I spent five days in the beautiful island of Curacao recently. This was my first time to the Dutch islands, so I was eager to see and learn about this unique island. My adventure started by being a guest judge at the International Carnival Queen competition which saw contestants from Curacao, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Surinam, Tenerife and from as far as Czech Republic. It was a well produced event that showcased the rhythms and colours of carnivals across the world. Much to the enjoyment of the audience Ms. Curacao came out as the well deserved winner.
We stayed at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency, which featured luxurious rooms and personalized service. This resort combined comfort and amenities in an idyllic location. Everyone working there was kind and helpful and made us all feel very much at home. Our group quickly became know as the “photo-shooters” around the hotel as curious smiling tourist would always stop to ask questions and check out the camera equipment.
The food in Curacao was definitely an highlight for us. We enjoyed the dinner at Governor on the first night where I had keshi yena, a tradition dish of cheese stuffed with chicken, tomatoes, prunes and delighful spices. At lunch at Jaanchie’s we were serenaded by a local band of musicians as he dared to try iguana stew…and yes it does taste like chicken. The fabulous Bistro le Clochard set in a fort next to the water offered me a grilled red snapper I would not soon forget. Caracao is a foodie’s dream location. From the fare at the small van on the side of the road I had at 1 am to the fine dinner in the upscale restaurants every meal was nothing short of outstanding!
Our major reason there was to photograph our cover and fashion spread for Issue 5. With the CB team arriving safely from Toronto and Atlanta with only one “baggage issue” we were good to go. We were very happy to welcome the additional two local models Alex and Stephany to our ever lively crew. On day one we shot around the Hyatt property till sunset and on day two we hit the road with our friend Eugene from the Tourist Board to discover the island and look for great locations to shoot. This shoot featured the gowns of Justina McCaffrey, Sandals Collection by Dessy, Anya Bridal, Sonia Noel and Maja Atalita. Stay tuned for what we know will be a fabulous fashion spread and the full story of our visit coming this July!
