First impressions of WILLEMSTAD, capital of CURACAO
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Hi everyone! This is episode six of my Dutch Caribbean series, in which I travel to Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. In this video, I am in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao.
This is the first of a few videos featuring the Curacao capital. In this episode, I explore the Punda neighbourhood and what it has to offer the tourist. The video starts with me approaching the waterfront on the Otrobanda side of Queen Emma Bridge, looking towards the Handelskade in Punda. I talk about what it means for me to visit this legendary and colourful Caribbean city, especially with a first name of Willem!
I briefly show the location of Willemstad and Curacao on maps painted on a wall in Willemstad. You will see lots of art throughout this video, but I thought these particular works of art will help to orientate you and show where I actually find myself.
Curacao is one of the so-called ABC Islands of the Dutch Caribbean - in fact, it it the largest of the three both in terms of geographic size and population. I also explain the meaning behind the flag of Curacao, in particular pointing out the two stars on the flag that represent Big Curacao and Little Curacao ("Klein Curacao").
I then enter the Queen Emma Bridge connecting the neighbourhoods of Otrobanda and Punda and talk about some of the history of the island and of Willemstad.
After crossing the bridge into Punda, I notice the love locks and some interesting monuments, as well as (of course) the impressive Dutch colonial buildings. Then I start going for a casual stroll in various parts of the city to find out if it does justice to the travel brochure explanation of it being the most colourful place in the Caribbean.
Once I walked around various parts and exploring several squares and markets, I stop for a bite to eat. I order two pastechis - chicken and cheese - and give my verdict. With my stomach filled, I then venture to the streets again to stroll around and provide commentary and first impressions.
Finally, I stop at a supermarket to buy some local soft drinks and test them out. Whilst doing so, I have an interesting interaction with a local man.
I hope you enjoy this first taste of Willemstad! In upcoming videos, I will explore more of this incredible place.
Please show your support for this channel by giving this video a like, and please do subscribe to the channel if you haven't already!
Happy exploring!
Willie
Thank you for visiting my island ❤
I had a wonderful time! Thanks for watching!
Hey there Willie, came across your video just recently.
My kids and I are in the process of leaving SA by year end and immigrating to Curacao, to start a new life.
Visited the island to check it out 5 years ago.
Walked those same streets you did in this video was a nice reminder for me of the place.
Thanks,
Nice to hear from you! Hope all goes well with your move - it certainly looks like a great place to go and live! And thanks for checking out my content, I appreciate the support
Very colorful with the different painted buildings and the murals on the walls. Sounds like a very friendly and happy place Willie, Kiwi from Virginia
Cheers Swanoaks! A very interesting place to explore for sure :)
Hi Willie ... great walkaround, as always! Were I there, that's just what I would do, so thanks!! What a nice perspective on Willemstad ... certainly very colorful and pleasant. Nice to virtually "meet" a few locals and tourists. So, now you've done it ... Curacao is now on my Go-To List! BTW, welcome to North America ... hey, it's north of the equator, so why not?! [Again, greetings from Tucson!]
Cheers as always Jim! Glad you enjoyed this video. I have a few more of Willemstad that I will put up in due course. It sometimes felt as if I was in North America with all the North American tourists :) Hope all is well across the pond!
Thx willie really enjoyed ur video, I glad that u educate many people about the island so they can come to curacao.
Hi Paulette, thank you for your kind words! I had a great time in Willemstad and hopefully I'll get a chance to visit again myself. Have a good day!
Hi willie you explaind curacao history so good .Dushi means sweet heart sweet,or tasty .Mostly all the people of curacao use this word ofthen .such a powefull word.
The bronze status is of Dr.Da comez nick name Doctor .He is product of Nijmegen university Nl.His wife served as a prime minister of curacao for a short time during 1977.
Like to see more of curaco.
Thank you so much for adding the additional information my friend! Really appreciate it. I have more videos of Willemstad coming shortly, including Otrobanda and Pietermaai, so watch out for those :)
Very very nicely captured Willie! Take care & be safe...have fun..;-)
Thank you very much! Appreciate you checking out my videos!
@@willieexplore Best regards...
Nice video Willie thanks for explaining some of the places and further information detail from different sources of information about places you travel to. Also Nice beautiful scenery as areas not discussed on explained thanks!
Cheers Simon glad you enjoyed it! It is fantastic to visit these destinations off the beaten track :)
Excellent video. I'm really enjoying it. Thank you for such a nice job.
Thank you very much for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed it. I had a wonderful time in Willemstad.
@@willieexplore I've been talking to some people regarding the history of Papiamentu, the language of Curaçao.
Is there anything that you can ad to that subject? Thank you!
Hello, Again, Mr. Willie! (Am I saying it right?)
