My stay in Curacao has me baffled. Odd to be baffled I’m sure but it comes from a place of dichotomy: wealthy–poor, safe-unsafe, desert-lush, luxurious-run down. As we travelled around the island I experienced a multitude of contradictory thoughts. Not to say that our visit wasn’t great, I simply did not get a good sense of the Dutch island. What I need to do is revisit!

Our family vacation brought a lovely week of experiences and memories. Visiting the ostrich farm was, as my daughter put it, the most random thing we have ever done. The Hato Caves were neat and our hike to the top of Mount Christoffel (highest point on the island) had us huffing and puffing but amazed with the view. Scuba diving (staff at the dive shop were fabulous) and snorkeling allowed us to see the underwater world of Curaçao. A visit to Willemstad showed us a wonderful display of brilliantly coloured shops.

Beach was fantastic. There was plenty of room for all the resort’s guests and the reef just off shore provided a natural underwater zoo of fish. I was happy to have brought snorkeling gear and an underwater camera. Swimming with the schools of fish created many ‘pinch me’ moments.

Renting a car was great. Driving was completely doable and provided us the ability to see the whole island. Crazy maze of a road system had us seemingly going in circles while actually getting somewhere. Please note that having a GPS is not just a luxury, it is an absolute MUST. The laughs while traversing the island will not be forgotten. Seriously?!? Who designed this road system??

Beware, being a mere 65 kilometers off the coast of Venezuela brings killer rays of sunshine. Cloud coverage is a welcome reprieve. Even the hardiest of sun worshippers will need a wee bit of shade. For me it was 90 percent shade and 10 percent sun but, then again, I am a wimp when it comes to heat.

Take sunscreen and a hat and enjoy.