Impressive Curacao - Blue Wonder of the Caribbean

European facades in exotic, colourful splendour. A little bit of Holland in the middle of the Caribbean. Curaçao. A unique mix of languages, nations, cultures. It's as if a small Dutch town had got lost in the Caribbean. That's how Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, comes across. Queen Emma Bridge is its landmark. It goes straight across the harbour entrance, linking the neighbourhoods of Punda and Otrobanda. When ships want to enter the harbour, the bridge is moved to the side on pontoons. Eric Miguel is the captain of the bridge. He has the early shift today from six to two. Hey, you. If you want to come over, hurry up. You can see I'm just pulling the blue flag up. The bridge will stay open a long time. We have quite a lot of ships coming. First, we have the arrival of a container ship. What's after that? A cruise ship. Ah, tourists. The bridge is powered by two engines. The horn scares off the last driver from the swinging old lady, as the bridge is known locally. Eric Miguel releases the latch, and then the old lady floats like a ship. And Miguel is in his element. Generally, the work is great, because you have communication. You talk to people, and you see a lot of people pass by every day. It's a lovely job. Do you understand? It's a job of communication. You see all kinds of people every day. There's nothing to do about it. Nothing. The pontoon bridge opens like a door. It is attached by a hinge on one side. Miguel now keeps Willemstad's narrow sea channel open for one or two hours. The job of bridge captain entails a lot of waiting and looking at ships, ideally suited for Eric. They come from Miami. They can also come from Panama. They enter over here and sail to the back to the container port, because Curaçao is a centre for container ships that come with containers from a long distance, as an example from Miami or Panama. And the ships unload the containers over here, and other ships distribute them for the Caribbean or in the regions close by. Curaçao has one of the world's largest natural harbours. During the Second World War, a huge refinery here supplied the Allied air forces with fuel. The island is only 60 kilometres away from the coast of Venezuela and is geographically part of South America. Politically, though, it is an autonomous country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It's hot on Curaçao, and it rains very rarely. This climate is good for agaves and iguanas. The reptiles are one of the island's national dishes. Every weekend, Yvonne Truman's family eat iguana soup. Her husband has just killed the animal. Linda, her sister, is already waiting. Oh, this one is nice and fat. The best thing about iguana, say Yvonne and Linda, is the skin. That is why it's just diced up in big chunks and then cooked. The men say the iguana makes you strong. It makes a rich soup. It gives you strength, if you know what I mean. The stove is in the courtyard. Cooking indoors in this heat? Impossible. The whole family has gathered under the tamarind tree. Cousins, nephews, uncles and the neighbours are having a long weekend siesta. They speak Papiamento. After Dutch, the island's second official language. A colourful mix of many languages. Papiamento, that's Spanish, Dutch, a little English and some Portuguese. And all that combined is called Papiamento. A constant breeze wafts over the island, the trade wind. Otherwise, the midday heat would hardly be bearable. The iguana soup, the sopa de iguana, is ready after an hour. The flesh of the reptile tastes like chicken. That's why iguanas are known as green chickens in the Caribbean. So, boys, the soup is ready. Come here, a bowl for you and for you. Yvonne's husband, Edsel Martis, is hungry too. He keeps his guns at the ready at all times. You have to be prepared should your lunch come walking through the courtyard. And indeed, here's the opportunity to use the new gun. No sign of siesta fatigue anymore. Everybody is full of beans now. Neighbours have discovered two fat iguanas in the cactus behind the chicken run. Over there, over there, another one. We've got no nose. Two shots, two hits. The biggest challenge, getting the animals out of the scrub. Edsel is happy. These two good specimens make him the hero of the day. Oh, wonderful, my love. It's nice and fat. It'll make a good soup for market tomorrow. Yvonne and Edsel are well off. They run a popular snack bar in Willemstad harbour. Curaçao is a barren island. The Spanish discoverers declared it unusable on their first visit and set sail immediately for the South American mainland. Only later did they return. The coast is craggy, the