Tag Archives: curacao

Don’t Need Teeth to Eat This Meat

We had passed by an “abandoned” lot hundreds of times as it is on our bus route, grocery store route, and rental car route.  It is gated from the street and sometimes has a few scattered chairs in the far back corner, but for the most part is looks like a normal vacant lot.


That is until we heard from a few locals that this home to one of the best BBQ joints on the island.  They are only open from 9p-2a each night, which is probably why we have never seen it open since that is way past sailors midnight!  But, Matt had been itching to try it out and see how it compares to Texas BBQ.

We talked Steve into joining us for another foodie adventure and headed out to catch the 8pm bus into town.  (It actually leaves Punda at 730p and arrives to our stop about 25-30 minutes later).  We had to watch the time as the BBQ place did not open until 9p and we did not know how crowded it would get or how long it took to get our food.  In order to catch the last bus, we had to be back at the bus stop by 1015p.  The first bus was a tad bit late picking us up arriving at 815p, we hopped off around 835p and headed to the It’s Lit bar for some cocktails.  There was a soccer game going on so it was pretty lively.  We grabbed our drinks and headed outside as it was really breezy and comfortable. As we got to chatting, we sort of lost track of time and realized that it was 925p so we hopped on over across the street to the BBQ lot which was packed with cars and people waiting in line at the BBQ Express food truck.

BBQ Express Sign lit up at night.

BBQ Express truck serving the best BBQ on island.

We decided to order a chicken platter and a ribs platter to share between the three of us.  The total bill for both platters and 3 waters was about 25 naf or $14 for 3 people.  We picked a standing table and thought we might be in for a wait, but within 10 minutes our order was called and we were able to dig in!

Oh so yummy!

We devoured the meat!  It was so darn delicious!  The meat fell of the rib bones and the chicken was extremely tender and everything was seasoned with a tasty sauce.  As hard as we tried, we could not finish off the fries that were piled high.  But rest assured, we ate every last morsel of the meat.

Matt, Steve, and I

Pure enjoyment eating this tasty food!

Hike to the Top

In an effort to get a little exercise, we decided to hike to the top of the mountain overlooking Spaanse Waters.  We had already hiked to the Indian which was almost to the top, but couldn’t find a trail from the Indian to the tippy top.

This is a shot of the mountain we hiked.  I took this from shore, just West of the Beekenburg Fort.  We were already a bit higher than the water, as you can see we are overlooking one of the anchorages.

Mountain overlooking Spaanse Waters.

Mountain overlooking Spaanse Waters.

The initial trail is pretty easy as it is on roads that lead to a dirt path.  You just have to watch for prickles (bushes with prickles), cacti, and other sharp, pointy plants.

Road leads to dirt trail just prior to the lava rock path.

The cacti are pretty easy to avoid, as you can walk around or over them, but the prickly plants that cover the path make it hard to pass without getting stuck.

Mean prickles that like to reach out and touch you.

As we continued to climb, our nice dirt path turned into a lava rock (or fire rock) path. As you might remember, I have a history with lava rock as they left a pretty memorable scar on my leg when we encountered each other last.  Besides being challenging to hike on in flip flops, the lava rock has catci growing in the crevices making it hard to avoid.

Lava rock with hidden cacti.

No stabbing today!

Matt forges ahead, attempting to find the best path while avoiding the pointy tips of the plants.

Matt searching for solid footing around the cacti.

Half way to the top, I stop to take a photo of Santa Barbara Beach Resort.

View of Santa Barbara Resort: half way to the top

We eventually made it to the top, after a round about way up and it was worth it!  The view takes your breath away.

“King of the World”

Panorama of Spaanse Waters.

After a short rest, we head back down – this is trickier for me than going up as my body protests.  But, we took it slow and made it down without incident.

 

Tug Boat Beach

We had stopped by Tugboat Beach on our way to Fort Beekenburg and the Quarantine house several weeks ago, but we did not have time to jump in and explore underwater.  So, we decided to return to this beach to see what one of the most famous snorkeling sites on Curacao had to offer.  Tugboat Beach is located just off the Caracasbaai Peninsula and it got its name when a tugboat sank many years ago after an anchor was dropped through the deck.  The little tugboat is full of sea life, fish, and coral and has quickly become part of the seascape.

It is pretty easy to access Tugboat Beach from Fisherman’s Harbor as it is only a short 1.5 miles walk.  Unfortunately, the first thing you see when you arrive is a large generator that they recently installed for the massive oil rig tied up to the dock.  So not only is it an eye sore, but it is noisy.

The generator on the left and the massive oil rig which has been here for many months.

Despite being located in an industrial area, it still is a pretty little beach.  You can crop your photo just right to block all the ugly out.

Tugboat Beach entrance.

To the left is a new make-shift bar which was built a few years ago but has never opened because they could not get a food and beverage license.  So, now locals use it for parties or domino tournaments.

Dive School Rental Lounge Area.

To the right of the beach is a scuba/snorkeling center that will rent you beach chairs, or sell you beverages for a pretty penny.  They also sell local jewelry carved out of sea shells and rocks.

Dive School Rental

Local jewelry sold at Dive School – for a pretty penny or twelve.

We did not want to spend too much time ashore as we were anxious to see the tugboat.  We quickly changed into our snorkel gear and gingerly walked across the rocks into the sea.  After swimming under the giant lines that held the oil rig, we were able to quickly see the tugboat.

Tugboat beach: rocky area, with large anchor line for oil rig.

With the sunlight illuminating its shape and schools of fish darting through its windows and doors, the tugboat is an enchanting discovery.

Approaching the bow of the tugboat.

Tugboat: view of port side and stern.

Tugboat hatches brimming with sea life.

Matt free diving to capture the fish inside.

School of blue tangs.

Abandoned anchor on the sea floor.