Transcript The Cay Overview

SETTING
Time:
1940’s
In WWII oil was an
important resource. Crude
oil was refined into gasoline
which was used to power a
variety of vehicles.
Drilling for oil occured
in Lake Maracaibo,
Venezula. The crude
oil was taken by
freighter to refineries
in Aruba and Curacao.
SETTING
Place:
Curacao
Curacao is an island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles north of
Venezula.
Curacao is an arid, desert-like island. It is 38 miles long
and from 2 to 7 1/2 miles wide.
The capital of Curacao is Willemstad. The waterway into
Willemstad leads to the Schottegat where the oil refinery is
located.
The St. Anna Bay divides Willemstad into two halves, the
Punda and the Otrabanda.
Entering Curacao from the Caribbean Sea, the Punda is on the right and the
Otrabanda on the left.
The Punda is the business district of Curacao.
The Otrabanda, the other side, is a residential area.
The Koningin Emma Brug, a pontoon bridge, connects the Otrabanda to the
Punda.
It is a bridge that floats on these pontoons, and is for pedestrian use only.
So that boats can float down
the St. Anna Bay, the bridge is
motorized and swings over
parallel to the Otrabanda.
It slowly moves along
this track. Drawbridges
move up and down, but
pontoon bridges move
side to side.
When the pontoon bridge is open pedestrians must wait patiently on each side
until the boat passes by and the bridge is pulled back to the Punda.
Freighters carrying crude oil
from Venezula are towed by
tugboats into St. Anna Bay.
The pontoon bridge
opens to allow the
freighter to pass.
The freighters take their oil to the refinery in the Schottegat.
During WWII, German submarines patrolled Curacao and Aruba to
prevent freighters from transporting oil to the Allies.
Fort Amsterdam used to guard
Willemstad from pirates. Its gun ports
faced the sea and were used by soldiers
during WWII.
Boats from Aruba, Bonaire, and
Venezula dock at the floating market.
The men sell their fruits and vegetables at the floating market.
Buildings in Curacao are painted pastel colors. Because one governor’s favorite
color was orange, all roofs had to be that color.