THE VALERIE FUND

BECAUSE YOU CAN’T ALWAYS MOOCH  

Your traveling tightwads recently opened their wallet for a noble cause and despite the lame joke we were very happy to donate and participate in a charity called the Valerie Fund.

For 40 years the Valerie Fund has been helping children with cancer and blood disorders get comprehensive treatment closer to home. Started by Ed and Sue Goldstein after their daughter passed in 1977, the event we participated in was a 5K run and walk in Verona Park, in Verona, New Jersey. I grew up in the area, so it was great to see the old stomping grounds again.

We were recruited for this day by Janet’s college chum Patsy, whose grandson Trey sadly suffers from a form of leukemia, that thankfully is curable. Regardless, the support for Trey, and all the similarly afflicted children was immense, and we were very proud to help in our small way.

In fact, Team Trey’s entourage was the largest of the entire gathering, and they raised the most money for the Valerie Fund and were recognized as such at the end of the day’s festivities. For our donation we were given Valerie Fund t-shirts as we paraded around the idyllic Verona Park led by the banner carried by the team leaders and feasted on food donations by several area restaurants. We even got commemorative chocolate bars courtesy of Team Trey!!!

If you would like to donate money to the Valerie Fund’s cause and specifically Trey, go to the website and assign to his name and follow the website’s instructions. Or you can send the money to me, and I can forward it to Patsy where she’ll put it in Trey’s personal account. 

Don’t worry, I’ll see they get the money.

I promise.

THE VALERIE FUND 

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Now, the Valerie Fund is just one of several such charitable organizations devoted to this cause. Probably the most renown organization is the St. Jude’s research hospitals. Founded in 1962 by the actor Danny Thomas (Marlo Thomas’s pop), St. Jude’s pushes for cures and preventative care for pediatric diseases through research and treatment all free of charge.

One can donate directly to this, or any other organizations dedicated to this cause through their website, or participate in a fund-raising event, as we did with the Valerie Fund. A few years ago, my daughter Ally ran the Nashville Half-marathon. I donated money to her team and then was able to track her progress on the computer back home. I was very proud that she not only ran the race, but also to help St. Jude’s.

OTHER CHARITIES

On-line searches reveal plenty of other charities. Here’s a quick list of some of them and you can decide if you can donate money or time in a fund-raising event.

CURE CHILDHOOD CANCER

FAMILY REACH

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE

RALLY! FOUNDATION 

All charities are worthy, but they must have a clear goal. Read through the website about their mission statement as a charitable organization. Without clear and attainable goals, even the best intentions may fall short or even fail, squandering your donation of money or time. So, be diligent and check to see if the charity has a measurable target and learn what its progress is in attaining their set goals. Check their finances and stats. Any trustworthy organization will provide upon request. And, if you’re not sure where to go talk to others who may have some knowledge of the charity, for word-of-mouth first-hand experience does go a long way.

Thanks for reading.

Love Trey!

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

CURAÇAO SIGHTSEEING

 WHERE’S THE BEACH?

Curaçao sand

This is not meant to denigrate Sandals Royal Curaçao, but don’t go there if lounging on a beach is an important part of your destination. The beach at the Curaçao resort is practically nonexistent and is simply a stretch of sand along the inlet that leads to the marina beyond the resort and the area is edged by a pier where the resort’s dive boats moor. Though the water is clear, the bottom is grassy and there are no waves.

The shoreline for the rest of the resort is rocky with treacherous waves and foreboding signs warning against entering the water.

This is not to say the “beach” at Sandals Royal Curacao isn’t lovely. With plenty of palms and thatched Palapa umbrellas and chaise lounges the area is quiet and peaceful. There’s also a bar and the Strand (Dutch for beach), which is a great open-air restaurant serving lunch and dinner.

The view is great, except the water in uninviting.

