Mini snorkel at Blue Bay

Orange spotted tile fishWe’ve have not been snorkeling as much as usual. Not for any reason, really, just haven’t seemed to jump in the ocean as often as usual. I guess with the lock down, we kind of got out of the habit of being in the ocean.

Yesterday we decided to try a late in the afternoon swim. The winds seem to die off in the back half of the day, so we decided to go jump in. It was nice and warm and the water was pretty clear. Sometimes the little bay where we enter the water gets cloudy from all the bodies, but it hasn’t been busy, so the water was nice and clear.

Octopus in the gardenWe saw the usual suspects and had a nice time, and then as we were about to leave, we spotted a big octopus. He was definitely the biggest we’ve ever seen here in Blue Bay, and as big as any we’ve ever seen.

He hung around a chunk of coral and let us check him out over and over again.

 

Easing things off

Pam's SandalsCuracao has basically gotten back to “normal” – minus the tourists! While most restrictions have been lifted, and restaurants and stores are open again, tourists are not yet being welcomed. Flights are not wide open, and cruise ships are not welcome, yet.

A couple of cool little guysIt was nice to go out and enjoy a dinner cooked by someone else. I was getting tired of eating my own cooking. The beach restaurant has renamed itself, and gotten a new menu. The food was pretty good. It was just good to be out on the beach enjoying the evening.

Just hanging aboutThe flamingos have returned to the lake just off the first hole here at the golf course. They seem to leave at odd times, then return. We have not spotted a routine to it – sometimes they are there, and sometimes not. There are quite a few here this time, usually ten or more at a time.

Chasing a stickWith the lifting of the quarantine we were able to get Bailey down to the ocean. She loves to chase sticks out on the water. We can throw it as far as we are able and she’ll still chase it down.

The golf course has re-opened and I’ve played a few rounds. That’s also been very nice. Before the lock down we were out playing at least twice a week, and it’s a big part of our routine. We’re glad to have that back. Here is a short movie of my “hole of the round.” It’s a lovely par 3 across the ocean. You need  a nice drive, because the swirling winds can easily send you into one of the many bunkers protecting the green.

Now that’s a BIG chicken!

Why...Our resort here on Curacao, Blue Bay Golf and Beach Resort, has added a lot of public art over the years we have lived here. They just turn up with out much fanfare or announcements. Sometimes they have a sign explaining the artist, but not always. The latest is a pretty big chicken! I actually like it.

Feel free to insert your favorite chicken crossing the road joke, but in days like we’re living now, it’s obvious it was crossing the road because it was practicing social distancing. And let’s face it, Chuck Norris crosses any damn road he wants, and no one questions his intentions!

A great egretHere is a pretty neat picture of a great egret, sometimes called a white heron. And no one questions them when they cross the road either!

Here is a video of our last time on the Blue Bay Golf Course before the government imposed lockdown. Hole 11 is a tricky one. You need to get your drive to the left side, to avoid having to shoot over the water. But of course, I hit it to the right! But I managed to snug the ball in tight to the pin, for a short birdie putt.

In the age of social distancing

Deserted beachThe covid-19 crisis has hit Curacao too, of course. The island has stopped all foreign air traffic, forbidden cruise ships from docking, ordered stores and restaurants to close, and forced grocery stores to implement social distancing measures. Blue Bay Beach has been closed to anyone except residents, and they’ve removed a lot of lounge chairs so that there is at least two meters between them. As you can see from the picture, the place is deserted. We were on the beach yesterday, and there were about six other people. And none were in the ocean.

The featured picture is pretty funny. A golf foursome practicing social distancing! Each one has a golf cart to themselves, and they hit their shots to different parts of the fairway. Perfect social distancing!

This is not a cowWe’ve had some nice new art work added around the resort. It just seems to pop up when you least expect it. This colorful cow/bench is one of many on the island, done by a local artist. There are a number of them around the island, at different beaches, and outside various stores.

Little bit of a snorkelThe ocean was pretty rough – we should have waited until late afternoon when the ocean is generally calmer – so we didn’t really get many shots of fish, but I guess we need to post at least one here! The bay was quite clear, I guess because so few people have been in the ocean for the last few weeks. So, here is a pudding wife, not to be confused with the less colorful custard husband.

Just some nice pictures

Pretty ButterflyWe’ve been taking it pretty easy here. Not much is new, we have a pretty slow paced life. Golfing once or twice a week. A dip in the ocean once in a while. A big day out is getting gas for the car and shopping for groceries. Thought this picture of a butterfly was very pretty, and worth sharing.

We rarely get out to a restaurant anymore. We do go to our resort’s beach side happy hour on Friday, so long as they are featuring live music. We skip those days that have a DJ. They don’t play many songs for our age bracket!

Trupial alightThe trupial is a very colorful bird, with a distinctive song. We see them everywhere on the island, sometimes just sitting on a cactus. They also like to hang around the golf course’s restaurant hoping for a handout. The featured image on this post has one that I thought made him look angry. Pretty funny don’t you think?

Royal Sea Aquarium stay-cation

Some coral at the SeaQuarium beachPam and I are staying at the Royal Sea Aquarium this week. A stay-cation if you will as we are still on the island, but at the opposite end to where we live. We don’t often get down here, and it’s been a nice change.

Caribbean Reef SquidWe had a nice snorkel off the Sea Aquarium and the water was amazingly warm. Saw all the usual suspects, although we saw a group of larger squid. Most squid we’ve seen lately have been of the smaller variety, but these were quite large.

The resort has evolved a little since we’ve stayed here last. They have a nice poolside bar, with breakfast service. Taco Tuesday is a new day long special as well. The suites are as amazing as always.

The only downside was that they have discontinued the free entry to the aquarium. Most disappointed with that. We used to go and watch the dolphin shows a couple times at least.

Still, a nice little get away. Nice to sleep in. Nice to “see” this side of the island!

We had a nice dinner out at our favorite pizza joint, Il Forno’s and it didn’t disappoint. A very nice dinner.

Birds on the golf course

The Curacaon parrotPam and I are on the golf course at least once a week. She takes the camera and has taken some great shots of me playing, and of the birds that make the golf course their home.

I’ve said it before, but there are around five thousand different bird species that spend some time on Curacao. Local species include parrots, flamingo and the predator falcon called the cara cara.

Another birdSome birds are here for just a few weeks. They use the island as a way station as they fly their migration routes.

Lots of color, lots of sounds, lots of fun.

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao