Plasa Bieu, or the "Old Market," borders the Waaigat harbor near the central post office and the Round Market. It looks like a small, rundown factory... and I suppose that's what it is. A little factory which has been manufacturing delicious, affordable Curaçaoan cuisine for decades. From the looks of things, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that nothing has changed in fifty years; not the stands, the pots, nor the people ladling out stew or frying up fish.
Colonial-era Willemstad was protected from marauding pirates and enemy navies with an extensive set of eight forts, six of which have survived intact into the present day. The oldest and most important is Fort Amsterdam, found at the entrance to Saint Anna Bay.
Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao and by far its largest city, with about 98% of the island's total population. In many respects, Willemstad is Curaçao. And for 91 days, it would also be our home.
Our new 91 day adventure had begun, and this time we were turning our attention to Curaçao, a Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. I could pretend that we were drawn by the island's history or its enchanting culture... but, really, we wanted something that was going to be low-key and a lot of fun. And for that, we could have hardly chosen a better destination than Curaçao.
