Curacao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea in between Aruba and Bonaire. The time seems to go a bit slower here than the rest of the world and there are special rules that only exist on this particular island.
For instants, I wanted to rent a car so through Tim, English guy who works with The Dive Bus, gave me a phone number. I called up and was told that I could rent a BMW 318 but couldn’t get it until Monday. The day I called was a Thursday and he needed to get insurance and paper work done. I said that Monday was too late and I would rent a car from a different place. Suddenly he was able to get everything done in a couple of hours.
When he came with the BMW 318 a couple of hours later it had, in a mystic kind of way, turned it self into a VW Polo.
I had to get money from an ATM machine and could only get out one third of the money it cost to rent it but that was not a problem for him, he would come the next three days for the rest of it. Next day was a Friday and had, in a mystic kind of way, turned it self into Monday when he showed up. I laughed and thought this is Curacao.
All I needed to pay now was the deposit and he would call me tomorrow to make sure I was on the boat. Now, that’s a month ago and I haven’t heard a thing from the guy. Two days ago he called me and asked if everything was fine with the car and if I wanted to return it on the 10. as the contract/worthless piece of paper said. I told him that if it was possible I would like it for two weeks more. No problem in that, he didn’t mention the missing deposit and said that he would be here on the 10. which was a Sunday.
This is Curacao, do you think that the guy showed up on that Sunday???? OFF CAUSE NOT! J
At The Dive Bus hut they wanted to extent the gearing-up-area but couldn’t do it because they would take some space from the public beach. They talked to the local guy who owns the restaurant next to the hut about it. He scratched his head and knowing it would be illegal, replied: “We just do it at night!”
Mark and Suzy, the owners of The Dive Bus never extended the area…
Two of my friends from Denmark, Thomas and Mads visited me on the island last year. We went to the supermarket, bought a bunch of stuff and walked up to one of the 10 counters. A local girl was sitting behind the register, supporting her apparently very heavy head in both her hands. We asked if she was open and without even turning her head she extended her index finger and pointed to the next counter.
I had been on the island too long to even comment that, but my friends jaws dropped to the floor. How could she be that lazy? All I could say was, this is Curacao…!
I don’t know if light bulbs on the car have anything to do with global warming but if it has the locals really are thinking of the environment. By not using and I really mean NOT USING, the indicator when ever they turn left or right in their cars they must save many little light bulbs.
Why do things today when you can do it tomorrow seems to be the motto.
How is Curacao? It really is a nice place and the locals are very nice people.
Still on "The Hard" .... sailing term for my boat is still on stilts and in dry dock. For the first time in what seems to be forever, I have cold beers on the boat. The refrigerator is installed by my good friend, Frank.
The propeller shaft is fixed after we worked on it for almost two weeks. It was really stuck but once I got it off and cleaned it, it was easy to get back on. The old Benmar autopilot is buried with a large ceremony, he was old and pasted away of natural causes. Rest in peace.
The new autopilot was not easy to install but I pulled it off with no help from outside.The keel is fixed after the little incident in the Bahamas so slowly slowly Solitude and I are ready for the high seas. It will properly be another week or so before she is in her right element again.
For the sail trip to the BVI’s I haven’t found the crew yet but various friends are trying to find time and funds it shouldn’t be a problem.
The “Things to do”-list seems to be never ending. Every time you proudly tick one thing off, three new things are added. The sailing part of having a sailboat is the easy part. Maintaining the sailboat is the main priority but I love every minute of it.
