Travel without a plan experiment: my Curacao trip report

I can’t believe I never told you the details about my travel without a plan “experiment”! While I have shared most of my Curacao adventures, I have failed to explain, in detail, the outcome of my Curacao experiment. So! What better time than Travel Tuesday to share this with you!? Let’s hit it! 😀

travel without a plan, Curacao Nov 2011

what I love about travel: Locals like him

Travel without a plan: The Hypothesis

I’m going to be honest here: I thought it wasn’t going to be that great. Don’t get me wrong–I loved the adrenaline rushes I was feeling weeks before the trip as I knew I would go plan-less. I mean, I did it in Israel and let’s be honest: It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. No way I could have planned 3 weeks straight of hitchhiking and couchsurfing solo across historical sites and kibbutzes! However, I at least had a plan-as-you-go mentality: While I had no itinerary when I departed, that quickly morphed into a “I know what I’m doing 2 days from now” mentality. Yes: I had itineraries written down 2 days ahead of time during the last half of my trip. This, however, would not be the case in the Curacao experiment…at all.

And I was scared because of it!

Why, you may ask!? Because I thought I would miss out on a thing or two. And do I know how the “travel regret” hits me…hard! So I was challenging myself in a big way.

Travel without a plan: The Methodology

Just bought a RT ticket Miami-Curacao. That’s it. Granted, I sent some Couchsurfing requests. Yet, in the end, I said: “Screw this, let’s make this the real Travel Without A Plan experiment!” I was even going to hit Bonaire in the process, but wasn’t going to buy that plane ticket until after I got to the Curacao airport. Yah, NUTS!

travel without a plan, Curacao flight

Curacao sunset from above

Travel without a plan: The Experiment

I arrived to Curacao with only one colorful duffle bag and a purse. Once at the airport, I simply asked a clerk where to go to book a flight to bonaire for a few days. She said: “Don’t go there if traveling solo! You’re young and unless you are diving, Bonaire can be boring. Spend your whole vacation in Curacao instead. You’ll have fun, I promise!” And so this is how I stayed in Curacao for 5 days…

Then, it was the Operation Finding a Cab. Charged me $25 as no one else was going, but at least he spoke Spanish and we had a great conversation on the way. I commented that I had not booked a hotel and told him about my Curacao experiment. What did my cabby think? A0 Estas loca. B) Te voy a ayudar (I’ll help you out). And so after asking “for any cheap hostel or guesthouse by the center of town,” I arrived at Villa Colombia. $13/night for a bed, including full breakfast? Oh yah, it’s on!

travel without a plan, Villa Colombia, Curacao

My Curacao guesthouse: Villa Colombia, No 74 – 79!

Villa Colombia was just a 10-minute walk away from the center, called Punda. For 5 days, I lived in the middle of a true Curacaoan neighborhood. Which of course, made the walk out and back to the guesthouse wonderful. I took in the daily Caribbean life, had a Curacaoan mom (my host!) that spoke Spanish, and was taken care of like family. Mom even exchanged my dolllars for florines (Curacaoan currency) at the fair market rate. I doubt I could have planned this so well!

travel without a plan, my Curacaoan host

my Curacaoan mama and me!

My days consisted of walking around the center of town, taking photos, and getting food at local restaurants, which was easy as virtually everyone spoke Spanish in addition to Papiamento (Dutch Caribbean dialect) and Dutch; sometimes also English. I had some great conversations and understood that Curacaoans were pretty similar to us Puerto Ricans. After all, we are all from the Caribbean 🙂

me walking toward Curacao's center: Punda

action shot!

On my second day in Curacao, I befriended a Venezuelan guest called Sonia, and we would hit town together many times. Also, that same day, I met a couple of Latinos in the center of town, Yara and David, which were on their way to the beach. After Sonia told me to go alone because she wanted to do more shopping, I hit my first Curacaoan beach!

travel without a plan, Mambo beach Curacao

Mambo beach

Once at Mambo Beach, I really befriended the Latinos. I learned that Yara was actually a tourism exchange student, so she was living on the island. This meant that after the impromptu day at Mambo Beach, I got to see her awesome cottage in a completely different town and met more exchange students there!

travel without a plan, Curacaoan cottage 1

the exchange students’ Curacaoan cottage! So lovely

travel without a plan, Curacaoan cottage 2

The layout of the Curacaoan cottage was nice

travel without a plan, Curacaoan cottage 3

hammocks and…a KMART pool! XD haha I call those like that =P

That same night, I went out with all of them after eating some home-made Curacaoan fish and veggies. We danced the night away (live Latin band, YAY!) and sobered up by eating Curacaoan fast food afterward.

travel without a plan, Curacao clubbing

me with Dutch girl Sandra (center) and Latina-Dutch Yara (right) at the nightclub

My 3rd day was a day trip with Yara and David to Blue Bay with another Curacaoan friend of theirs. This was a beautiful resort and we had a blast, despite the cloudy weather!

travel without a plan, Blue Bay Resort, Curacao

part of the grounds of the Blue Bay Resort, Curacao. It was gorgeous!

travel without a plan, Blue Bay beach, Curacao

entrance of the main beach at Blue Bay resort

travel without a plan, Blue Bay, Curacao

Blue Bay beach view

What about my fourth day? On a tour, hopping some of the best beaches of Curacao and even a grotto all day! Oh, and did I mention it included an amazing lunch (I ate iguana in Curacao!) and free beer all day long?! Booked last-minute (the night before) and got a sweet 60% discount. Bargaining, of course. Ahh, gotta thank Egypt for the practice! 😀

travel without a plan, Porto Mari beach

Porto Mari beach

travel without a plan, eating iguana in Curacao

IGUANA I ATE!

travel without a plan, Boka Kalki

Boka Kalki

Finally, Mr Mitch (@Mackinnontweets) arrived from his house build in Argentina and we spent the last leg of my trip together. Sharing travel stories while watching the ocean, eating amazing food at the more upscale restaurants in town, and even gambling at the local casinos was the perfect ending to my trip.

travel without a plan, Curacao harbor

watching ships leave harbor with Mitch before dinner

walking to our restaurant (it was on a high floor)

travel without a plan, Curacao restaurant

gorgeous view with dinner!

a little gamblin’ after dinner (Photo: Mitchell Mackinnon)

Oh wait! I almost forgot to tell you: the hitchhiking was the pinnacle of this trip!

We took the local bus to Cas Abou beach on our last day in Curacao. You see, we were told we would only have to walk a couple of meters from the bus stop to the beach…wrong! It was more like a couple of kilometers… Soooooo after about 10 mins of walking and no coast in sight, I encouraged Mitch to hitchhike. He agreed, and we flagged the next vehicle: a mom and daughter from the Netherlands, who spoke perfect English and were quite chatty and amusing. Just fabulous!

Curacao hitchhiking

300 meters? Not so much!

Cas Abou beach, Curacao

Cas Abou beach (Photo: Mitchell MacKinnon)

Travel without a plan: The Conclusion

One of my best trips to date, for sure! I proved my hypothesis wrong: I didn’t really miss anything, except for the diving. Which, in all honesty, iw as planning to do on a different trip anyway. So for not having a set plan (not even a hotel!), I paid close to nothing for a room, good several free meals, saved on exchange fees, and met some amazing people on the way! The best part? Living like a Curacaoan and seeing how they go about their daily life. I only took public transportation (except for 2-3 occasions) and stayed in a residential neighborhood. Just treat after treat! Traveling like a local surely is better than just being a tourist

Punda, the center of Curacao, at night

Cas Abou beach again

Artwork in Punda, Curacao

Curacaoan rum — oh yes

Do you have a great Travel without a Plan tale? Share it below!

Best beaches of Curacao, a photo essay (part 2!)

Beach Thursday this week translates to The Best Beaches of Curacao! In the past couple of posts, you’ve learned (and seen) some of Curacao‘s exotic offerings: Eating iguana for lunch, fake beaches and nice resorts. Finally though, it is down to the best of the best. While I will be talking about gorgeous Punda center in a future post, we are beach hopping today!

Best beaches of Curacao: On the way…

Curacao beach hopping tour

beach hopping road trips are the best

Before I talk about the best of the best beaches of Curacao, I must at least mention others we found on the way. As you already know, I visited all these beaches during a Beach Hopping tour offered by Irie Tours. They were absolutely fantastic the whole way, the driver was great, and we even got free Venezuelan beer during the entire trip. Awesome double-whammy for a budget traveler like myself 😀 so! That being said, beaches we visited were Santa Cruz, Porti Mari, Kenepa Chiki, and another one I can’t quite remember the name of (Lola, please help me out!). I have included gorgeous photos below. Albeit the cloudy weather, views were great!

unknown Curacao beach

Beach I can’t remember the name of – help me out Mrs Lola!

best beaches of Curacao, unknown Curacao beach

me at the “unknown” Curacao beach – found out it’s named Westpunt!

best beaches of Curacao, Playa Santa Cruz

loved these signs to identify most beaches in Curacao

Kenepa Chiki

too bad the weather was cloudy–I’m sure these beaches are even more spectacular than my photos show!

