Coming on the heels of one of the most difficult years we've ever endured, Jürgen and I had been desperate for a relaxing and stress-free 91 days. With its chilled-out atmosphere, low-adrenaline activities, friendly people, comforting cuisine, and an infectiously fun culture and all packed into one, small, easily manageable island, Curaçao was exactly what we needed. We couldn't have made a better choice.
One of Curaçao's best traits is its delirious language situation. Curaçaoans speak seemingly anything and everything, often all at once. We've had people switch from Dutch to Spanish to English on the turn of a dime, as they try and guess our nationality. But the language we most love to hear from Curaçaoans is Papiamento -- a creole mix of West African, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and even some Arwak.
The first major act of Curaçao's Carnival celebrations is the Tumba Festival, held every year in late January. This is a week-long competition to choose the official song of Carnival, during which dozens of songs battle it out to be the top jam, all performed live in front of a big crowd.
