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A short guide to Curaçao
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Feb. 17, 2000 | The capital city of Willemstad is like a mini-Amsterdam transported to a tropical climate. The coral reefs that surround the island have made it a premier destination for divers. The beaches have made it a premier destination for vacationers. Only 150,000 people live on the island but they came from more than 50 different nations. This extraordinary ethnic mix makes for marvelously multicultural traditions. The first Europeans to set foot on Curaçao were Spanish explorers who arrived in 1499. As soon as they realized there was no gold on the island, they set up a few cattle farms as a future source of food and shoved off. In 1634 the Dutch showed up and took control of the island. The Spanish gave up without much resistance. The cattle, however, put up a great fight -- but in the end were forced to surrender. Architecture and the oldest synagogue in the New World In the historic center of Willemstad -- called Punda, which means "the point" -- the architecture is classic Dutch colonial from the 1600s and 1700s. The initial approach to the buildings in Willemstad was the same as those used in Holland during the same period, but eventually, island builders altered the designs to meet the demands of the tropical climate -- incorporating open porches, fretwork and shutters. Houses were positioned to take advantage of the cooling trade winds that would blow through the hallways, acting as a natural air conditioner. The bedrooms and living areas were placed on the windward side of the structure; kitchens and workrooms were downwind. Successful Dutch merchants built structures that combined offices, warehouses, storefronts and living areas. The Penha building dates from 1708, which was about the time the area was fully built up.
At that point, construction started across the channel in a district called Otrobanda, which means "the other side." Officially building permits were limited to warehouses and one-story residences; you can still see these early buildings. But the Dutch merchants were making big bucks and decided to ignore the building restrictions. They embraced the architectural style best described as "if you got it, flaunt it" -- which is still popular in many parts of the world. Because Otrobanda had never been walled in for protection, more room was available. The homes in this area are similar to Curaçao's country estates, with gardens and separate servants quarters. Starting in the 1700s, free blacks began moving into the area. By the early 20th century, Otrobanda was a cultural center for the rising black middle class; many of Curaçao's influential politicians, professionals and artists grew up in this neighborhood. Otrobanda also had an influx of Middle Eastern merchants. Today the district reflects the rich ethnic diversity of the island. Punda and Otrobanda are connected by the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, which is really a piece of work. During the 1880s, the U.S. consul to Curaçao was Leonard B. Smith, an engineer who saw the need for a bridge between Punda and Otrobanda. Smith convinced the government of Curaçao to commission him to build one. The bridge is set on a series of floats. At each end is a diesel engine attached to a propeller. When the engines are started, the bridge turns on its central axis, allowing the harbor traffic to pass. The second major group to settle on Curaçao after the Dutch were Sephardic Jews, who first arrived from Amsterdam in 1659. The Dutch Protestant majority accepted them without limitations on where they lived or their occupations. They first settled along the Punda waterfront, but by the early 1800s many wanted a more comfortable and stately lifestyle. Otrobanda had become a solidly Protestant community, so they began building in an area just north of Punda called Scharloo. The structures are Italian neoclassic, with brighter colors and more intricate details than those built by the Dutch. Within a few years the stylish homes of Scharloo were being imitated across the island. The Jewish community on Curaçao also built the Mikveh Israel Emanuel Synagogue, which opened for Passover services in 1732 and has been in use since -- making it the oldest synagogue in continuous operation in the New World. The floor of the building is covered with sand as a reminder of the 40 years the Jews wandered in the desert after escaping from bondage in Egypt. But the sand is also a reminder of the time of the Spanish Inquisition, when Jews were forced to practice their religion in secret rooms. Sand muffled the sound of their movements and voices. On the High Holy Days the congregation of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., (the oldest in the United States) prays for the well being of the Mikveh Synagogue in Curaçao because it was money from Mikveh that built Touro. Willemstad is the only place I know of that turned its ancient forts and prisons into restaurants instead of monuments. The old buildings in Willemstad are grand structures -- in fact, the historic area of Willemstad, the inner city and the harbor, has been placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's world heritage list -- but like so many glorious things they contain the seeds of their own destruction. Coral and quarry stone held together with mortar that contained sand from the beaches and seawater were used for the walls. Eventually the salt in the coral, sand and seawater began leaching out and eating away at the buildings, which began to crumble. Fortunately there is an aggressive rehabilitation program and many of the most important buildings will be saved.
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