The Cay By Theodore Taylor

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.

Enjoy reading The Cay!