Curacao is part of the so-called ABC islands off the coast of Venezuela. We spent a week there, mostly underwater – well, at least for two dives a day. This was also my first time to do a night dive, which was a tad scary, but was truly overwhelming. You see many creatures you don’t see during the day, and (unbeknownst to me beforehand) many of the marine life change their colors at night. Of particular excitement was following an octopus around, watching him (her?) change shapes and colors before my eyes. There is one main town on the island, Willemstad, which has the colorful houses the Dutch are known for. And, as it turns out, we were there for the kickoff of Sinterklaas, which is their version of Christmas. It starts with a flotilla of boats, one of which has Saint Nicholas in it – a large old white dude with dark-rimmed glasses. He then rides a white horse through town, preceded by a phalanx of colorfully dressed “helpers” with blackface and goldface, accompanied by a marching band. Amazing sight!