{"id":45831,"date":"2024-05-08T09:27:30","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T09:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/08\/watery-peaceful-wild-the-call-of-the-mangroves\/"},"modified":"2024-05-08T09:27:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T09:27:30","slug":"watery-peaceful-wild-the-call-of-the-mangroves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/08\/watery-peaceful-wild-the-call-of-the-mangroves\/","title":{"rendered":"Watery, Peaceful, Wild: The Call of the Mangroves"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/08\/multimedia\/08Curacao-cqvp\/08Curacao-cqvp-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Watery, Peaceful, Wild: The Call of the Mangroves\" title=\"Watery, Peaceful, Wild: The Call of the Mangroves\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It was a sunny afternoon in February at the height of the high season on the Caribbean island of Cura\u00e7ao, but my partner, Aaren, and I were far from lounging on a white-sand beach, snorkeling over a coral reef or strolling among the Easter-egg-colored buildings of Willemstad, Cura\u00e7ao\u2019s capital and a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/819\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">UNESCO World Heritage site<\/a> \u2014 typical activities for travelers to this former Dutch colony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Instead, on a kayak tour with Serlon St Jago, a guide from the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mangrovepark.org\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Cura\u00e7ao Rif<\/a> <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mangrovepark.org\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mangrove Park<\/a>, we were learning about the country\u2019s mangrove restoration, and the vital role mangrove habitats play in coastal resilience, protection for marine and bird species, and fighting the effects of climate change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">No poisonous snakes, alligators or large predators live on Cura\u00e7ao, Mr. St Jago said, reassuring information as we paddled toward a forbidding wall of mangroves lining Piscadera Bay. Up close, the trees were magnificent and cheerful. Colorful birds roosted on tangled branches and trunks, and small paths under the green and occasionally yellow leaves beckoned us to explore. With our kayaks beached, Mr. St Jago pointed out fiddler crabs and mussels, and described differences of the local mangrove species \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mangrovepark.org\/nature-history\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">the red, white and black<\/a> \u2014 and how they adapted to live and propagate where water meets land.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThere\u2019s so much life here,\u201d he said with infectious enthusiasm. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">We were the only tourists on the water, but getting more visitors like us interested in mangroves, perhaps even persuading them to replant some of the vital trees themselves, has been a priority of scientists, activists, park rangers and tourism operators on Cura\u00e7ao in recent years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The island isn\u2019t alone in its efforts: Similar mangrove-focused work has started around the world, in places like <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/indonesia-pushes-tourism-boost-mangrove-restoration-2023-06-02\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Indonesia<\/a>, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/parks.des.qld.gov.au\/parks\/moreton-bay\/zoning\/information-sheets\/mangroves#1\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Australia<\/a>, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/reefbuilders.com\/2016\/06\/09\/fragments-hope-belize-now-offering-ecological-tours\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Belize<\/a> and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biscaynenationalparkinstitute.org\/paddling\/field-paddle-mangroves-meadows\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Florida<\/a>, as fragile destinations balance tourism\u2019s growth with the conservation \u2014 and restoration \u2014 of the natural resources that captivate visitors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cCoral reefs get all the attention. But mangroves are probably a lot more important,\u201d said <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/experts\/gabby-ahmadia\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Gabby Ahmadia<\/a>, a vice president with the oceans program at the World Wildlife Federation who overseas the organization\u2019s mangrove science and restoration programs. \u201cMy favorite analogy about mangroves is that they are Swiss Army knives, because they do provide so many different benefits and they can do so many different things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Though these forests are one degree of separation from the sights and the activities that traditionally draw visitors to the ocean, changing perceptions might be hard. To protect the environment, mangrove kayak tours can be \u2014 as are most snorkel, fishing and bird-watching tours offered in other destinations \u2014 limited by number, and visitors must be interested in the first place. With their summer reads and beach toys, family traditions and limited vacation days, most tourists might simply agree with the old saying \u201cLife is better at the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-kypbrf eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-31a6bc6\">A foundation of life<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The twisty branches, trunks and distinctive aboveground roots of mangroves are a stark, complex repudiation of how a child\u2019s drawing portrays a common tree. The roots can arch up, pop up spikelike from the water or form stilts above and under the surface. Adapted to oxygen-poor soil, high salinity and the ebb and flow of an intertidal zone, coastal mangroves thrive where other trees and shrubs would perish. Unless they are yellow, the leaves are green, and some, if you lick them, taste salty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mangrove forests can appear impenetrable, muddy, smelly and swampy. For centuries, they have been cleared for firewood, farmland, urban development, aquaculture and, yes, tourism. On Cura\u00e7ao, mangroves are now found on <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/unesdoc.unesco.org\/ark:\/48223\/pf0000382160\/PDF\/382160eng.pdf.multi\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">only 