The island life: Curacao
Curacao is definitely the type of place that makes you wonder 'where on earth are you'. The culture and environment are so diverse that you end up lost in the mix.
A Carribean island colonised by the Deutsch which looks like the Netherlands and still is a separate colony of the Netherlands but uses their own currency and has their own government? This can get confusing so let me break it down for you.
*NB* I was phoneless during this trip so I'm writing off memory, if any misleading information, please let me know.
An ABC treasure
Curacao is part of what we call the ABC islands. ABC stands for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. They are generally talked about altogether because of the colonial past they share. Indeed, it is a misconception to think that most Carribean islands have been colonized by Spaniards (which I believed before visiting Curacao) for Deutsch also had a strong presence in the Carribean through slavery and trade.
Out of the three islands, Curacao is according to locals the most developed one since they kept their contact with the 'mainland' Netherlands, whereas places such as Aruba decided to be fully independent. Keep in mind that these territories are still considered 'part of the European Union' and locals have Deutsch passport. (there is no such thing as an Aruban/Curacao/Bonaire passport, they are all Deutsch)
**Side note: we spent 24 hours in Aruba and there is much less to see and do than Curacao. Aruba is more a laid-back type of party scene.**
In Curacao, Willemstad is the capital and the place to go if you want to have a feel of the culture and be close to the locals whereas Remote areas are beach, party and hotel resorts zones. (do both, it is always better).
The people
The basics !
The people are called Curaçaoans though I believe our guide told us they were also called the sun people since Curacao means this in Papiamentu. The population is very diverse with the most beautiful light skin people I have ever seen in my life. The mix of Deutsch and black was just wow to me, almost looked blessed by the sun. I don't think I have ever been to such a country where most people looked that good and were so welcoming!
The language
The official languages are Dutch and Papiamentu. Since it is a touristic place, English is generally widely spoken.
** Papamientu is such an extraordinary language and for folks who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Deutsch and English, it will be easier for you to catch up with locals because Papamientu is a mix of all these languages and creole! What a language (I loved it). Because of this, Curacaoans generally speak 3 to 4 languages, so don't worry about it!
Some famous words
Bon bini: Welcome
Bon dia: Good morning
Bon tardi: Good afternoon
Bon nochi: Good evening
Con ta bai?: How are you?
Mi ta bon: I'm fine
Danki: Thank you (from Dutch)
Por fabor: Please
Di nada: Your welcome
Dushi: one of the most common word, with different meanings, like darling or sweetheart and delicious
The currency
The local currency is the Netherlands Antillean guilder/ Netherlands Antillean florin (ANG/NAfl).
You can also pay with the Dollar or the Euro but the Euro has a stronger value there.
** $ = 1.79 ANG.** I felt life was kind of expensive but the islands generally are so.
The culture
As mentioned before, Curacao is so diverse that you get lost in the mix. You will find everything you want, from African culture to Spanish and Deutsch culture, you have a little bit of everything. This is most noticeable in food and dance traditions where you will find for instance the African gumbo, Deutsch cakes and meals etc. This culture, however, has a dark background story since this mix is mainly based on a HUGE slavery history you can read more about here.
A more elaborated post
Since I had no phone during my time there, I could not get the best of the island or take proper notes. Thus, I recommend these blogs for more detailed information: Tourdelust or Little Chef Big Appetite