Sandals Curaçao
Infinity pool and the "beach" 
in the background

Don’t worry, the rest of the resort does not disappoint. Sandals Royal Curaçao, the latest addition to this all-inclusive, adult couples only Caribbean family of resorts has plenty of pools dotted across the nearly half-mile stretch including a massive double decker infinity pool steps away from the Caribbean Sea, complete with a typically lively swim-up bar. It is quite easy and reasonable to fill your days trying to decide which pool strikes your fancy while enjoying drinks and pool-side entertainment all the while quibbling over where to eat that evening. If you’re interested in ocean activities, Curaçao is one of the best diving locations in the Caribbean and elite scuba divers flock here and free diving, no matter your level of expertise, is part of the Sandals package. While diving you might be lucky enough to catch sight of a sea horse.

Double decker Infinity pool

Sadly, if you are interested in frolicking on ocean beaches, you’ll have to leave the resort. In this, the island nation of Curaçao does not disappoint. There are lots of incredible, beautiful beaches, mostly on the western end of the island. Sandals offers a tour to one, but we opted for renting a car and driver in order to explore as many of them in one day. 

Here’s a quick list of the beaches we managed to visit on Curaçao: Kokomo, Playa PortoMari, Cas Abao, Grote Knip, Kleine Knip and Playa Piskado. Truthfully it was over-kill because we wanted to remain at nearly every single one, and these are just a few of the beaches on Curaçao. 

THINGS TO KNOW BEYOND THE BEACH

Curaçao is a multicultural island where you’re liable to hear Dutch or Spanish or the local language of Partiamoutl as you will English. Even the ATMs offer a choice of these languages as you try to withdraw American dollars or Antillean Guilders. Both are accepted as currency, with the ANG tied to the USD at approximately 1.75 ANG to the dollar. You can pay with dollars, but you’re liable to get your small change back in guilders.

Taxis get paid in dollars though and drivers expect at least a 10% tip.

Negotiate the fare before you leave.

in Willemstad

We landed in Curaçao the night before our check-in at Sandals and caught a taxi to a hotel near the airport. Just 350 meters from the taxi stand it cost us $20.00. We arranged for the driver to pick us up in the morning and drive us to Sandals. That cost $70.00.

When we decided to take a private tour of the island the taxi driver we had used twice now, Ida, charged us $60.00 per hour, but we split the cost with our newfound friends Roy and Jackie from upstate New York. 

drinking buddies at Netto's Bar

Ida first took us through the capital of Willemstad to see the pastel-colored Dutch colonial buildings the capital is famous for, and which earned it a UNESCO World Heritage designation. 

She pointed out sights on the Otrabanda and Punda sides of the Sint Anna Bay, driving right up to the swaying pontoon Queen Emma bridge and the Locks of Love sculpture and along the Handelskade on the Punda side. 

On the Ontrabanda side she drove us past the oldest bar on Curaçao Netto’s, famous for their green rum, or Rom Berde.

Our plan for the day was that after exploring much of the coast we would be dropped off in Willemstad for drinks and a late lunch before catching another taxi, that Ida arranged for us, back to the resort. 

Handelskade

We now had a good idea of what we wanted to see. 

WHICH WAY TO THE BEACH?
Some beaches on Curaçao are privately owned and require an entrance fee, others are open to the public. Most have facilities like restrooms and a lot have bars and restaurants and beach chairs for rent. Usually there are scuba dive centers somewhere on the beach renting out dive and snorkeling gear.

Kokomo Beach (free)  

Kokomo pier

Aruba is mentioned in the eponymous 1988 Beach Boys song, I guess because Curacao is difficult to rhyme. Nevertheless, Kokomo Beach was the first stretch of sand we visited. After pausing first at the Sint Michielbaii salt pan to see pink flamingos, one of several places on Curacao these beautiful pink birds gather, we turned into the rocky parking lot of Kokomo Beach. 

Kokomo Beach bar

Laid back, beautiful water, soft sand, beach chairs, a dive center, a beautiful pier and a bar and restaurant had us wanting to linger all day, but there was plenty more to see.