0.012 percent<\/a> of the island. Globally, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/content\/dam\/tnc\/nature\/en\/documents\/state_of_word_mangroves.pdf\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">more than half<\/a> of the mangrove forests have been cut down or otherwise destroyed in the past 50 years. Deforestation has slowed \u2014 but not stopped \u2014 in recent years, and rising sea levels and increased storm activity have done further damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But coastal mangroves \u2014 there are some 60 species worldwide \u2014 are the foundation of life above and below the water. With intricate root systems, they act as nurseries for juvenile fish and other marine life. Mangrove branches and trunks make safe feeding and nesting sites for <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.audubon.org\/field-guide\/bird\/yellow-warbler\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">yellow warblers<\/a>, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.audubon.org\/field-guide\/bird\/tricolored-heron\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">tricolored herons<\/a> and other bird species, reptiles like iguanas, and insects aplenty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Those strongly anchored roots also protect from flooding, erosion and tidal surges by slowing down seawater and trapping dirt and debris. More crucially, mangrove forests are extraordinary for decreasing the effects of global warming, by absorbing and storing carbon annually <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/oceanservice.noaa.gov\/ecosystems\/coastal-blue-carbon\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">at a rate 10 times<\/a> as great as tropical rainforests. Mangroves, along with other coastal wetlands, \u201csequester enough carbon each year to offset the burning of over one billion barrels of oil,\u201d <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/oceanwealth.org\/ecosystem-services\/carbon\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">according to the Nature Conservancy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-kypbrf eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-1ca14207\">Surreptitious beginnings<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ryan de Jongh, a 53-year-old Cura\u00e7ao native, activist and tour guide, is the living embodiment of regenerative tourism. He\u2019s an important reason we encountered a lush, thriving ecosystem in Piscadera Bay, and demonstrates how one person can make a difference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. de Jongh grew up swimming in the bay and watched the area\u2019s mangroves being cleared for fuel and construction. In 2006, he surreptitiously planted the first mangrove tree \u2014 a single seedling can mature in around 15 years and lead to an entire thicket \u2014 and now, he said, more than 100,000 trees are growing. He made similarly stealthy plantings at other inlets and bays, making himself a local hero in the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. de Jongh, who gives <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Ryan-de-Jonghs-Kayak-Experience005-999-561-0813-100064622384465\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">kayak tours himself<\/a>, now works on widespread government-sanctioned restoration projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His aim is to eventually plant 1.3 million trees on the island. \u201cI have to transform literally a desert back to green,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The interior of Cura\u00e7ao certainly looks like a desert, with a dry, dusty landscape of cactus and other succulents. Along with its closest island neighbors, Aruba and Bonaire, Cura\u00e7ao is outside the Caribbean\u2019s hurricane belt and receives minimal rainfall. People on the island drink desalinated seawater.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The trade winds bring cooler temperatures. In the 16th century, they also brought Europeans who enslaved and deported the Indigenous population and turned Cura\u00e7ao into a slaving port. The colonists also planted oranges, sugar cane and other nonnative species, with varying degrees of success, and developed giant salt pans for export, but it was the construction of an oil refinery in 1918 and growing tourism that finally brought widespread jobs. The refinery shut down in 2019 \u2014 nine years after Cura\u00e7ao voted to become a semiautonomous nation from the Netherlands \u2014 an event that only emphasized tourism\u2019s importance for Cura\u00e7ao\u2019s economy. Last year, the island, only 40 miles long, welcomed <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaotouristboard.com\/monthly-statistics\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">1.3 million visitors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Aaren and I gladly did our part to support the economy: In Willemstad, that meant eating at <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacao.com\/en\/activity\/marsche-bieuw\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Plasa Bieu<\/a>, the Old Market, where individual vendors cook and sell local cuisine. We fought with each other over the fried wahoo and an arepa di pampuna \u2014 pumpkin pancake \u2014 but we were warned off the cactus soup. \u201cI live here,\u201d said another diner, \u201cand I don\u2019t even eat that.\u201d We also snapped photos, like so many other visitors, while crossing the floating <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacao.com\/en\/article\/bridges\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Queen Emma Bridge<\/a>, and watched it open and close for marine traffic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">We waited in an hourlong, locals-heavy line at <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/piscaderanoreservations\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">De Visserij Piscadera Seafood restaurant<\/a> (\u201cslaying and filleting\u201d since 2017), where diners choose and purchase their fish fillets before sitting down; we drank oregano punch for the first time (think mint ice tea, but oregano and oh so refreshingly delicious); and we inhaled grilled shrimp and raw fresh tuna.