Snorkelling under the Salt Pier

Pete and Libby set off for Curacao, one of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) islands yesterday, they are heading west to Panama. Kylie had booked a hire car for today and kindly invited us to join her for the day. We headed up to the salt pier which is a big industrial operating rig into the sea with some huge pink and white salt pans on the land, not the most attractive spot, but the snorkelling was very interesting. It is more of a dive site which is what Kylie did, while we snorkelled. The industrial pillars and structures in the water were covered with vibrant coral and plenty of fish. Quite eerie but fascinating. There were a lot of people diving from the shore, we had to negotiate a bit of coral in the breaking waves to get in which was quite difficult. People being knocked over with all their heavy dive gear on. Luckily we could all help Kylie get out, so hopefully it was worth her while inviting us along!

We headed back into town and had lunch at Karels, the only restaurant on a pier, which has been around for ages. The setting is stunning over the aquamarine water with loads of fish swimming underneath, but the service was struggling with lack of staff on Easter Sunday.

In the afternoon we went and explored the northern part of the island in the car, a dramatic drive through dry arid countryside, full of cactus and a deep rocky canyon. Definitely a bit poorer out here in the middle of the island. We finally got to a lake famous for it’s flamingoes. It had a scattering of very pink flamingoes that stood out dramatically against the brown landscape. It is a brackish lake that runs into the sea. We found that our circular route home, was not possible as the narrow road became a one way, forcing us back the way we came.

We spent the evening on board after a good day out, eating delicious Chocolony chocolate that the Kirbys brought, which we have discovered is a Dutch product.

Snorkelling at the Salt Pier

Salt mining

Matt and Stella

Salifa Goto Lac with flamingoes

The feral donkeys of the island and behind them the common cactus fence, very effective with its spikes. Looks such an African scene