HALF-MOON CAY
One of our ports of call was the private island owned by Holland America, Half-moon Cay.
On the island, there is a sign that states, “I wish I could stay here forever!” Yes, I really do!
ARUBA
Our next stop was Aruba. We did not spend much time in town, but headed directly to De Palm Island. Rick and I snorkled and saw some amazing sea life.
While this is not us, it does show the beautiful blue Parrotfish we saw. These fish are an amazing blue and are huge!
In addition to the blue parrot fish, we also saw the Stoplight Parrotfish.
CURACAO
I had two favorite ports of call, one of them was Curacao, just 80 miles from Aruba.
Willemstad, its capital and only town of any size, looks just like old Dutch towns in the motherland except here the charming step-and bell-topped facades from the 1600s are dressed in island pastels, and the catch of the day in the outdoor cafes is sea bass, and not herring.
The shopping was fantastic and the town charming. As we walked along the streets, we came upon a floating Market. Fresh fish for sale, right off the boat!
One of the unique features of Willemstad is the largest flating bridge in existence, Queen Emma.
This pontoon bridge, which folds against the shore to permit seagoing traffic, has been a Curacao landmark since the 19th century, and is still a vital part of the island’s commercial structure. It’s the quickest and only way to get by foot from the Punda (oldest section) to the newer Otrobanda on the opposite shore. Queen Emma, named for a Dutch queen, is a pontoon bridge with an unusual history and mission as a long, folding bridge capable of opening and closing for ocean-going ships.
While we were there, the bridge opened to allow several boats to through.
I snapped a quick photo of the bridge opening.
Everywhere we walked in, we saw beautiful colors.
Even the street vendors were colorful!
