Curaçao - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 230

150 years. Merchants from Venezuela and Colombia sell fresh produce and
fish from their small live-aboard boats docked in the harbor. It's a pictur-
esque sight, so bring your camera. Open Monday through Saturday, it
closes up at 6:30 pm. On Sundays, trading ends at 1 pm.
The Old Market , or Marshe, is housed in a distinctive round building
beyond the Queen Wilhelmina footbridge, just down the street from the
Floating Market. Time your visit for noon so you can sample local special-
ties in the company of residents on their lunch-hour break. It's noisy and
bewildering, but dive right in as if you belong. The food is inexpensive and
tasty, and vendors serve up generous portions. Hours are Monday through
Friday from 11 am until 2 pm.

461-1170.

Did You Know? There are 765 protected monu-
ments and sites in the historic area of Willemstad.

The Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue has the honor of being the old-
est synagogue in continuous use in the New World. Construction began on
the building at the corner of Columbusstraat and Hanchi di Snoa in 1651.
It was dedicated in 1732 and still serves as a house of worship to an active
congregation. The interior features mahogany furnishings, stained-glass
windows, 18th-century brass chandeliers, and a sand floor (a reminder of
the Jews' years of wandering in the desert, and also of the Jews' attempt to
suppress the noises made by worshipers during secret services held
throughout the Spanish Inquisition). Two buildings next door date from
1728 and house the precious collections of the Jewish Cultural Histori-
cal Museum . The old Torah scrolls are among the most interesting arti-
facts. Visitors are welcome at both the synagogue and museum, Monday
through Friday from 9 until 11:45 am and again between 2:30 and 4:45
pm. Services are held Friday evenings at 6:30 and Saturday mornings at
10. When cruise ships are in port on a Sunday, the compound opens for
tours. Admission to the museum is $3.50; admission to the synagogue is
$2. 461-1067 (synagogue) and 461-1633 (museum).

Otrobanda's Best Attractions
The other side of the bay is known for the vibrant work-a-day life that
takes place among striking 18th- and 19th-century Dutch colonial archi-
tecture. Those who have not visited recently will be awed by the sparkling
renovations that have taken place. Wander aimlessly with your camera in
hand, but don't miss:
Museum Kurá Hulanda , a privately-funded anthropological store-
house, has the largest African collection in the Caribbean. The compound
itself is magnificent, and the exhibits are phenomenal. Visitors enter
through a towering arched portal that is an exact replica of the city gate in
Djenné, Mali. A huge bronze sculpture entitled “Africa” stands in the
courtyard, resembling both the continent and a native man's head. Inside,
artifacts, furniture, paintings, photographs, and books lay out the horrid