I had low expectations when I was invited to go to Curacao. The only thing I knew about it beforehand was that every so often Harri Tervola invites a few select individuals to ship their cars to drive an event. We never really got to see any type of media stemming from those events and because of it I never considered it to be a big deal. I would always hear how much fun the trip was when I would speak to some of the selected drivers. Now I understand why but it's much more than that.
This would be the first time I would travel outside of the country ever since I've been in it. I came into the country at a young age of 6 and my recollection of where I was before then is very minimal. I was a bit nervous about the trip but I purposely focused on other things to get it off my mind. Once the day came around I knew I had to face it head on. Knowing I would be traveling with friends calmed some of my fears, fears that are often exaggerated when you hear about them in news articles. You may think I'm dumb for taking those things seriously, but if you know me you would know how much of a cautious person I am.
Flying into the country my first thought was, "WTF!? We're flying into a safari." I couldn't help but think of the Lion King for some reason. Once we touched down and went into the airport, the first striking image was the sight of a KFC ad. I was thinking, "The Colonel is here!" giving me the impression that the country has been Americanized in some way. As I stepped outside of the airport, the little car enthusiast in me took over.
Various types of Toyota's, Daihatsu's, and Nissan's I've never ever witnessed before were all in within viewing distance of the parking lot. Even for the simplest Corolla I was going crazy over. Some of the individuals I was with thought I was weird and I'm sure you are too but let me explain. When you've spent a big portion of your life envying the cars, features, and options only available in other countries, plus add to the fact that I've never traveled outside the country before, you could see how crazy I could get. So I spent a good amount of time checking out the cars from Curacao and regretting the fact that I couldn't take home the Altezza I saw for sale.
By the time my excitement over the vehicles started to wind down, we were handed a map of the island which I thought was absurd when I could use my phone for that. Then it dawned on me, I have no service here and the mobile device I've been so reliant on is now practically useless. Finding free WI-FI had never been so important before and while each of us had our own reasons, I just wanted to reach back home to let my folks know everything was okay (Thanks iMessage). Still, it was a glaring reminder of how technology has become so vital in our lives because it simplifies various aspects of it such as navigating around a city. It makes you appreciate how your parents got around when GPS wasn't available to them and all they had was a paper map spanning the width of their car's windshield to guide them.
Driving around the country the next two days was an eye opener to say the least. To begin with I noticed there weren’t any speed limit signs. When we asked about that we were told there really isn't a speed limit. Meaning if you wanted to go 60MPH on a road that naturally would make you go 30MPH, you could! The only methods of traffic control were the traffic lights, caution signs, and yield signs. That was it. And the odd thing was no one drove crazy or in a matter that would make you rip your hairs out. You would think with a minimal set of rules the roads would be chaotic but it's far from that. This is vastly different from my morning commute as I already get frustrated once I pull up to the intersection down the street of my house. It makes you wish you could have the same experience back home.
The roads provided a mixture of challenges with massive loops, elevation changes, and off-roading. It was easy to see why vehicles such as the Toyota Hilux was a popular choice of transportation for the natives as some of the roads we drove through put our Yaris' through it's paces, mostly due to the off-roading sections. Even the Toyota Hiace, which offered a more comfortable ride than the Yaris, suffered a beating going off-road but you'll only suffer through this if you want to access some of the unique areas the island has to offer. For instance if you wanted to go to one of the beaches of the island, you had to go off-roading in order to reach it. Driving there felt like I was in the safari ride from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At one point we decided to see if we could take the Hiace airborne (Don’t ask) as there was one particular road where the incline-to-decline was so sharp, the gravity could lift you off your seats. Needless to say the Hiace failed to go airborne but we all momentarily did inside the van.
Like with any country it has it's share of good and bad areas. The bad didn't look any worse than what I've seen over here in America and the good makes you want to stay longer. If you love the beach then you'll love it here as you could easily snap a photo and sell it as a Hallmark card. The water from some of the beaches are so clear that it was hard to determine how deep some areas were. In a lot of ways Curacao reminded me of Key West but without the cliffs for people to jump off of. The similarities continue onto the people who inhabit the island with both being friendly and laid back. It must be an island thing.
Which brings me to my thoughts on the people. Not necessarily the people of the island but everyone who I met and interacted with throughout this trip. Prior to the trip I had already known most of the people I would be traveling with but as soon as I landed on the island I began to meet new faces. With each new face brought a level of excitement and positivity that one needs in their life. In a world full of haters and naysayers, you don't often get the opportunity to stumble upon such occurrences. Once you do you want to enjoy it as much as you can.
The group who I traveled with helped one another not only at the event but throughout the trip as well. Together we all shared an experience and the fact that we were brought together because of "Drifting" is poetic in some ways. It made me look back to when it all began in 2004 and how we worked together with one common goal in mind. In some ways it made me envy what I witnessed, especially the camaraderie amongst the drivers and their determination for the advancement of the sport. When Dayron crashed his car, some of the people who he just met the day before were ready to lend a hand to help him fix it. Even though not much could be done at that point considering the severity of the damage, we were all surprised by their willingness to help.
Obviously I have to thank Harri for inviting me but I also have to thank Minna, Rob, Will, Fello, Fink, Jackie, Kris, and Dayron for being a part of it. Each individual played a part in making this trip unique in it's own way and I'd travel with any one of them again if the opportunity would arise. I also have to thank Roy, Monkey, Bryan, Renee, Cesar, Lennon, Gabi and everyone else for welcoming us with open arms, especially Roy who took the time, along with his girlfriend, to be our tour guide.
After being back for one week I’m full of mixed emotions. I had a sudden feeling of regret as I boarded the plane to leave the country because I knew it was coming to an end. It wasn’t the scenery, the roads, or the cars that brought this feeling, it was the people I met in this trip who I'd be leaving. When you see the good in people you only wish the world was more like it, but because that isn't the case, the value you see in them is much greater. At the same time this has also reinvigorated the reason why I love doing what I do. Why I dedicate so much time and energy into this sport. So I’m glad to be back and I’ll be pushing harder to have fun, even if I’m too “energetic”.
I wouldn't hesitate to say yes if I do get invited again and neither should you. Even if you don't get invited, consider buying a plane ticket and tagging along. The people you meet and the experience you'll have will certainly be a memorable one, especially if you're a drift enthusiast.
