The oil refinery we saw on the real way to my apartment leasing in Curaçao had been a harbinger of what to come

The Caribbean conjures up pictures of white sand beaches, palm trees, coral reefs, and tropical beverages. This summer, we planned traveling much of the Caribbean (spoiler alert I didn’t). A part of Holland and famous for its casinos, nightlife, and eponymous blue liqueur at the top of my list of places to visit was Curaçao, located in the Dutch Antilles.

When I flew into Curaçao, we dreamed of all of the Caribbean offered and imagined myself relaxing on long, white-sand beaches with a piña colada at hand. The largest & most rugged of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) islands, Curaçao additionally held the vow of g d hiking and non-beach tasks.

But nearly immediately after showing up, I was disappointed.

What they don’t show in the brochures may be the oil refinery on the edge of town. You realize this stunning, multicolored, waterfront photo that showcases the view Curaçao is fabled for?

Well, appropriate near there's a oil that is not-so-wonderful blowing black smoke into the atmosphere — and it’s really noticeable from city.

That refinery set the tone for the week.

Curaçao had been, as we say, “meh.” It wasn’t a bad spot, nonetheless it didn’t blow my head. We left the nation indifferent. The island’s vibe and I also just didn’t mesh. I needed to love it, but as I boarded my flight house, nothing in Curaçao filled me with sadness to be leaving or a want to stay.