surf is dangerous and real beaches are rare. But the wind and the weather are always good. And so there's one person who wants to go surfing in the middle of the rocky outcrops. A boy from Curaçao, raised in the Netherlands and now returned home. Jeroen Eikelenboom is setting up his own surf club. He doesn't have much money, so for his business idea on the coast he has to improvise in the middle of nowhere. We need more shade here. I'm building a frame of bamboo and I want to cover it with palm leaves that I'll get from a plantation. When the bamboo frame is put together... I'll throw those on top and voilà, we have shade. And best of all, it's all recycled. Jeroen used to work as a barman in Amsterdam and as a flight attendant. Now he finally has his own business, a surf club on Curaçao. He has to hurry, the official opening is in a few days. I love water sports, especially surfing. I could do it all day long. That's why I had the idea of a surf club. That's the best thing, earning money at something you enjoy. Annoyingly, I'm so busy I hardly get to surf. I didn't imagine it like that. A good wave is building out there. Jeroen looked for the right place for a long time, since Joris Bay is one of the few places on the northeast coast that's well-protected from the wind, but where there's still good surf. Iguanas and cactuses are the symbols of Curaçao. Little rain, hardly any vegetation. Presumably, this is why the Spanish conquerors only half-heartedly defended this island against the Dutch in 1634. The Dutch West India Company made the island the centre of the Caribbean slave trade. The slave trade came to an end here in 1863. Some time ago, though, its place was taken by the trade in cocaine. This is why Sergeant Ramesh George and his Coast Guard crew are always on patrol in the harbour and along the coast. They are hard on the heels of smugglers with their 600-horsepower and high-calibre pistols. Curaçao is a hub in the pan-Atlantic drug trade. We look for all sorts of things that could be smuggled here, especially drugs, but also weapons and people who want to travel to Curaçao illegally. Our country is a hotspot for all kinds of smuggling. The patrol is even accompanied by the army in a helicopter. Fishermen from Venezuela are the main suspects when they search for drugs. But, as so often, Sergeant George and his cocaine squad find nothing. Big finds are rare, even though the stuff gets from here to Europe by the tonne. It's a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Once we got into the engine room of a fishing boat. Strangely, the engine had three air filters. Normally, they only have two. So we took a closer look at the filters. The third one contained hidden pistols. That shows that we have to be vigilant. The criminals are cunning and constantly thinking up new games. Curaçao is an ideal location for drug smugglers. South America isn't far, and there are daily flights to Amsterdam. And the island has a little sister, Klein Curaçao. The pretty, natural beach isn't the only attraction. One is unobserved here. The small island is uninhabited and has many hiding places, a paradise for the naive. A lighthouse in the middle of the island? The Dutch, so the story goes, built it to confuse attackers and run enemy ships onto the reef. Dangerous waters, the curse of the Caribbean. The Coast Guard come by regularly. But at the moment, Sergeant George and his crew are following a different trail. Snorkelers in the harbour? Very strange. Hello. Have you got a harpoon on you? No, I don't have that sort of thing. Harpooning isn't good for the reef animals. I know. That's why we're checking here. There are many lionfishes here. At the weekend, some divers harpooned 300 fish. 300! The divers have been arrested, just so you know. Have a nice day. The snorkelers were indeed only harmless tourists from Holland. The problem with searching for drugs, random checks are often without result. Too many ships, too many hiding places. You just have to look around you. Once the cocaine is on Curaçao, it gets put onto sailing boats that sail to Europe, or it gets put on a plane. There are narco-traffic hunters who work professionally, but also amateur smugglers, sailors, fishermen, holidaymakers. Everyone is suspect. The Coast Guard's last big find was over a year ago. On the other side of the island, Giron continues to work at his dream, the surf club. There's no harbour here, no settlement. The sea is far too rough. Giron's on his way to get fine sand for his club. Beach sand is a rarity on Curaçao. But Giron knows a hidden place. Nice sand, but full of rubbish. It all gets washed up by the sea. Wood, plastic. Everything that