Anyway, I'm under the impression that you are South African and if I'm not mistaking you replied to a viewer in Africaanse . I heard somewhere that africanse was highly influenced by the Dutch language. And, apparently so is Papiamentu. I even heard you ordering what sounded and looked like a 'pastel' at the restaurant . Lol. And you said there was such a word in Africanse.
What , if any, degree of similarly do you think exists between those two languages?
Incidently, 'pastel' comes from portuguese .
What I've heard about Papiamentu is that its speaker can 'fine tune' it to fit the listener's native language. Lol
It's mainly a Latin creole but its vocabulary, has many synonyms of Dutch origin .
Ps. Sorry if I misspelled that southafrican language! I'll look it up later.
Thank you!
@@gibau1000 Hi again Eduardo! Yes you spell my name correctly :) I grew up in South Africa and speak Afrikaans. Yes, it is similar to Dutch and the word for "thank you" in Afrikaans is "Dankie" - the same as in Papiamentu! (but with a different spelling). I actually managed to communicate with some of the locals in Afrikaans, which was nice :)
@@gibau1000 I am no expert on the Papiamentu language, but it certainly is very interesting, especially for an Afrikaans speaker like myself.
It won't surprise you, Willie, when I say I love all the colour in Curacao! Even every shop window had colourful items. It just lifts your mood, doesn't it? Seems like a very relaxed and happy place. Thanks for all the history too, always interesting. Intrigued by the mechanics of the moving bridge, can't quite work it out🤷🏼♀️😂
I knew you would enjoy this one Sheila! Willemstad really does promote itself as a colourful place. I am a big believer in the power of colour from a psychological perspective. Cheers for tagging along with this one!
Loved to watch your episode on Curaçao. That is where my mother came from and you actually passed the house where she was born on the Bredestraat, the main shopping street on Curaçao. The building is yellow , green and white. You did not go to the fort, but in the hotel there is where my mother and father met. The fort is situated on the corner by the sea on the Punda side. Also where some Government buildings are. Wanted you to go walk over there but you did not in this episode. I was born on Aruba, so I enjoy your episodes that you did on my island too. Masha danki. 👍
Thank you so much for your wonderful message and for sharing such a personal story! Really pleased to hear that you enjoy my content and that it took you on such a trip down memory lane. I will never forget my time in the ABC Islands - you can be very proud of this part of the world. You are right, unfortunately I did not go to the fort on the Punda side. Appreciate your support!
Lovely CURACAO must plan and visit
You definitely should!
I always like bringing back home with me a few bills or coins in the local currency of anywhere I travel. :) A neat little souvenir.
Yes definitely :) Although then I put it in a container box and completely forget what the currencies look like!
Nice tour and great overall information 👍
Thank you very much!
Next time you are here, i will be glad to give you some tours
Hi Martin, that would be great, much appreciated! Thank you so much for the offer and for checking out my videos. I'll let you know if I'm ever back in the ABC islands :)
We just came back from a one week vacation in Curacao. So excited to stumble upon your video: we got to relive our amazing experience through your vlogs. We walked in all the same areas you walked! Starting to watch your other videos too, what is your favourite country you have travelled to? Cheers from Canada!
Thank you very much for your feedback! Delighted to hear that you enjoy my content and that it brings back good memories. Re favourite country, it is such a difficult question to answer as they are all special for different reasons. In terms of vlogging though, I think Albania, Kosovo and Tunisia were the most rewarding in terms of experiences, particularly because I engaged with many people there. The ABC Islands were lovely to visit but difficult to vlog due to the hot weather. Hope you enjoy my other videos too, thanks for the support!
Amazing vid thanks so much
Thank you so much for your kind words, much appreciated :)
looks like Amsterdam or Rotterdam with those colourful houses, maybe Miami too.
The Dutch legacy is certainly evident here, Alan! Never been to Miami though so can't comment.
Willie is jy nou naby my plek. Lyk Pragtig! Groete Lima Peru!
Net 'n klipgooi van Suid-Amerika se kontinent! Ek het hierdie avontuur geniet, Tosca. Die Nederlandse konneksie maak dit natuurlik ekstra fasinerend vir ons Suid-Afrikaners
Greetings, fellow vloggers! Do keep up the magnificent work you've been doing for this wonderful travel channel of yours! Stay safe, my friends~
Cheers for the support! Really appreciate it :)
Very enjoyable, Willie. The pasteitjies looked good. I'm keen to try one.
Enjoyed the colourful buildings and graffiti and the locals seemed quite friendly.
That blueberry drink at the end got me curious too.
Keep up the great work!
Cheers Peter! I was pleasantly surprised how far my Afrikaans slash Dutch got me in Willemstad, although English is widely spoken too. The people are really affable and easy-going. Those pasteitjies filled a gap in my stomach, that's for sure. You know what, I would go back to the Caribbean just for that blue drink again!
