Today was such a beautiful day lalalala-la-la!

Day 3:

Good evening or as they say in Papiamento: bon nochi 💯 I hope you're all doing as well as I am! Today was an outstanding day - I really enjoyed it, even though I didn't think I would. My motivation to get on the bike was almost non-existent this morning, so I was in a bad mood at first and thought about what I could do today that a) had nothing to do with cycling and b) wasn't 20km away. Unfortunately, the options were limited in my opinion. After sitting on the terrace until almost noon and considering what to do, I finally decided to get moving, take a walk and go to Mambo Beach! How far is it? 11 km 😥 But since I would rather have chopped off a leg piece by piece while doing a handstand on hot lava than get back on the bike today, I decided to walk. Maybe I would have found a bus stop, maybe a local would have given me a ride - I kept all options open, as long as I started walking! So I set off in the scorching 30 degree heat, and after just 5 meters, I was already sweating - this could have been interesting. But as if the bearded man in the sky heard me, a car honked and Muni (my host) and Michel smiled at me from the car and asked where I was going. I said I wanted to go to Mambo Beach, and as luck would have it, they were also going in that direction and gave me a ride. It was a godsend!!! (By the way, I'm not religious - all my references to God & Co. are just figure of speech - but I don't want to offend anyone with that)

So I arrived at Mambo Beach in less than 20 minutes. But first, I had to figure out where to go, because Mambo Beach is the promenade with the largest beach on Curacao - meaning: lots of shops, restaurants, massage booths, etc. Not really my cup of tea, but the beach is really beautiful and the area is not dirty or crowded. After looking around a bit, I wanted to go to the sea and find a spot. At Mambo Beach, there is a fee for using the beach. It was 6 NAF (3€), but without a beach chair. I asked the nice staff member who collected the money who would collect the fees for the beach chairs. He said that if I'm lucky, no one will come, but otherwise a beach boy will come by eventually and ask for another 6 NAF (which is totally fine!). So I took a beach chair that was almost right in the water - a fantastic spot, I tell you. I lay there for a few hours, jumped into the turquoise water a few times, and enjoyed the sun 😍 ... of course the beach boy came and I had to pay, but that was okay.

Then it hit me: how do I get back 😵 Because Muni and Michel were somewhere else and not at Mambo Beach, so they may not have been able to give me a ride back. And since it gets pitch dark here around 7:30 PM, I had to leave in the afternoon, otherwise I would have been run over if I had to walk, because there are no sidewalks. So I packed up and asked a local if he could recommend a bus towards Muizenberg - but he only told me where I could find the bus stop. So I went there and waited ... 5 minutes passed and three buses drove past the station and I started to worry ... Luckily, an older German couple came, who were also waiting for the bus and seemed to have taken the bus here several times before. We started talking - they are both from Duisburg and are also visiting Curacao for the first time, and after about 10 minutes of waiting, the three of us got on a mini-bus for 9 people. The three of us Germans were sitting next to 6 local black women. I had no idea where the bus was going, but at least it was going in the right direction 😅 A little surprise had to be included! When the couple got off, I stayed on the bus and rode to the last stop - which was Punda, the place where I was two days ago. So luckily, I wasn't completely unfamiliar with the area.

Now, let me get to the best part of the day: I found a bus schedule!!!! Yes, you read that right! What may sound questionable to many in the age of Google and public transportation apps is absolutely true. I found NOTHING online that resembled a bus schedule! And there it was! An overview of the different bus lines in Curacao and their departure times. A dream come true! I almost shed a tear of happiness when I saw that there was also a bus from there that goes right to the door of my apartment! The sweat, blood and tears of the past two days were forgotten and I rose like a phoenix from the ashes! Now I know how to explore the island by bus! Although the bus ride was very adventurous (only locals and the bus driver speeding at what felt like 300 km/h with the windows open on the main road and honking non-stop, and you have to pull a rope from the ceiling when you want to get off), but I arrived alive and didn't have to walk far.

On the way back to the accommodation, I bought myself a beer and happily returned. What a day, I tell you: pure adventure 😂 But it's better this way, otherwise I wouldn't have anything to tell you! See you tomorrow and greetings back home!