Fortunately though, Mother Nature graced us with a bit of sunshine sprinkled throughout the day — enough to allow us to enjoy two beaches in their full gorgeous selves! 😀 Maybe, then, I am a bit bias when I describe the following as the beast beaches of Curacao IMHO. But how can you blame me after seeing these?!

Playa Kalki

best beaches of Curacao, Playa Kalki

Playa Kalki – one of the best beaches of Curacao? I think so!

Playa Kalki was the very first beach we visited during our beach hopping tour. We arrived while it was raining, but later on the clouds revealed a hot sun — and many iguanas! I took the time to snap some great photos and tell my boyfriend at home how much I missed him (story to follow soon! That’s some news I haven’t shared with you yet…).

best beaches of Curacao, Playa Kalki

look at that water!

Messages to habibi back in America…

wish you were here, Playa Kalki

I love jou!

Kalki beach, Curacao

=)

After Playa Kalki, we drove by the beaches I previously mentioned and spend a couple of minutes walking on the sand and snapping photos. We only really got to enjoy sun bathing and relaxation at about 3 beaches, as that’s what our time allowed. Still, we covered a lot in 6 hours!

Kenepa Grandi

Playa Kenepa Grandi

my favorite!

Kenepa Grandi arguably tops the list of the best beaches of Curacao by many accounts — and was definitely my favorite! The gorgeous views afforded from the cliff/terrace overlooking the Caribbean Sea in the horizon and beach below are simply breathtaking.

best beaches of Curacao, Kenepa Grandi

what a view!

best beaches of Curacao, Kenepa Grande

uff!

Playa Kenip Grande

our tour group was nothing but ladies!

That’s it for this week’s Beach Thursday! In the coming month I will unveil the last spot in my list of the Best Beaches of Curacao. The chosen one? Cas Abou beach!

Are these the best beaches of Curacao to you or not? Comment below?

Beaches of Curacao, a photo essay of my break adventures

While eating iguana was a feast indeed, hopping the beautiful beaches of Curacao was my favorite thing to do in the Dutch Caribbean. Thus, this week’s Beach Thursday feature are the magical waters of this south Caribbean island!

The Tourist Trap…

beaches of Curacao, Mambo beach sign

Unfortunately, the first beach I went to was a tourist trap called Mambo Beach. Not only is it a man-made beach, but I felt I was overcharged for everything. Moreover, I didn’t think the vibe was any special to deserve such pricing. but hey, some people are into these type of beaches, so if you are willing to fork out some money to pay for beach entrance & additional fee to sit on a chair at an artificial beach full of tourists and not real Curacaoans, be my guest 😉

beaches of Curacao, Mambo Beach

beaches of Curacao, Mambo beach

Wherever there’s water and sand though, I always find some fun. Typically in the form of posing for pictures (I wanted to be a model in a previous life, apparently)…

beaches of Curacao, Mambo modeling

beaches of Curacao, Mambo beach

beaches of Curacao, Mambo beach modeling

Bottom line: As a budget traveler, it would be counterproductive to pay for the relatively-long bus ride here to then have to pay for everything — on an artificial beach. Sorry, but I can’t stress that enough, I felt cheated… 😛

The “Passable” Resort

Blue Bay, Curacao

The second beach I visited in Curacao was Blue Bay. It is located inside a gorgeous, massive resort and the drive to the beach itself was great. Some of the houses were beautiful and seeing the mountains reminded me of home!

beaches of Curacao, Blue Bay

This trip, of course, was possible thanks to a Curacaoan young man that some Dutch-Latinos I met in Punda knew. He picked us up and took us to Blue Bay. His words are still clear in my head: “If my business keeps doing well, I am buying a house here. It is one of the most beautiful resorts in Curacao. Plus, I like to live the good life!” Funny, charming young man 🙂

Curacao beaches, Blue Bay

me with our young Curacaoan entrepreneur!

beaches of Curacao, Blue Bay view

chillaxing on a cloudy day is still done better at the beach!

Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy for most of my stay in Curacao. In turn, my photos don’t do justice to the beautiful waters! Still though, we had a great time at Blue Bay and was one of my favorite places to hang out, especially with the locals (and many visiting Latinos). Hearing Spanish frequently made me feel at home once more 🙂

smiling in Curacao

being at a beach always makes me smile

Long enough of a photo essay for today! Stay tuned though, as I will continue this Beaches of Curacao mini series next Beach Thursday. Some of the best beaches are yet to be featured, so come back next week for more eye candy! 😉

Curacao beach

Can you name this beach!? Come back for the full scope and more photos next Thursday!

Have you ever been to any of the beaches of Curacao?

Eating iguana in Curacao: My culinary adventure

For Cultural Tidbits this week, I will finally start telling you about my Curacao travel without a plan experience. First off? Traveling through their food. And the most unique culinary experience of all? Eating iguana in Curacao!

eating iguana in Curacao

Eating iguana in Curacao? Jaanchie’s Restaurant is the spot!

Eating iguana in Curacao is definitely within my Top 2 culinary adventures, only behind my adventure at the Essaouira fish market and eating fresh manta ray in Morocco. Not only was eating such a reptile was unique in itself, but the amazing friendly service and surreal surroundings of Jaanchie’s Restaurant added to the whole experience.

eating iguana at Jaanchies, Curacao

Miniature model of Jaanchie’s Restaurant, displayed by the entrance

Jaanchie’s Restaurant, located in Westpunt, was the lunch stop of the 6 hour+ All West beach-hopping tour I booked with Irie Tours. I reserved directly by using the phone number on a brochure I picked up in Punda. I must emphasize that I called the night before and offered to go with a friend, and when they told me their price, I said that was too expensive and bargained down a good $20/person when I stated we “couldn’t afford” their standard rate. Key here? Never book a tour through a hotel, but rather pick up one of many brochures at the tourist kiosk right across the bridge in Punda (by the clock!) and call the agencies directly – and always bargain! 😉 ps – no, they did not pay me to talk about them. I just had such a great experience that I had to mention them! 🙂

eating iguana at Jaanchie's, Curacao

beautiful dining area of Jaanchie’s Restaurant

eating iguana at Jaanchie's, Curacao

the walls in the inside dining area had wonderful quotes in different languages

Inside Jaanchie’s restaurant

Upon entering the restaurant, I loved the atmosphere. Open, full of bird houses by the sides, which in turn invites many birds to sing, but still stay away from your food 😉 then, the lively owner, Jaanchie, greets you with the biggest smile and best dishes of the house. He can speak like 5-6 languages (maybe more!?). What was so nice of him is that about 3 different languages were spoken by the 6-7 people on our tour, so he sat down besides the Latinas (Spanish), the Brazilian (Portuguese) and the Dutch girls to explain the run down of his menu and daily specials. And while the great atmosphere and hospitality surpassed expectations, the highlight, of course, was eating iguana!

eating iguana at Jaanchie's

Jaanchie (the owner) and me!

Personable service by the owner himself

What I loved the most about Jaanchie, the owner, is that he explained that he understood eating iguana was not for everyone and many people would fear asking for a dish and then risk not liking it. Thus, he always gives a decent plate per the table so everyone gets to experience eating iguana, but enjoy a different dish for lunch. Great Caribbean hospitality right there!

eating iguana AND seafood at Jaanchie's

seafood platter I ordered as main course at Jaanchie’s. Yum!

The food: Seafood and iguana for me!

To be safe, I ordered the seafood mix, which included shrimp and I believe grouper as main entrees. The iguana however, arrived swiftly! I found it interesting that I liked eating iguana more than my actual dish. Iguana tastes like chicken, in my opinion! Maybe a few extra bones, but they simply made me feel like I was eating wings. Most of the table found it downright weird or simply didn’t like eating iguana, so I got to enjoy a good 3/4 of the plate. It was deliciously seasoned, with that characteristic Caribbean kick and full flavor. Needless to say, Jaanchie was quite happy with my appetite! :p

Read: Travel without a plan: My Curacao experiment report

eating iguana process

jou know what I mean…

Is eating iguana in your travel bucket list ? 😉 Or have you had it before?

Christmas traditions around the world + photos!

In the Western & Christian worlds, we celebrate Christmas this weekend. In celebration, I decided to compile some unique Christmas traditions around the world! Since our globe has more than 200 countries, the list below includes only the ones I have personally visited and/or lived in. This way, we keep the number close to 30 😉 Hope you enjoy it!

