Playa Porto Marie

Playa Porto MarieThursday we tried to get to Playa Porto Marie again. Armed with the right street to turn on to, we were pretty sure we’d get it. After turning off the highway, it was a long road to the beach, but we found it! It’s a picturesque little place, with a dive shop, restaurant, and lots of umbrellas and beach lounge chairs.

Stonefish There is a long wooden walkway down the middle of the hot sand, and you just grab a chair and umbrella. It costs two dollars to just use the beach, an extra three bucks if you want a lounge chair.

It’s not much different than we remember it. It’s a pretty little bay, with a double reef. However, we found the snorkeling less than stellar. It simply didn’t measure up to the other places we’ve been to in Curacao. There seems to be a lot of damage to the reef, but divers told us that further out, it’s pretty remarkable.

The whole familyWe never did get to the second reef, staying inside the first one. We saw lots of fish, don’t get me wrong, even some we’d never seen before! But overall, the coral was pretty mono-chromatic, and the sandy bottom made for a lack of color overall.

PuddingwifeIf you go, stay to the right side as you enter. There are a lot more things to see. On the left side, close to the cliffs, there were some interesting things, gold morays, spanish hogfish, box fish, lots of stuff, really. But the right side was more colorful, with lots more fish. There were lots of eels, lots of colorful fish.

A rock hind We took a break for lunch and it started to rain. A tropical rain, warm, but tons of rain! Most people packed up and got the heck outta Dodge. We had a leisurely lunch under the umbrellas, but it was clear that it wasn’t going to clear! So we just packed up and headed home.

I’m adding a movie of a spotted eel. I know I put one in yesterday’s post, but this one is a little longer, and little better quality. It will also show you what I mean about the place being very monochromatic. The white sand, white coral, and white rocks – lets the fish stand out though!

Pink flamingos This part of Curacao is famous for the salt plains that has a colony of pink flamingos. They are certainly are a strange bird. They stick their heads in the water, and then walk forward with their heads still in the water, to feed. Their knees bend backwards, so it’s quite a strange site to see them do it. I’ve added a movie at the end of this post. It’s not a very good movie, but it will give you an idea of what I’m talking about!

Augusto'sWe had a nice dinner at Augusto’s again. Very well prepared, very good service. Desert was fantastic – a ponche crema cake – a Curacoan traditional desert. Ponche cream is a desert liquour, kind of a cross between Bailey’s and bananas, although I don’t think there are any bananas in it. The desert was awesome. Pam had a passion fruit mousse which was also outstanding.

We have done no shopping in Curacao at all. Not even an hawaiian shirt! (I know people will be shocked to learn I have not bought one…) Pam hasn’t even bought a postcard! How weird is that??

A word about the rental car – amazing gas mileage! It’s a Toyota Yaris, and we didn’t have to fill the tank the whole week, even though we’ve driven all over this island. The fact that it is new, and in good mechanical shape obviously makes a difference. On Aruba, a much smaller island, we filled the car twice. Curacoan’s are much better drivers, and much more polite drivers than the drivers on Aruba. Think of the worst driver you’ve ever encountered, and they would rank near the top of Aruban drivers. Completely loco!