A shrill ringing shatters the Caribbean midday calm. The Queen Emma Bridge, known to the locals as the Swinging Old Lady, announces its opening. Hectic footsteps sound across the wooden planks. “Quick, quick!” shouts a mother as she hurries the last few meters to the shore with her daughter. In the middle of the 116-metre-long pontoon bridge, I get caught up in the commotion and run to the Punda side, the oldest part of Willemstad.
The other pedestrians lean calmly against the railing. Smartphones flash as the historic bridge, driven by a ship’s propeller, swings to one side. An orange flag would have signaled to me that the interruption would only last about 15 minutes. For medium-sized ships, the bridge only opens halfway.
After a few yachts and a small drinking water tanker have passed by, the bridge master lets the construction slide back. The ringing stops, the barriers are lifted and the people stream back over the planks.
When the bridge was built on 16 pontoons in 1888, it was considered modern. It connected the two districts of Willemstad without endangering the historic buildings and at the same time made room for the ever larger ships that called at the largest natural harbor in the Caribbean.
In the beginning, the bridge was subject to tolls – only barefoot pedestrians paid nothing. Vehicles have been using the Queen Juliana Bridge since 1974, and the “Old Lady” remains a unique tourist attraction.
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Curaçao is the ‘C’ of the ABC Islands, with a Dutch heritage in a Caribbean guise. The island impresses with its pastel-coloured trading houses, reminiscent of Amsterdam, whilst Papiamento, as a Creole language, reflects the cultural mix of Europe, Africa and Latin America. The island is more than just a beach and diving paradise: it boasts a street art scene, the decaying charm of old Baroque architecture and a distinct culinary identity blending Dutch colonial cuisine with Caribbean flavours. Forget Blue Curaçao! The Caribbean island, most commonly associated with the colour blue, unfolds a kaleidoscope of colours and stories. From the famous liqueurs to the artistically painted façades in Willemstad. The Queen Emma Bridge is affectionately known by the locals asthe Swinging Old Lady .
The research was supported by the Curaçao Tourist Board