KOKOMO BEACH CURACAO

Playa PortoMari (entrance fee)

When we asked Hugo, our dive guide at Sandals, what beach we should visit he immediately said, Playa PortoMari. Located on the private Pantages estate this lively beach has lots of beach chairs and a guard at the actual beach charging $3.00 per person for entrance, although you can park for free and go to the bar for food and drink without a charge. 

drinks at PortoMari

The sand is soft and the water clear and calm. 

We did not swim here, but we lingered over drinks admiring this beautiful stretch of sand.

PLAYA PORTOMARI

Playa Cas Abao (entrance fee)

The second beach our dive guide Hugo mentioned was Playa Cas Abao. It is a strikingly beautiful beach, with calm crystalline water and soft white sand, with impressive rock formations edging this stretch. 

Indeed, Playa Cas Abao is so beautiful Sandals Royal Curaçao has it on their telephone ap as the representative beach of Curaçao! I guess they’re hinting that’s what you’ll find if you go to the resort … but we know better.

my pic of Playa Cas Abao

Here we swam. The beach is popular with divers and snorkelers as well, but we just flounced about in the refreshing water and changed afterwards in the somewhat roughshod facilities.

look familiar?

The entrance fee is $6.50 per car which Ida graciously paid. There’s a bar and restaurant here as well, but personal coolers are welcome. There is also a dive shop.

Cas Abao is popular for sunset wedding ceremonies.

CAS ABAO BEACH CURACAO

Grote Knip (free)

We never actually went to the Grote Knip beach, so we didn’t get to add this very popular beach to our sand collection, but we did admire it from the cliffs that overlooked vivid turquoise waters and white sand.

GROTE KNIP BEACH

Grote Knip is popular with the locals and can get very crowded on the weekends. There is a staircase leading down to the beach. There are food and drink vendors in the parking lot and from the rocks some brave souls leap into the water. When we visited Grote Knip there was a school outing also visiting and kids in uniforms crowded at the ledge to take photographs.

GROTE KNIP BEACH  

Klein Knip (free)

This beach is also very popular with locals and just a short drive from Grote Knip.  “Klein” means little in Dutch, and though beautiful it is small and intimate with Curacao families spending the entire day here playing and BBQing. There are chairs to rent here but no other amenities like food or drink, so if Grote Knip is overcrowded and you decide to drive over to Klein Knip bring your own.

Playa Piskado (free)

Admittedly I was hoping for more from this small rocky beach at this fishing village located near the western end of Curacao. It is a popular place for people wishing to swim with sea turtles, and there were several people in the water, albeit being scolded by a man on the pier if they got too close to the juvenile turtles. The man would lure the turtles to the area by banging on the pier with a machete and the promise of an ort of food. But, the beach was rocky and uninviting and the whole thing seemed a bit sleazy and disheveled. 

PLAYA PISKADO

There were several tacky tourist vendors lining the approach to the water and surprisingly there were beach chairs for rent on the rocky shore. 

We have had the opportunity to swim with turtles already: In Hawaii, on both Maui and the Big Island where we sometimes shared the surf with them, In Panama where they were as curious of us and in Fiji where we saw a massive Leatherback ignoring us as it foraged while we were on a dive. So, for us, this beach was just not worth the effort of driving out there.

Post time

After this we drove back to Willemstad where Ida dropped us off. We had Dutch beers (not Heineken) and some snacks at an outdoor restaurant. Janet and I hung our “Locked In Love” padlock on the sculpture. We walked across the Queen Emma pontoon bridge and made the short walk up to Netto’s Bar for some more drinks and green rum. We crossed back, marveling at our luck to be in such a beautiful place before calling Ida again to arrange another cab for us to get back to the hotel.

Our list here is small. There are several more beaches to visit on Curacao so if you visit make it a point to get out there. You’ll not be disappointed.

locks of love Willemstad

Thanks for reading.