Aruba

Christmas traditions around the world, ajaca

Ajaca: Traditional food eaten during Christmas in Aruba, it is made of plantains and stuffed with pork, chicken or beef (Photo:Mourinhospenis.tumblr.com)

In this beautiful Caribbean island, it is commonplace for families to go to church together on Christmas Eve. Then, families gather again for Christmas dinner the next day and sing Aruban songs as they eat ajaca (also eaten in Puerto Rico, but known as “pastel”), salted ham and salmon.

Austria

Christmas traditions around the world, Austria markets

Christmas market in Vienna, Austria (Photo: Manfred Werner)

While Christmas markets are very popular in several cities across Europe, they are particularly important in Austria. The most popular in this quaint country are found in Vienna (in front of the City Hall), Innsbruck (in square by the Golden Roof), and Salzburg (by Residenzplatz/the big Cathedral).

Barbados

Christmas traditions around the world, Barbados

Christmas Pantomime by St Winifred School, Barbados (Photo:Bajanchristmas.wordpress.com)

In the Barbados, a curious tradition is that children put on a pantomime show (instead of a traditional Christmas play) for school. This is also common Christmas tradition in Jamaica.

Curacao

Christmas traditions around the world, Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas (Dutch Santa Claus) and his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Peter). Photo: Looi at nl.wikipedia

In the Dutch Caribbean (including the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) they celebrate what it’s called Saint Nicholas Day. What’s really special in this region, however, is Sinterklaas: The Dutch Santa Claus! He makes an appearance on December 5th and gives out the gifts then! Oh, it is also feast day 😉

Dominican Republic

Christmas traditions around the world, Three Kings

"Los Tres Reyes Magos," meaning "The Three Magic Kings" (Photo: Studioporto.com)

While many Latin American countries celebrate both December 25th (Santa Claus/Christmas) and January 6th (Three Kings Day), only the latter is celebrated in Dominican Republic. There might be some exceptions to the rule, such as wealthy families exchanging gifts on both days. This, however, is rare. What, then, happens on January 6th? Children leave grass for the “camels” of the Three Kings to eat under their beds (not tree!) and then see their gifts there the next morning.

Egypt

Christmas traditions around the world, fattah

Egyptian fattah (Photo: Mylifeinapyramid.com)

Christmas in EGYPT? That’s right! While more than 90% of the population in Egypt are Muslims, there is still a Christian minority, called the Coptic Church. Also, as an Orthodox Church, so they actually celebrate Christmas on January 7th, a day after Three Kings Day in Latin America (Epiphany). Then, on Christmas Eve, everyone goes to church midnight service wearing a brand-new outfit, then goes home afterward to eat delicious fata (pictured above).

England

Christmas traditions around the world, Boxing Day

Keswick Boxing Day Hunt, Market Square, Cumbria, Lakes District, England in 1962 (Photo: Phillip Capper, Wiki)

Some peculiar Christmas traditions in England are the Queen of England’s speech (radio and televised) on Christmas Day and the celebration of Boxing Day on Dec. 26th, which nowadays involves giving small amounts of money as gifts to those who have helped you throughout the year (i.e. the mailman, the newspaper boy, etc.). When it comes to food, Christmas lunch includes a chestnut-stuffed turkey, Yorkshire pudding and roast beef or roast goose.

Germany

Christmas traditions around the world, suckling pig

Suckling pig: Traditional German dish eaten on “Dickbauch” feast day (Photo:Whydyoueatthat.wordpress.com)

As in several European countries, the day that German kids actually receive gifts is December 7th. Thus, on the night of December 6th, children place a boot or shoe by the fireplace (similar to the mistletoe tradition!) and wait for St. Nicholas to fill it with gifts! Another funny fact? Christmas Eve is called “Dickbauch” (which means “fat stomach”) and if you do not eat well on that day, you will be haunted by DEMONS! Say wha!? Interesting Christmas superstition indeed!

Iceland

Christmas traditions around the world, Yule Lads

Two of the Yule Lads on a billboard in Iceland (Photo:WikiCommons)

Icelandic Christmas is great, as it lasts 26 days and brings about 13 different “Santa Clauses” (also called “Yule Lads”) and they start bringing gifts 13 days before December 25th! The story behind them is that their parents are mean mother Grýla (who takes away the naughty kids in town!) and father Leppalúði, who is not that bad. Their children then are the infamous Yuletid, and each day of the Icelandic Christmas a different one comes to town, either bringing gifts or a prank, or both! 😉 on December 12th, children place a shoe by the window and expect one of the many “Santa Clauses” to leave gifts – but if you have been naughty, you get a potato instead! The major gift exchange and Christmas celebration, however, happens on Christmas Eve, when many Icelanders also go to midnight mass.