gets thrown into the ocean drifts on the sea. The rubbish of Western civilization. And here, in the middle of the ocean, this small island of Curaçao, that's where it all gets washed up. The rubbish on this small beach is half a metre deep. I'll rake a little bit to the side so I can get to the sand. Giron isn't doing anything different from the big hotels on Curaçao. They, too, make artificial beaches. However, they use dredgers and bulldozers. Giron wants to be more sensitive. But even so, he has a guilty conscience. I think it's dreadful, the mountains of rubbish Western consumer society produces. And I'm to blame, too. And that makes me ashamed. I can't clean all this up. It's too much. But I will look after my little patch. For months, Giron has been carting trailer after trailer of sand here. Today, he's delivering the last load. His wife, Sonia, and son, Nestor, are waiting. Time is short. Giron has already sent out invitations to the club opening. Watch out. Now it's going to fall. The hatch is coming down. Sonia is Swiss. Giron met her when he was on holiday, and he took her with him straight away. At first, we didn't have a trailer. We put everything into sacks and lugged it over. That was hard work. Yes, we bring the sand here. We wanted to build an oasis in the middle of the reef. Little Nestor is helping, too. There is much to be discovered in the sand. There is so much plastic in all this again. We found razor blades. And always plastic. Spoons. Sometimes we find toys for our son. Outside in the bay off Willemstad, a cruise ship is heading for the harbour. The swinging old lady, the floating pontoon bridge, has been open for two hours. Eric Miguel, the bridge captain, has to wait. That's part of his job. And he's good at waiting. A gentle wind blows through his cabin, and the newspaper is full of hot topics. It's about taxes again. Most of the mini-markets only declare half their income to the treasury. Only half. And there's something here about a goat thief. They caught it. In his car. The goat's still in there, too. Cruise ships season on Curacao. Every day, two or three ships arrive. By the evening, the giants have gone again. So only a few cruise ship passengers find their way to this small bar by the harbour, where Lorena mixes the famous cocktail, Blue Lagoon, a classic on the island. You can pour any vodka if you want. It doesn't matter. No, not gin. It's a vodka cocktail. It's a special vodka cocktail with Blue Curacao. And now we're going for the Blue Curacao. Well, Blue Curacao is very sweet. Actually, I don't like Blue Curacao because normally I'm really sweet. So this is too sweet for me. So Blue Curacao is... You can drink it on the rocks. You can drink it as a shot. And it's good for a cocktail like Blue Lagoon. The Curacao liqueur was allegedly invented on this island. It's rather a sticky drink made from Seville orange extract, sugar and alcohol. We're going to shake it. If you never see a lady shake like me, watch. Blue Curacao is a standard drink in every international bar, presumably because of its colour. Half past six, sunset. The days on Curacao are always the same length because of the proximity to the equator. And the heat is constant too, night and day. The Caribbean night is not yet over, and someone is back on his feet. Edsel, the iguana hunter and snack bar owner. Every morning at half past five, he's the first at the market hall in the harbour. When the charcoal is burning, I have to switch on this big fan here. That blows the flames to one side. Many people will be working behind the counter later. It would be unbearable for them otherwise. First, the tough goat meat has to be put onto the fire, much later, the soups, rice and noodles follow. At the front in these pots are the steaks, and here, the goat meat. There are six such snack bars in the harbour market hall, but Edsel and Yvonne's stand right at the front is the most popular in Willenstad. Mainly because of her, Yvonne. The boss arrives shortly before things get busy. Like a sergeant major, she checks what Edsel and the rest of the family have done so far. The recipes are all from her grandmother. Very good. Over there, we have iguana soup. That came out well. Nice and strong. And over here, we have fried bananas. But the speciality in Yvonne's kitchen is kadushi, a slimy soup. Very tasty. Cactus soup. With pigtails and mussels. Isn't it wonderfully slimy? Her husband Edsel stoutly confirms this. His cousins, meanwhile, start laying the 12 tables that belong to Yvonne's kitchen. The calm before the storm. At the edge of Willenstad, in a private harbour, a small expedition is setting out. Barbara van Beve is a submarine captain on the Cura Sub. The firm has developed a submersible, which is hired out to, in the main, marine researchers or rich individuals. This is topside. Read your land and clear. Stand by for scratch. Today's trip is to go 200 metres down. The pressure down there is enormous. 