Curacao is the C of the ABC islands, located 40 miles north of Venezuela. It is a Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands where Dutch is the official language, although most people speak Papiamento and English. U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. The guilder or florin is pegged to the dollar at a stable rate of 1.77 for cash.
1- Willemstad is the capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also home to the vividly painted buildings showcased in most pictures of Curacao. To get to them you have to cross the Queen Emma floating pontoon bridge, also known as “Swinging Old Lady”. It is a must see when boats have to pass through and the hinged bridge swings parallel to the shore.
Queen Emma Bridge.
3- Swimming with turtles. Playa Grandi/Playa Piscado, located in Sabana Westpunt, is the place to snorkel with sea turtles attracted by the remnants thrown by the fishermen on the dock. It is a popular spot and one of the many beautiful places to snorkel, on the island. I just wish people wouldn’t touch the turtles.
4- If you have worked up an appetite snorkeling in Sabana Westpunt check out Jaanchies restaurant. It offers delicious food and a laid back atmosphere. If you are an adventurous eater, Jaanchies is famous for its iguana. Don’t worry they also offer more traditional meals. It also has a garden area with birds flying indoors. They may even come visit your table. It makes for an interesting experience even though I was a little worried about bird poop getting in my food.
5-Mount Christoffel. What makes Curacao interesting is that it doesn’t look like your typical Caribbean island. ChristoffelPark is the largest national park in Curacao. The terrain is very desert like and hiking to the top of Mount Christoffel involves navigating a rocky terrain and trying not to run into cactus. Just get there early because the cutoff is at 11 am, due to the heat.
6-Take a guided tour and explore Hato Caves. Be aware that there is only one spot for picture taking, so you will have to pay attention and not play on your phone. After the tour you can explore the rest of the area, on your own.
7- Try a fruit smoothie from the many trucks in the area, while you are exploring. I became obsessed with the watermelon ones and was crushed whenever a vendor was sold out.
I look forward to a return visit and checking out the A&B islands too. Bon Bini!
Visiting Paris is on most people’s bucket list. I decided to mark it off mine for my birthday, this past October. Here is what I accomplished in 6 days.
I had read pros and cons of buying the Paris Pass. I decided to go for it. You don’t have to purchase it before your trip. You can purchase it at the Charles de Gaulle Airport. I found it to be more than worth the price. I went to several museums and used the Metro to get around. The mistake I made was to only buy a four day pass instead of six days.
Getting from the airport to my Airbnb was easy. Taxis charge a flat rate of 50 or 55 euros, depending on if it is the Left Bank or Right Bank. (Orly is slightly cheaper at 30 or 35 euros.)
I arrived a little early, so I explored the neighborhood in Bastille. I found a lovely farmer’s market and flea market, a few blocks away. Beautiful fruits and vegetables that looked so much more appetizing than what is available at home.
Farmer’s Market in Bastille.
After checking in and unpacking it was time to begin my Parisian adventure.
The Picasso Museum. If you like Picasso it is well worth a visit. The entrance fee is also included with the Paris Pass.
The Centre Pompidou . If you like modern art you have to set aside plenty of time to explore this multi-level cultural center. It is included with the Paris Pass. Start at the top and work your way down to the weird, (in a good way) Avant-Garde stuff. I would say this is the second best museum in Paris. (Tip. It is free the first Sunday of every month.) There are also great views of Paris.
The Louve . Of course everyone has to visit the Louve and take a photo of the most over-rated painting ever. I would rate this as the third best museum in Paris. If you are a big fan of the Renaissance and headless Greek statues then by all means make time to visit, otherwise, there are other more interesting museums.
The Eiffel Tower entry is not included in the Paris Pass. I had to wait in line and purchase a ticket. I bought the ticket to visit the very top of the tower. By the time I got there it was dark and the nighttime view was spectacular. Keep in mind that there are lots of people looking to sell you flashing Eiffel towers and other souvenirs and there are others looking for an opportunity to rob you. Especially kids/teens/women, pretending to be deaf mutes and shoving clipboards at you. They are at every tourist spot. Do not acknowledge them. Do not look them in the eye. They are all pickpockets and they are out to ruin your vacation.
Day two.
Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Entrance is included with the Paris Pass. This museum celebrates the arts of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It is a very modern looking, beautiful museum.
Palais Garnier . The opera house is most famous as the setting for Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera. Architecturally it is beautiful inside and included with the Paris Pass.
Chagall.
Sacre-Coeur . This can be a sketchy area. There are warnings spray painted on the walls, as you walk up, warning of pickpockets and deaf mutes. You can get off at the Anvers metro stop. While there I also checked out the Musee Montmarte and the Dali museum. Both are small and privately owned, so they are not included with the Paris Pass.
Arc de Triomphe . A must see and it is included in the Paris Pass.
Day Four.
Musée d’Orsay . The museum is closed on Monday. I found that out the hard way by being surrounded and robbed by the aforementioned deaf mutes. But, on a positive note, they were terrible thieves and I grabbed my wallet back. Even after a bad first impression, I returned the following day. This is the best museum in Paris. If you are short on time and have a choice of this or the Louve, definitely go here. It is also included in the Paris Pass. When I visited they had a Picasso Bleu et Rose exhibition and also a curated show by Julian Schnabel.
Schnabel
Musee de Rodin. A short walk from the D’Orsay. The home of Rodin. His personal collection of other artists as well as his own, are on display. Lovely grounds too. Included with the Paris Pass.
Rodin
Hotel des Invalides, The Musée de l’Armée and Napoleon’s Tomb, are all located together . This is also included in the Paris Pass. The Sun King ordered the construction of Les Invalides as a retirement home for France’s disabled and impoverished veterans. This is a must see for history lovers and military history. Napoleon is buried directly under the golden dome.
The Golden Dome
Day Five.
Versailles. You can take the Metro to the RER C train. This is included with the Paris Pass. You will appreciate the skip-the-line since the lines here are horrendous. Set aside at least half a day to see the Palace and grounds.
Versaille
Catacombs Of Paris . If you like the unusual and morbid, this is for you. Not included with the Paris Pass.
Catacombs
Day Six.
The Louis Vuitton Foundation . I found out about this place because of advertisements in the Metro. What piqued my attention was the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition. I love his art and had to go. It overlooks the Jardin d’ Acclimation. The building was designed by Frank Gehry and opened in October of 2014. You can take the Metro line 1 to Les Sablons and walk to the museum. The wait was about an hour and a half, so I recommend buying the tickets online. It is also the only place I had an issue with my credit card. It kept wanting me to enter a pin number. I had no idea what the number was, since I do not get cash advances. The ticket booth tried it several times and a young man who worked there overheard my problem and we tried it at a kiosk too. Same problem. He was very nice and gave me a comp journalist ticket, which I was very grateful for.
The Louis Vuitton Foundation
Pere Lachaise Cemetery . This may sound like an odd place to visit, but it is well worth it. Admission is free. I grabbed a map and started to look around on my own, but on the way to Jim Morrison’s grave a guide found me and showed me around. He made it much easier and showed me all of the famous graves and saved me a few hours. If you are not famous and are buried here, after 100 years you are sent to the “bbq”, as my guide put it, and your ashes are scattered in the Jardin du Souvenir. Look for Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Balzac and Proust, among many others. Make sure you have euros for a tip.
Jim Morrison’s grave
That is just an outline of places to go. As far as food, there are cafes literally on every corner. The food and coffee was delicious everywhere I tried it. Don’t forget to go to Shakespeare and Company for a book and a tote bag.
Trek with Kim 
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