Love, Janet and greg

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

SANDALS ROYAL CURAÇAO

 LUXURIOUS AND QUIET

Willemstad

We are at the extreme eastern end of Sandals Royal Curaçao in a cluster of walk out bungalows with a little patio and a view of the ocean beyond a golf course fairway. This is our fifth visit to a Sandals resort, an all-inclusive adult couple only family of resorts scattered across 7 different islands in the Caribbean.

Invariably as one travels in this Sandals world comparisons are made between the different resorts. Which resort has the nicest grounds? Which resort has the best restaurants or evening entertainment? Where is the best diving? And, which island is the most interesting destination, resort notwithstanding?

I can spend the time here and go over the trace differences between any of our past Sandals resort visits and contrast them with our time here in Curaçao, but that would be boringly tedious. So, let me just talk about Sandals Royal Curaçao.

IT’S A BIG WORLD OUT THERE

Your favorite wandering wackos have a mantra: It’s a big world there, someone has to see it, which means returning to someplace is anathema to our psyche. 

On all five of our visits to a Sandals resort we ask each other would we like to return to that particular resort for a future visit. Up until now the answer has been “no” because there's so much more in this world to see, but Curaçao is different. 

Between the charm of a brand spanking new resort, which opened just last year, the incredible diving, the manicured grounds, little things like food trucks for snacks and a full slate of evening entertainment, as well as the Dutch island of Curaçao itself waiting patiently for you to explore her glorious beaches and colorful buildings of the capital of Willemstad have Janet and I considering a future return.

Willemstad, Curacao

As we planned for this trip we learned that the diverse culture of the island nation of Curaçao is alluring, where signs are printed in Spanish and Dutch. We learned that the diving here is world renown making Curaçao a highly sought after destination for this underwater sport. Knowing all this and wanting to do it all and not feel rushed we booked an extra day, for eight days total. Yet, now, at the end of our trip to Curaçao we STILL feel like there is so much more to do and see and experience.

LOGISTICS

Not wanting to get in late to the Sandals Royal Curaçao and pay for a truncated day, we flew in the previous night of our check-in, staying in a modest hotel near the airport. The taxi driver we flagged down after we landed was a godsend.

It is quite possible to never leave the resort and not be aware you are in a foreign country, but Ida not only drove us to Sandals the next morning, two days later she took us on a full day of Curaçao. The world of Sandals is beautiful and luxurious, but the island of Curaçao is fascinating and well worth the time to explore.

Grote Knip Beach

On our tour with Ida she first drove us through Willemstad and showed us sights like the floating Queen Emma bridge and the Locks of Love display (which Janet and I added to with our own keepsake display of affection). Outside of Willemstad Ida stopped so we could see pink flamingos and then at several of the beaches along the west coast as we cooed over the beautiful vistas and white sand beaches, going for a swim in the crystalline waters of Cas Abao Beach before dropping us off in the capital again where we could linger over drinks and some snacks before getting a taxi that she arranged for us to take us back to the resort.

If you are traveling to Curaçao and are interested in hiring Ida please write me at: greg.dunaj2@yahoo.com for her contact information.

We arrived at Sandals that first day around 10 am. Though our rooms weren’t ready until much later in the day we were able to take advantage of the resort and even did our check-in dive with the dive masters at the aqua-center, and we even signed up for a dive before we even got into our room! It was like getting another day free.

THE RESORT

Double Infinity pool

There isn’t an actual beach at Sandals Royal Curaçao, which might be a drawback for some, but there are three large pools on the grounds and several “tepid” hot tubs. (This IS the Caribbean). Every Sandals has a massive main pool with a swim-up bar, but here at Curaçao this is an impressive two-tiered infinity pool. The lower one has the swim-up bar, and both offer one a view of the ocean. There’s a smaller, quieter pool nearby where they play volleyball in the afternoon. There’s a bar there. And, at the extreme eastern end of bungalows where we are there is a “quiet” pool, with no bar or entertainment, though they fill a cooler with drinks. It is very tranquil. 

