Willemstad, Curacao

 Sea Date January 22, 2024

Jim and I have now visited Curacao twice in two years.  It is truly a delightful island - natural beauty, great beaches, a very safe and walkable city, fabulous museums and great shopping.

 We started the day touring the Enslaved People's Museum.  There was an exhibit on the slave trade and  a very large exhibit of African art.  Arlene is an African art expert and she was shocked by the quality of the art in this small museum in Willemstad.  The pieces were exquisite and were from people all over Africa - west African tribes, Ethiopia, Islamic art, Sumerian, Babylonian - truly wide ranging!

Then off the  Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. It is the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas, dating to the 1650s. It is one of 5 sand floor synagogues in the world.  I attended Shabbat last Friday and the rabbi said the reason for the sand floors was an homage to Jews in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition who used sand on the floor to muffle sounds during services so they wouldn't be caught practicing the faith.  There was a small museum attached to the synagogue.  Jim noticed a plaque on the wall where the people had their hands raised in the Vulcan sign and commented on it. I was cringing but a tour guide overheard him and said Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Nimoy were both Jewish and they slid this Jewish symbol into Star Trek.

Then off to the Queen Emma Bridge, a pontoon floating swing bridge, the symbol of Curacao.  Look who we met there!

We ended the day shopping.  Watercolor emeralds, larimar and pearls, dolls, shirts and hats.  I, also, bought lionfish earrings.  They support local reefs and fish by encouraging the fishing of this invasive species.

                                                        Waves crashed as we walked ashore.

    

                                                            Enslaved People's Museum

    

                                                              Sculpture from the front. 

                                    

    

                                                                        From the side.

                                                        White and black enslaved women. 

                                    White ladies of Victorian England could be sold into slavery to

                                    cover their debts.  We bet it was women who wouldn't conform.

    

                                               Made with cowrie shells once a unit of money.

    

                                                                            A child's mask

    

                                                                                Islamic art.

    

                                                                Ethiopian Coptic, I think.

    

                                                                   Sumerian or Babylonian

    

                                                                    Street mural.

    

                                                                        Curacao Flag

    

    

                                                            Queen Emma Bridge

    

                                                Best example of Dutch colonial architecture.

    

                                                                  THE SUNDSTROMS!

    

                                        There is a large cruise ship headed for our balcony!

                                           

                                             Sail away party!  Kimberly sang with the band.

    

                                                            Goodbye, Curacao.

    

                                                                    The lights of Aruba.