20 atmospheres. Everything is double-checked. Enable thrusters and proceed forward. OK, copy that. Proceeding forward. A test dive is on the programme. The grapplers and engines have been serviced and repaired. Underwater pilot Barbara needs to check whether the sub's equipment is working well at great depth. Barbara's colleague, Bruce Brunt, is operating the grapplers. We seem to be balanced OK. We would like permission to exit the basin. Another colleague is supervising the dive from above. Every 15 minutes, Rob Lundesloot has to carry out the life support check, just like in an aeroplane. OK, Cura Sub. That's all copied. All copied. If you're up in the air at 30,000 feet or you're down there at 1,000 feet, if something happens, you're on your own. It's not like a car you can pull alongside the road. But with a plane or a submarine, it doesn't work that way. The submarine is hovering at a depth of 433 feet, over 130 metres. I think of all different things, you know, from flying a plane to, I don't know, several things. Becoming an instructor, diving instructor, that I achieved also. So, yeah, I mean, as long as it was probably exciting and different, it was there on my list, so... And now she's the submarine captain. On the side, the two tidy up a little bit down here. At 180 metres down, it becomes quickly apparent whether the steering and grapplers are OK. Yeah, I just picked up that bottle. You'll find them even alongside the road, you know. Probably some fisherman or somebody on a yacht that had a party and they said, OK, I don't feel like walking to the garbage, I'll throw it over the side, nobody will ever find it. But, yeah, they didn't know that we have a submarine here, so... Marine researchers, geologists and biologists from around the world book the submarine for trips into the deep. It can pick up stones, catch fish and collect plants. And car wheels. Barbara and Bruce have already discovered the next piece of rubbish. Poop a little bit. What doesn't belong here is taken away. I can't see the brand, but it is a firestone. Anyway... Down here, it's dark, cold and calm. On the surface, things are getting a bit choppy for Rob. The midday heat is bringing a strong breeze. Now we're in the windy season, so the trade winds are picking back up. So, yeah, they're going from the east to the west and you get these big waves now on the boat. So now it's not too bad today, but later on, especially at the end of the day, we'll get more bigger waves, so... In the olden days, the trade ships used the trade winds to sail from Europe across the Atlantic. The wind blows at its strongest and most consistent in early April. And April is also the start of the season of a special national sport on Curaçao. You can buy them everywhere. Kites. Flieger, as they say here. Curly Janssen is a professional kite builder with his own workshop. He sells children's kites. That's his livelihood. This is my life, since my childhood. My parents taught me how to build kites and now it is my job. But at the moment, he's working on a unique item for himself. I always have to cry when a new design goes up in the air. It's so nice. This one he wants to fly himself. It's our big kite-flying competition soon, the Flieger Wettstreit. I want to win, sure. Flieger Wettstreit, on all the ABC islands, namely Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The islands beneath the wind. Curly Janssen's new kite build is now entering the critical phase. The frame has to go to the workshop so the artist can concentrate better. And so the thin plastic sheets don't blow away in the wind. Curly Janssen's latest creation is very colourful and hopefully airworthy too. Because normally it's just a normal kite. It's a flat kite. Yeah, just like a normal kite. It has everything that a normal kite has, just normal. If it's OK, it has to fly. Time is short. The Flieger Wettstreit is approaching fast. Five large, bright flowers are to decorate the three-by-three-metre kite. A lot of work still for Curly. So far, he was always ready in time. But this time, it is really tight. Somewhere out there in the Caribbean, a small submarine is coming back to the surface. Barbara and Bruce survive the test run well. And there is a little less rubbish in the sea off Curaçao. Barbara guides the boat back to the harbour. She doesn't so much sail it as fly it. Standing by for hatch. OK, copy that. Please