1. Curacao
Setting #1 of
The Cay

2. Geographical Location
Curacao is the largest of the three Caribbean islands that make up the Netherland Antilles. Curacao and its sister islands, Aruba and Bonaire, are just north of the coast of Venezuela. Although Curacao was once most commonly known for its oil production, it is now most famous as a tourist destination.

3. Willemstad
Willemstad: The administrative capital of the Netherlands Antilles, lies on the southern coast overlooking the St. Anna Bay and is fabled for its Dutch colonial architecture: the many gabled houses in beautiful pastel colors. Legend has it that one of the early Dutch governors outlawed white for painting buildings since the glare from the sun was giving him headaches, and ever since, the tradition has continued. The city offers many points of historical interest as well as a number of attractions that are unique in the world.

4. Fort Amsterdam
Fort Amsterdam dates back to 1769 and now houses the Governor's Palace and a Dutch Reformed Church.

5. Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge
The Queen Emma bridge floats on pontoons, and swings open several times a day for boat traffic.
Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge: The largest floating pedestrian bridge in the world. At 700 feet in length, it was regarded as a remarkable feat of engineering in its day and is still a major tourist attraction in Willemstad. The bridge floats between the two shopping districts swinging open up to thirty times a day to let in ships to St. Anna Bay.

6. Refining Oil
The Isla refinery was started by the Curaçaosche Petroleum Industrie Maatschappij CPIM, a Shell daughter, in 1918, to process oil from the Venezuelan Lake of Maracaïbo. At the same time, Standard Oil set up the Aruba Lago refinery. (The Venezuelan president preferred this over a power concentration around Maracaïbo.) After some ups and downs, the refinery got into high gear with World War II. The Allied forces in North Africa and the Allied air forces in Great Britain were supplied with oil products from Curaçao only. This resulted in a fabulous boom in economy and population. Many workers immigrated from other countries in the region. Curaçao harbor was in the top ten of the world qua tonnage.