Israel & Palestine

While Jews celebrate Chanukkah around the same time, a minority of Christian Arabs do celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, on December 25th. Celebrations are particularly evident in Bethlehem and the Church of Nativity, where it is believed to be the location of the manger where Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago. See the video above to get a taste of Christmas in the West Bank/Palestine!

For part 2, and many more traditions from other countries, CLICK HERE!!

What are your favorite Christmas traditions around the world? Why?

Travel without plan: Curacao and Bonaire, here I come!

Heya peeps! It is T minus 2 days for Curacao and Bonaire, aka the Dutch Caribbean, and all that’s on my mind is travel without plan! Huh!? Well, I sent some Couchsurfing requests and only one has been answered which was to say that unfortunately he won’t be able to host me because he is moving this very weekend (of course, such is my luck). The CSer did tell me that we would def. flip the island over though…and I just 😀 !! Sooooo uhhhhh another travel without plan trip – wooohooo!?!??!?!

I got no accommodation set. Like, at all. And I don’t know why I’m so friggin’ excited about this. I’ll just arrive, meet up with the CSer in Bonaire and be like “so where do you think I could stay for a reasonable price?” and BAM. For Curacao I will then have 3 additional days for someone to “pop up” on Couchsurfing but if nothing happens, then travel without plan again!

Travel without plan: Dutch Caribbean

Curacao: The Dutch Caribbean!

I do have some ideas on what I’ll do in Curacao, though. Lola Di Marco was kind enough to tweet me some pics & locations I def. have to checkout while I’m there. For Bonaire though I don’t have a clue…and while I’m being tempted to look some stuff up, I think I just want to fully wing it again (ahhh, reminds me of my impromptu Israel hitchhiking/Couchsurfing trip in 2009!) and just wait until I get there and have the Dutch Couchsurfer simply show me what’s uuuup 😀 ahhhh the joys of travel without plan…always so exciting!

So! To get you (and me!) excited for my upcoming trip, I decided to share some of the photos and locales Lola tweeted me and advised I should not miss when I visit Curacao. Oh by the way, over there I’m meeting up with Mr Rupert (long story on his nickname lol) so it’ll be a tweet up of sorts 😀 he’s coming from a Habitat for Humanity house build in Argentina and I hope he is ok with the whole travel without plan deal! 😉 😛

travel without plan, Cas Abao

"Cas Abao, #Curacao named one of the top 10 beaches of 2011!" -@LolaDiMarco

travel without plan, Curacao

"Hike to the blue room to snorkel #Curacao" - @LolaDiMarco

travel without plan, Dutch Caribbean

"Crossing the pontoon bridge in #curacao" -@LolaDiMarco

travel without plan - Santa Cruz, Curacao

"Beautiful boka Santa Cruz #curacao" -@LolaDiMarco

travel without plan, cliff jumping

"Cliff jumping at Playa Forti #curacao" -@LolaDiMarco


And Bonaire? Will wait and be totally surprised 😉 😀 So that’s it for my travel without plan post! I’m off to Miami by train tomorrow, right after a nice Thanksgiving brunch with the roomie, and then it is Latin flavor night with my cousins and off to the Dutch Caribbean Friday morning. Can.NOT.wait! Oi btw,

Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias! 😉

My 2011-2012 BHAGs: Curacao, Bonaire, NOLA, Egypt, Cambodia, AUS!?

BHAG = Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Thanks for the inspiration, BootsnAll! You have just made me realize what’s my real last name 😉

Alo! I’m super excited to share some great news on this lovely Travel Tuesday night with ya! 😀 As you already know, I’ll be visiting Curacao for the first time in November. However, what you didn’t know yet is that I’ve added Bonaire to the mix! After speaking to other travel bloggers that have been to the ABC’s (Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao), I was told that it is wise if I were to spend 2-3 days on each instead of the whole time in just one of them. And since I’m trying to visit all countries in the world…this would be a perfect opportunity to cross off two at once 😀 after some debate, I decided to stay longer in Bonaire (3 days), as I wanted to visit the least crowded island with the most unspoiled nature for better diving/snorkeling. Then, I will fly back to Curacao and stay for 2 days to soak in the night life and possibly cycle around instead of renting a car *fingers crossed* I’m excited to have a taste of the Dutch Caribbean! Oh and in case you were wondering why I have left Aruba out? I already visited back in 2002 😉

Aruba Natural Bridge

Aruba's Natural Bridge, which collapsed in 2005 - I went there just 3 yrs earlier!