@willieexplore Yes it was really cool that your Afrikaans proved helpful. I have worked with a Dutch and a Flemish (Belgian) girl and we'd test the languages out on each other and I think 90% of it is either the same or you can figure it out.
I can't wait to get to the Caribbean for the first time. I am jealous.
@@frontrowrugby definite similarities! This was my first trip to the Caribbean and made me hungry for more adventure in the area! Maybe a cricket tour...one day...
@@willieexplore A cricket tour would be wonderful!
Hi Willie, ja ek het sommar onmiddelik gehoor jy moet van Suid Afrika wees, ek het lank in Pretoria gewoon en nou bly ek al 19jaar hierso, 'n bakgat video mooibly en lekkerbly🤘
Hallo Lady Diana! Dankie vir die terugvoering en dat jy die video gekyk het, ek waardeer dit! Was nog altyd 'n droom om Willemstad te sien. Ek kan sien hoekom jy daar sal wil bly! Beste groete
@@willieexplore Hi Willie,baie dankie vir jou vinnige antwoord, ja Willemstad lyk 'n bietjie op Suid Afrika ook die buite lewe, nou jy moet mooibly en bly gesond🤘🤘
Great video lots of colors . What camera do you use?
Cheers, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for checking out my videos! I use a GoPro
But where did the bridge go??!! 😆
A very colourful place, Willie. Those buildings along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Nyhavn in Copenhagen.
As always, an interesting and informative video. I honestly don't know how you remember all the facts you learn on our behalf!
How does it compare pricewise to Aruba? Food certainly seemed quite expensive in Aruba.
Haha Andy, the bridge magically disappeared and reappeared! I have some footage of the bridge moving which I might include in some upcoming videos :)
Cheers for the positive feedback. There are definite similarities to the Nyhavn experience. As for the facts - have you seen my Lonely Planet collection? Haha nah it is a little bit of prep but I enjoy reading up about places as it adds to my experience of a place.
Re prices - very similar to Aruba.
Hi Andy its eye catching to see when bridge flote to make way for cargo or passanger ship hope willie will show in his next post.
Welkom in Curacao Willie!
Baie dankie Suzette :) Ek voel sommer lekker tuis!
Big like 19. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@willieexplore you are welcome
Hi! are you still in Curacao? I will be there on July 11. I will be on vacation for a week.
H! Not there anymore but I wish I was. Hope you have a great time!
"Dushi" means: sweet or sweetheart in Papiamento.
Danki! Appreciate you taking the time to comment :)
Hello, I'm thinking of going to the capital in January and staying for about 9 days. Could you tell me if it's only worth so much time there? Isn't the city too small? Congratulations for the video, I really liked it!
Really appreciate your comment and glad you enjoyed my video! You will definitely be able to explore Willemstad in nine days, so I'd recommend exploring more of the island in the time you are there. Regardless of what you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have a great time!
@@willieexplore Thank you very much🤝
Curaçao has so much more than the capital of Willemstad. You will be short with 9 days, to explore quite an amount of beaches, rural landhuizen (plantation homes) museums and architectural landmarks, several fortresses, oldest Synagoge of the western hemisphere, the Curaçao Liquor Factory, Bloemhof gallery. Venture in nature, diving, boat trips, climb the Christoffel Berg and wander through Savonet natural park, visit Ostrich Farm.
Prepare to extend your stay😂!
@@madeleineplaate827 Thank you😍
dushi means sweet or sweetheart or honey
Cheers Kelly! Appreciate you checking out my videos!
What camera are you using?
GoPro. Thanks for watching!
@@willieexplore Thanks for responding. Loved your Curaçao vídeo. Was there for one week and returned last week. Enjoyed seeing again the places I just visited. Going to check out your Aruba tour as I want to go there next - should have gone when I was in Curaçao. Many thanks for your informative videos. You have a new fan.
@@user-pg9ec5ei9v thank you very much for your kind words, much appreciated! Glad you enjoy my content. When you go to Aruba, let me know if you want some tips on what to do / what not to do :)
that blueberry busta softdrink is made in jamaica , is not made in curacao.
Thanks Edward. Watch me drink a Fria in one of my other Willemstad videos :)
Punda is a colourful place but also empty because of all the stupid tourist shops... Punda was not like that 20 years ago. Locals went to Punda to do some shopping and meet each other. Today there are hardly any locals, it's all tourists from these terrible cruiseships that spit out 3000 Americans in one time to invade the city and leave the same day like they found it: empty. If you want to taste the real Willemstad you will have to ignore Punda and visit Otrabanda instead. There you will find locals shopping, lunching en meeting friends.
Thanks for watching! I did indeed visit Otrabanda, in another vlog on my channel. Watch if you haven't already! :)