The dive shop is a half-mile away and at first the distance seemed daunting, but at least we get our steps in for the day. There are plenty of Dutch Bikes scattered around the resort for a grab and go ride if you need to get somewhere quickly. None of the diving sites are more than 10 minutes from the resort and they are currently using two boats.

There are some serious divers who come to Sandals Royal Curaçao with all their own equipment, etc. We come with nothing but our own scrape shirts and Sandals provides all the equipment like vests, masks and regulators. Despite the influx of “elite” divers (not us) the dive-masters are patient and helpful and each dive we’ve been on is better than the last one!

Our Cottage at Sandals

We’ve had some great meals while here. There are 8 restaurants offering everything from sushi to Mediterranean cuisines as well as a unique feature of three food trucks offering quick snacks like Spanish tapas and gazpacho and Bitterballen a Dutch-style tapas.

CIRCLE BACK

So, what we have experienced here at Sandals Royal Curaçao and Curaçao itself has us yearning for more even as we pack our bags for the return trip. But, before we can even consider a return to Curaçao we are first traveling to the Sandals Resort in Barbados this December and we booked a trip to St. Lucia the next year. Whether or not we return to Curaçao this has been a wonderful trip.

It may be a big world out there, but as they say at Sandals: “Welcome Home”.

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2023 Gregory Dunaj

CURAÇAO DIVING

US vs THEM

Scuba diving is extremely popular in Curaçao. The waters are considered one of the best Caribbean dive sites and “elite” divers have descended on this very beautiful Sandals Royal Curaçao resort. “Elite” divers have gone beyond our paltry PADI Open Water certification and have achieved at least 'Advanced' certification. This difference in levels of certification has never been an issue previously at any of the other Sandals resorts we have visited. This is our 5^th trip to Sandals, a luxurious, all-inclusive adult couple chain of Caribbean resorts headquartered in Jamaica.  

JOCKS vs NERDS

But here in Curaçao the “elite” divers are automatically signed up for every dive available and “we nerds” scramble for the few extra spaces on the dive boat, or hope some of the advanced divers decide not to go out that day.

Nerd

Plus, we need to show up two days ahead of time AT 8:00 am (and no later) to sign up for a dive. We have gone out twice already, but it was a lot of handwringing and last-minute departures after we were first told the dive boat was filled.

So, to ensure we got on a Tuesday dive we got up early this Sunday morning bleary-eyed and hungover from a two-martini night and hiked the half mile from our cottage at one end of the resort to the other extreme end where the dive shop is located.

The whole experience has been less than ideal, but the crew are learning and making accommodations.

GROWING PAINS

Sandals Royal Curaçao only opened last year and the diving at Sandals is a very alluring part of a stay at the resorts. Rather than excluding some people (us) they have started using a second dive boat. There were 32 divers on the two boats for Saturday’s dive. Seeing this tweak in the service at Sandals again shows how the Sandals family of resorts listens to their guests. It is worth the price. 

Sandals Curacao

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

CURAÇAO PARTICULARS

BEFORE YOU GO 
Now this holds true for any destination and not just Curaçao, but before you leave the house make sure your paperwork is in order. Thankfully Janet is good at researching what necessities are required for entry. I'm really good at wasting time. 

Every country is different and Janet learned that Curaçao requires a digital immigration form that needs to be presented at the airport. We filled out the form at home and printed it out and also had it saved on our phone. 

Save time and do the same instead of fumbling about at the check-in counter. It's best to be prepared... and you'll have more time to drink a Bloody Mary at the airport.

Here's the website:

CURACAO IMMIGRATION FORM

YOU CAN'T THERE FROM HERE

Also, flying out of Philadelphia can be difficult as we need to fly to Miami for a connecting flight to anywhere in the Caribbean. Last year when we traveled to Grenada our plane from Philadelphia landed in Miami AS THE CONNECTING FLIGHT was boarding. Miami is a big airport and the early flight to Curaçao had just a 45 minute layover. Not wanting to endure that travesty again we are arriving late in Curaçao at 9:00 pm, and not wanting to spend the money at Sandals for a short stay we decided to book a hotel near the airport in Curaçao. We'll have a 3.5 hour layover in Miami, but that's fine. I'm really good at wasting time.