Now, how the HECK were NOLA, Egypt, Cambodia, Thailand, and even AUSTRALIA thrown to the mix!? Let me begin by saying that they are not all on a one-way RTW ticket (although that would have been pretty epic)…

French Quarter, New Orleans

French Quarter, New Orleans at night (Photo: Falkue at de.wikipedia)

NOLA, aka New Orleans, aka the “Big Easy” was an impulse buy from yours truly during a ridiculously-beautiful AA sale – snatched a RT ticket, direct flights, TPA-NOLA for just US$160 including taxes (I know, I’m a baller). I’m excited because the first and only time I’ve been to NOLA was to volunteer and help victims affected by Hurricane Katrina. Meaning? That time I got to be a part of something big for people, now this time I will be part of celebrating their recovery, BIG, with them! 😉 shall be a blast! This is happening on a long weekend in December, by the way.

And now, I shall describe the biggest event of this post. Band, drum roll please! *drum roll*

Hint: Plans A & C

Hint: This shall involve Plans A & C

Hint: Plan B

Hint: This shall be Plan B

My Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) for 2012 is to work, live, travel throughout the Middle East again or hit SE Asia for the first time in my life!

*rings cowbell loudly* YES!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg, you have no idea how excited I am, my fingertips just keep doing a happy dance across the keyboard every time I type about that! Soooo! What’s the plan you must be wondering!? Since I basically have it all planned out from Plan A to C to D, I’ll tell you all about it on a tentative timeline I’ve outlined below!

 Nov – Dec 2011 * Curacao & Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean); Miami & Tampa FL (USA)

Dec 2011 * New Orleans, NOLA, the Big Easy

New Year’s 2012 * long weekend where? Hmm…Tampa? Canada? Miami? Times Square/NYC again?

Jan – April 2012…

Plan A: Apply for jobs at US Embassies around the world, preferably in the Middle East, most preferably in Egypt. I want to improve my Arabic, get ready for a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Arabic, Track II at U of Maryland (close to DC!), studying abroad in Egypt again for the 2nd year of my degree (!!!)

Plan B? If by Feb-March I got no promising job offers on my table, start looking for jobs in Australia as well! I got a contact (if you wish to be named, you’re welcome to move forward mister!) that will help me find a job in the tourism industry there. Tour guide? Interpreter? Both? We shall see! 😀

Plan C: Really I got one? Indeed 😀 apply to become a flight attendant for a Middle Eastern airline, preferably Emirates or Qatar Airways. Travel the world while having a base in the Middle East and improve my Arabic in the process? Why not!?

Plan D (aka worst case scenario): Stay in Tampa FL a bit longer, until any plan from above happens. because you know, Maria Alexandra makes things happen!

La Isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico

A beach in Vieques, Puerto Rico

April – Aug 2012 * If either plan A, B or C from above happens, I’ll move back to La Isla Del Encanto, Puerto Rico (HOME!) and live with my family for a few months. It’ll be wonderful, because my first nephew is coming to this world in Feb 2012, so he will get some serious fun time with Titi Maria before she jets off to live in another remote country! (I wish he was old enough to teach him how to Skype already…)

Worst case scenario: Still in Tampa FL, job searching (aka still working on Plans A, B & C from above)

Aug 2012

Plan A: Living (and working) in Egypt again!

Plan B: Last week of Aug, head to Southeast Asia, travel through Thailand (for the first time!) for a couple of days, then head to Cambodia to volunteer on a house build through Habitat for Humanity. Afterward, tubing (and much else) in Laos. And “finally”? Travel job in eastern coast of AUSTRALIA!

Plan C: Become a reincarnated PanAm dream (umm, flight attendant) for Emirates or Qatar Airways, living in the Persian Gulf, but FLYING often around the world!

Sept 2012 * living and traveling either throughout the Middle East, Asia and/or the South Pacific!

