Road trip in CuraƧao
With the flame in the pipešØ
Driving in CuraƧao is fantastic. Just ask any teenager who has just gotten their driver's licence. Every ride here has a bit of a 'road trip'. But not quite. We don't have the endless roads like in the US. Still it feels like an adventure when you take a tour around the island. This also has to do with the sometimes poor condition of the roads. Especially after the rainy season this is the case. So it is sometimes driving over holes and cracks.
Beep beep!š
The unique CuraƧaoan culture also partly determines the driving experience. The horn here has more of a social function. It is used as a familiar greeting or as a signal to give way. The direction is also often indicated with an arm out of the window. And when this arm goes up and down it means the driver is going to stop or at least slow down. We drive here not only to get from A to B.
We also drive for fun. Watch what comes your way. That's why sometimes you have to be careful. People who suddenly turn (usually without indicating a direction) because they see a familiar person at the 'trukdipan'. Therefore always keep enough distance. Also the through road at a T-junction has standard priority, unless otherwise indicated.
CuraƧao has a number of four-lane roads. Officially passing on the right is not allowed, but it is tolerated and happens regularly. It takes some getting used to, but it's fine. Gasoline is here fortunately much cheaper than in the Netherlands. At the pump you have to pay in advance. This can also be done with a Dutch bank card. You estimate how much you will pay and the overpayment can be refunded at the cashier.
The roads become slippery when it has rained. This has to do with the composition of the asphalt. Especially when it rains again after a long dry period.
Driving licenceš¦
Just like in the Netherlands you can get your driving licence here from the age of 18. In the past we had driving licence tourism on the islands. Often it was about candidates who had failed several times in the Netherlands. They eventually put a stop to that. Makes sense. You are trained for the place where you take the exam. On Saba, for example, you only had to drive up and down the mountain.
Nowadays you can only get your driving licence on the islands if you have lived there for at least six months. For our teenagers on the island this can be very stressful. Many go abroad to study at 18. The theory exam can only be requested on the day you turn 18. When you pass the theory you can only then take practical lessons. So if you are born in March or April, there is not much time. Incoming students do get priority. If you can prove that you will study abroad, the relevant authority will do everything to give you a departure date before leaving. That means that after the central written exam almost daily is read. Also there is often only one departure option. And that causes stress. But if it succeeds, these teenagers have the time of their lives.
Freedom joyfulnessš
For the first time in their lives (when they were at least born and raised in CuraƧao) they experience freedom. They can go and stay wherever and whenever they want. Those last weeks on CuraƧao will also largely be recorded in the books as the most beautiful time in CuraƧao. And that is a good preparation for student life elsewhere.
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