Do your research about your destination and make sure you got everything ready for your trip before you go.

Thanks for reading

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

VACATIONS FROM HOME PRIDE

 NEW T-SHIRT DESIGN 

back design 

We just unveiled a new design for VACATIONS FROM HOME apparel. The world famous VFH cabana umbrella is still protecting your favorite couch in the design, but with a more stylized look. The design is white and currently the t-shirts come in Black, Kelly Green,  Banana Cream, Royal Blue and Tahiti Blue for the low price of just $20.99, S+H extra. Just so you know, I will make about .39 cents, for every shirt sold. 

front design

I don't make any money from the blog and my reviews and observations are not financed by any of the places I write about. So, please show support for Vacations From Home and buy something!!! lol

You can still order the old VFH design that looks like an old parchment paper map of the world. I bought one of these in 2019 and the design and the t-shirt still look great with no fading after multiple washings.

To get to the official Vacations From Home store, please click the logo on the right of the page or follow the link here:

 VACATIONS FROM HOME STORE

Thanks for reading 

Love Janet and greg

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

.

old design back

SEEING CURAÇAO

GOING OFF CAMPUS
When relaxing at a Sandals resort one can be forgiven if there is no interest in exploring the island further. Afterall, the charming upscale accommodations, the beauty of the grounds, the attentive staff and the many activities available on the resort, as well as great food, and free drinks all included, makes it is easy to slip through the days without a care or with every whim fulfilled.   

Sandals is an all-inclusive adult couple only chain of Caribbean resorts headquartered in Jamaica. There are now 17 resorts scattered over 7 different islands with the opening last year of Sandals Royal Curaçao. We will be going to Curaçao very soon.

SANDALS RESORT

GOING DUTCH

Admittedly the free scuba diving offered by all the Sandals resorts is a major alluring feature, not to mention the food and drinks, and Curaçao is considered one of the best places to scuba in the Caribbean with colorful reefs and wrecks with great visibility because the dive sites are all protected from strong currents. Year round the weather is warm and one can scuba dive every day if one so chooses. On our four previous trips to a Sandals Resort we did just that and dove every day.

But because Curaçao is a former Dutch colony we thought we should see more of the island, and we booked an extra day so we could explore the island and her beaches and capital and not feel the pressure of being pulled in two different directions. This way we could experience great diving and explore a culture that is a rich fusion of European, namely Spanish and Dutch, and Caribbean.

LOVE BY IGUANA

WHAT?

The Dutch colonial buildings of the capital, Willemstad are painted in pastel Caribbean colors and the people speak Dutch and Spanish, English and the local creole language Papiamentu and we will likely hear Soca and Bachata, Reggaeton and Ritmo Kobima the music style that originated in Curaçao in the 90s, while walking through the colorful streets or having a Dutch beer or a Blue Curaçao infused drink at Netto's, the oldest bar on the island.

Blue Curaçao is a Dutch liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the local bitter orange Laraha, isn’t necessarily blue but can be clear or red or orange hued as well.

The palate explodes with foods influenced by Dutch Spanish and Caribbean cuisine items like Keshi Yena which are baked cheese balls stuffed with meats and vegetables, Arepas a traditional Venezuelan dish of cornmeal cakes with meats and vegetables inside, Poffertjes a sweet Dutch puffy pancake or Bitterballen which are Dutch tapas of savory meatballs.

Of course, there’s a lot of seafood, including red snapper, and Lionfish, an invasive species to the waters that is actively hunted and now served at some area restaurants. But, a visit to Curaçao must include a meal of fried Iguana. It may taste like chicken, but local lore says it’s an aphrodisiac! You think I'm making this up? You must be at least 18 to eat Iguana in Curaçao.

No snarky comments please.... although I need all the help I can get.

Updates shall follow.

Thanks for reading.

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj

Ritmo Kobima from Curaçao