And…what if all of the above fails due to some major mystery of the universe? Well, I’ll just stay right here, in Tampa FL, working as a translator and social media manager, still searching and waiting until a promising opportunity crosses my path. I know God has a plan for me, and while I do possess the gift of free will, He also helps me by guiding me in the path that best suits my abilities and all the love and talents I have to give and share with others. I’m such a people person, got so much love and great plans to share and spread around the world, I know what will make me wake up ecstatic every morning will show up eventually 🙂

Until then? I got my timeline to work on! And…

My pool in Tampa, FL
…a great view + pool at my apartment complex to enjoy in Tampa Bay, FL

This post may have been a little tedious for some of you to read, but I am the kind of person that needs to write (errm, type) plans out in order to focus, tackle, and WIN. I’m absent, scattered minded, so time lines like this one have previously helped me achieve some of my biggest life goals. And so this shall be my proclamation, my inspiration–the sticky note I will read every day until my wildest dreams come true!

MOREOVER, I am challenging YOU right now to proclaim your own. Write down your dreams, travel plans, BIG GOALS for the next year already! Come join me, let’s take this journey together!

In response to 30 Days of Indie Travel, Prompt # 1:
What travel goals do you hope to accomplish this year?

Curacao: The Dutch Caribbean

Curacao-Dutch-Caribbean

Curacao, the Dutch Caribbean

It’s official: My flight to Curaçao is booked and I’m heading there for the first time from November 25th-30th (Thanksgiving weekend)! I am thrilled. While I grew up in the Enchanted Island of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean never gets old. There is something about its palm-fringed coasts, ocean breeze, sand between my toes, and year-long sunshine that I just can never get enough! Most of my excitement, however, stems from the fact that Curaçao is so culturally diverse from the Caribbean I’m “used” to.

Located in the deep south of the Caribbean, Curacao is about 60 km off Venezuelan coasts. For this reason, it is considered a “transcontinental country,” meaning that it is part of both North and South America, as the division of Caribbean islands between the two continents is deemed complex. In addition to its ambiguous geographical location, its cultural background is just as broad. While the first conquistadors to see the island were Spaniards, the territory was invaded by the Dutch in 1634. Then, 28 years later, Curacao became the center of the Atlantic slave trade, bringing a heavy influx of African slaves into the island. From there, they were shipped to several colonies in the Caribbean and South America.

The island became prosperous, and since the Dutch made a contract with the Spaniards for slave trade, the island’s development and architecture was influenced by a mix of both Spanish and Dutch styles. Naturally, as with many Caribbean islands, Curacao’s strategic location and wealth caught the eye of other colonial powers. Consequently, Curacao was occupied by the French, the British, and the Dutch interchangeably between the 18th and 19th centuries. Then, in 1815 (post-Napoleonic wars), the Dutch regained control of the island.

It is easy to see why I am so excited about visiting this culturally-rich haven. Not only is it off-the-beaten path in comparison to other popular Caribbean destinations, but its background is quite unique. While my island of Puerto Rico has Taíno, African, and Spanish influences, the Spaniards successfully retained control of the island for more than 400 years, ever since its discovery by Columbus on November 19th, 1493. In fact, it was not until the Spanish-American War that Spain lost the island to American forces. In contrast, Curacao was occupied and juggled between colonial powers repeatedly for about two centuries, which makes its background that more diverse in my opinion. It will be wonderful see for myself and discover whether this assumption of mine is true or if the cultural background is as equally diverse, and not more, than Puerto Rico’s.

According to the government’s website, Curacao’s unique society has seen interactions between the Indian, European, African, Asian, and Arab cultures. I wonder how that will translate into its architecture, food, customs, etc. I plan on Couchsurfing there, just so I get to see the country from a local’s perspective and am able to ask several questions about traditions and current influences and changes.

I’m still not sure what I will do there. A friend of mine, named Jessica, might join me, but seems like I will be going as a solo woman traveler again *smiles* I think I’ll want to cycle around the island, given the fact that it is only 61 km long by 5-14 km wide, plus I will have about 5-6 days to explore (yay). Additionally, I plan on doing some diving and snorkeling, as I have heard Curacao boasts some of the most virgin, vibrant corals in the whole Caribbean. Moreover, it was considered one of the top budget diving destinations in the world–say whaaaat!? Guys, I’m so excited about this trip! By the way, I found my flight from Miami-Curacao for only $215 RT including taxes on a special sale from American Airlines, which ends on July 18th (in four days!). They have tons of cities on sale so you might want to check it out. Oh and hey, if you decide to visit the magical Dutch Caribbean after snatching a cheap flight, let me know! *wink*

Have you visited Curacao or any other Caribbean island? Tell us about your experience