Curaçao - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 229

wished to cross. The current pedestrian structure, the third pontoon
bridge to cross the bay, was built in 1939. Two powerful ship engines are
required to move the 16 pontoons that support the 551-foot bridge - affec-
tionately nicknamed “The Swinging Old Lady,” because she's been sway-
ing in the Caribbean breeze for more than a century.
The charming Koningin
Wilhelminabrug (Queen
Wilhelmina Bridge) spans
the Waaigat lagoon, and con-
nects Punda with the district
of Scharloo , once a flourish-
ing Jewish community. The
Scharloo area is interesting
mostly to history hounds and
architecture buffs, who enjoy
its restored 19th-century
mansions built with Italian
and Spanish architectural features by Sephardic Jews who had been
expelled from Europe. It is best discovered leisurely and with no direction
(and only during daylight hours). The attractive yellow building near the
end of the bridge is the Office of Cultural Affairs ; on the waterfront just
to the west is a renovated 18th-century mansion that houses the impres-
sive Maritime Museum . 465-2327. Admission is $6 for adults and

$4.80 for students and children.
Wilhelminastraat leads to Scharlooweg and a white-trimmed rust-red
building built in 1870 in the lovely landhuis style. Other former residences
now house government agencies and private offices. Símon Bolivar Plein
features a bust of the South American liberator; the Sociedad
Bolivariana , a Venezuelan culture center, occupies the yellow building
on one side of the plaza. On the opposite side is a magnificently renovated
mansion with a spacious courtyard.
A white-trimmed green building at the far eastern end of Scharlooweg
houses the National Archives . It has been meticulously restored and has
a lovely fenced courtyard. Just beyond, is Julianaplein (Juliana Plaza)
and the light yellow refurbished mansion built in the late 1800s which is
now the Radio Hoyer building.

Did You Know?

Punda means the point in

Papiamento.

Punda's Famous Landmarks
If you have time only to hit the top spots, put the following places on your
itinerary:
The Floating Market , located along the Waaigat waterfront on Sha
Caprileskade, comes alive around 5 am every day, as it has for more than