.
The rest of our time here has been viewing the Island. We have been to many wonderful beaches
and done some awesome snorkelling in mostly clear water. Malcolm maintains he has seen a new species every time he has been out.
Rather than spend a whole day at the beach we also did some sightseeing. This was a hike around the Pastors garden involving an 800 year old Kapok tree:
Another day another hike, which started early in the cool of the morning. This is the peak of the highest point on the island in Christoffel Park:
And here some of the fauna, which has benefited from the recent wet weather:
Our Boxing day lunch , although why we look happy I don’t know. It is the busiest time of the year and we waited hours after ordering then gave up and went for a swim.
We even managed to get our dive tanks filled so that we are prepared for our next dive. Of course with the water being so rich and soupy we have had massive growth on the underwater-sides of the tender and ’Piano’
....and after the cleaning:
We spent a good 3 days cleaning the tender and have a diver coming to do the hull before we leave.
Just for the record it isn’t all a bed of roses! The washing machine seems to be on it’s last legs, major surgery on the door catch every time it is called upon to function. The electronic ignition on the cooker regularly need attention to work properly but on the plus side the bread maker is performing very well. (I’d better not speak too soon…)
Probably more to come from Curacao but that's it for today.
