Jeff, K8ND is currently active PJ2ND from Curacao Island, IOTA SA - 099.
He will operate on HF Bands.
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Jeffrey A Maass, 9256 Concord Rd, Powell, OH 43065-9625, USA.
The healing island of the Caribbean
Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean Sea, close to the coast of Venezuela and part of the Netherlands. It is an island of amazing beauty and wonderful mild climate, which attracts several million tourists a year.
Curacao Island. Author - Nick Dewald.
Healing Island and the period of colonization
The version of the origin of the name of the island is interesting and unusual. It is believed that it came from the Spanish “curo” - healing. The name was given by the Spanish navigator Alonso Ojedo, who in the XV century headed for the shores of America. Some of the sailors in his crew felt extremely ill. They were sick with scurvy and were left to die on the shores of Curaçao.
On the way back, the crew, led by Ojedo, revisited the island. Everyone was extremely surprised - the sick sailors were completely healthy. It is believed that local plants rich in vitamin C helped them heal.
Almost two centuries on the lands of the island dominated the Spaniards. Representatives of the country tried to grow crops, but it did not bring tangible results due to the lack of fresh water. So, Curaçao was given to the Dutch.
Representatives of the Netherlands brought numerous slaves to the island and began to grow ground nuts and corn. They extracted salt from local lakes. The abolition of slavery led Curaçao to a difficult economic situation, and the Dutch government even wanted to sell the island to Germany.
Curacao Island. Author - Simon Clare.
Oil and clear waters: combining the incompatible
The poor financial situation of the island began to improve at the beginning of the XX century. An oil refinery was opened here. Polluting production could have destroyed Curaçao 's potential as a resort, and the government took this into account. The refinery used safe technologies and purification systems that allowed the nature to remain as picturesque, the beaches to remain clean and the water of the coastal areas to remain clear.
Tourism and oil refining are the main sources of revenue for the island.
Summer all year round and the sparsely populated north of the resort
Tourists from all over the world are attracted to Curaçao by its extremely mild and favorable climate. The air temperature in different seasons, as well as day and night differs, but slightly and ranges from 27 - 33 degrees in summer and 25 - 30 degrees in winter.
The waters in Curaçao are clear. On the south side of the island the coastal strip is cut by numerous bays, coves and quiet harbors with clean beaches and very beautiful nature. On this side of the island is a plain. This is where the hotels and inns are located and where the life of the local population booms.
The northern part of the island is a mass of volcanic rocks, mostly destroyed. Here nature is not so friendly. Strong winds are a frequent phenomenon. There are houses and huts in the northern part of Curaçao, but they are not so numerous and only locals live in them.
Sunset, Curacao Island. Author - Kim Seng.
Deer, turtles and poisonous trees
Curaçao has parks and protected areas where native fauna live in natural conditions under the protection of conservation organizations. These include about 200 white-tailed deer, the pride of the island, as well as smaller animals and birds such as iguanas, flamingos and others.
In some bays tourists can meet large sea turtles. They come to the shores of Curaçao to lay their eggs.
The nature of the island is very beautiful. Green massifs are surrounded by snow-white beaches and clear azure waters. There are also unique species of trees. For example, divi-divi. Their crown is always turned and points to the west. The reason for this is strong winds. There is also an extremely dangerous plant on the island - mansania. It's a tree with large and heavy leaves. Both the leaves and the fruit of the manzanita are very poisonous. Even touching its rough bark can cause harm to a person.
Beaches, diving, cactus soup and dolphin shows
Entertainment for tourists on the island is traditional. They can simply bask in the sunshine on the white sandy beach, play volleyball, diving, snorkeling and surfing.
The list of noisy and spectacular entertainment includes sailing regattas, jazz and salsa festivals. There is an oceanarium on the island, where you can watch the performances of dolphins and just swim with them in a specially built pool.
Despite the abundance of hotels and inns, all-inclusive service is not provided in them. This provides a great opportunity to eat traditional cuisine. These are mainly vegetables, meat and fish cooked on coals. The guests of the island are also treated with traditional soup from cactus and shrimps and, of course, served the specialty liquor “Curaçao”, which is famous all over the world.