stand by for hatch. All right, copy. Standing by. Safety first. Rob Lundersloot, the surface co-pilot, can only relax when the submarine is safely moored in the harbour. Rob, do you need a new tyre for my truck? Yes. You like it? Yes. Well, let's start with one. Come on, don't get greedy. The submarine divers certainly have a use for the tyre. We don't need the light. There you go. We're going to use it as a fender for our dock, for our dock systems. Because we're using all these old tyres. That's one that we found on the bottom. So when that one is worn down, you know, we can use this one. And their mission was a success. All systems go. The submarine has to come out of the salt water and into the swimming pool. It's deserved a relaxing bath. This is a good way to rinse the sub. We used to do it with a hose, the hose that you see right here. We used to do it just with a hose, but we noticed that the salt water really eats away all the electronics and mechanics on it. So then the owner came up with the idea of creating a swimming pool. So this is really a good way to rinse it, and we see it really helps. Whirlpool wellness for the water vehicle. Later, the boat will be brought back to the garage 2 p.m. in Curaçao's capital, Willemstad. Change of shift on the floating Queen Emma Bridge. Eric Miguel has finished his shift and is hungry. He goes to the Plaza Bio, the market hall, where he's attracted by Yvonne and Edsel's bar. Eric is a regular. I want something that tastes good. A big one. I'll give you an extra nice one. Do you want to take it out or...? No, I've ordered it already, so... Okay, so you're going to sit now. Okay. Hey, honey, it seems like you brought me a lot. Yes, I brought you something big. I just brought you some kadushi. Is there fish in it? There's everything in it. Go through it with your spoon and you'll see. Do you see it? Yes, good. Is there trompeca in it? There is everything in it. That's the way it has to be so that it can go in. If it isn't slimy, it can't go down the throat. Kadushi, the thick cactus soup, and iguana stew, Yvonne's specialities. The midday business is going well, like every day. But there's no successor in sight for Yvonne. When I grow old, someone else must replace me. I took the place over from my grandmother, but now there's no more family who want to take over. It's the time for other people, okay? After me, there must be other people. Curly Janssen's kite got ready just in time, and luckily a friend passed on his lorry. That was close. Curly nearly didn't make it. The Fliegerwettstraat is a few kilometres away and already in full swing. This should be the entrance. We have to get through here with this thing. Curly enters his kite in the category Spezialflieger, special kites. At the moment, the jumbo kites are in the air, followed by the theme kites. Whole village teams are competing against each other. Some teams have entered in several categories. It's the event of the year for the locals. Tourists don't come here. Curly's team has to go to the beauty assessment. First, the judges mark the appearance. There are points for colour and design. Then it comes to the crunch. Will it fly or not? The neighbours start off with a witch, but the wind isn't strong enough. Curly's nerves are on edge. I'm happy. I just don't know if the wind is enough. The kite is a little heavy. The time has come for Curly in the special category, a disaster. Such a shame, but it can't be helped. It all depends on the wind. Maybe it'll work next Sunday. It all depends on the wind. Curly and his kite friends take it with Caribbean calm. A few kilometres further north, in St. Joris Bay, the day has a happy end for Jeroen and Sonia. The boards have arrived. The beach sand has been spread. The shady areas are nicely shady, and the seating areas haven't cost anything. Jeroen found two plastic benches. This bench is from an old fast-food restaurant which was being renovated. And they wanted to throw the benches away. So I thought I'd take them for my club. Ideal. Jeroen gathers his thoughts. Sonia prepares the food counter, and then it starts. A tourist group has booked in for the afternoon. The first guests are European, mainly Dutch. A home game for Jeroen and Sonia. The club is open. If you live on the Antilles, you can become a member for 25 guilders a year. Then you get members' rates. Board rental only costs 30 guilders instead of 40. Good prices, good weather and good turnover in Caribbean guilders on the first day. Here, another board. And best of all, Jeroen, who's been too busy to surf for weeks, can ride the waves again. After all, that's why he returned to Curaçao, the island under the wind.