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Further north, we ate \u201cwilliburgers\u201d \u2014 goat burgers \u2014 at <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Williwood.experience\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Marfa\u2019s GoodHangout<\/a> in Sint Willibrordus, which overlooks an old salt pan that, sadly, the resident flamingoes absented that day, and delighted upon coming across a coral nursery while scuba diving right off the jam-packed Kokomo Beach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Coral reefs are crucial to Cura\u00e7ao\u2019s tourism and fishing industries and valued at more than $445 million annually, according to a 2016 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dcbd.nl\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/State%20of%20cura%C3%A7ao%27s%20coral%20reef.pdf\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">economic assessment<\/a> published by the nonprofit Waitt Institute. And coral reefs, which support roughly 25 percent of all marine life, are enduring <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/15\/climate\/coral-reefs-bleaching.html\" title=\"\">cataclysmic bleaching and disease<\/a> brought on or compounded by climate change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the last 10 years, scientists have better understood the symbiosis between coral reefs and mangroves: They don\u2019t need each other to exist, but proximity brings <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4633132\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">benefits<\/a> to both ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWorking in this field of conservation, you might come in from one entry point and then you realize everything is connected,\u201d said Ms. Ahmadia of the W.W.F. \u201cWe can work on coral reefs, but we should be thinking about sea grass beds and mangroves, because they are all really connected. And then of course, they are connected to the human environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">One morning, Aaren and I walked through the 30-acre <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mangrovepark.org\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Cura\u00e7ao Rif<\/a> <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mangrovepark.org\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mangrove Park<\/a>, a short stroll from the center of Willemstad and a shorter one from the island\u2019s cruise ship terminal. Open since 2022, the park offers guided and audio tours, elevated boardwalks, programs for local schoolchildren and a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochronicle.com\/post\/local\/carmabi-adjusts-entrance-fees-for-nature-parks-local-visitor-rates-reduced\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">tiered entrance-fee system<\/a> (guilders and U.S. dollars accepted) for residents and overseas visitors. Some 17,766 people came in 2023, an increase of 14,687 from 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochronicle.com\/post\/main\/carmabi-is-preparing-for-the-future-dr-manfred-van-veghel-new-director-of-carmabi\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Manfred van Veghel<\/a> is the new director of the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation, which <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochronicle.com\/post\/local\/princess-beatrix-visits-rif-st-marie-hermanus-nature-reserve\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">oversees<\/a> the mangrove park and five other national parks. Working with the government of Cura\u00e7ao, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.corendonhotels.com\/corendon-mangrove-beach-resort\/facilities\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">local travel operators<\/a> and activists like Mr. de Jongh, Dr. van Veghel aims to expand park access, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.curacaochronicle.com\/post\/tourism\/expansion-and-water-quality-monitoring-planned-for-mangrove-park\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">construct an elevated bridge<\/a> and add a visitor center, among other goals. The efforts are part of his desire to transform Cura\u00e7ao into more of a nature-based tourist destination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe had a record last year and they are pushing to get more,\u201d Dr. van Veghel said of Cura\u00e7ao\u2019s number of annual visitors. Yet, he said, the beaches are getting full. \u201cSo we need to get activities other than going to the beach \u2014 and the mangrove park is an excellent activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/en-us\/about-us\/who-we-are\/our-people\/mark-spalding\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mark Spalding<\/a> is a senior marine scientist with the Nature Conservancy and lead scientist of the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/oceanwealth.org\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mapping Ocean Wealth initiative<\/a>, an online tool that applies economic value to coastal ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Spalding said a draw of mangrove activities, like boating and hiking, is that \u201cwithout having to trek through the Amazon for hours and hours, you can get that sense of wilderness and experience, and also the peace and tranquillity very quickly and very easily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt might only be two hours of your entire holiday,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it\u2019s the thing you take home with you \u2014 the story you tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">Follow New York Times Travel <\/em><\/strong><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">on <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nytimestravel\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">Instagram<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\"> and <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/newsletters\/traveldispatch\" title=\"\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\"> to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/travel\/places-to-travel-destinations-2024.html\" title=\"\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">52 Places to Go in 2024<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/08\/travel\/curacao-mangrove-tourism.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was a sunny afternoon in February at the height of the high season on the Caribbean island of Cura\u00e7ao, but my partner, Aaren, and I were far from lounging on a white-sand beach, snorkeling over a coral reef or strolling among the Easter-egg-colored buildings of Willemstad, Cura\u00e7ao\u2019s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":45832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/08\/multimedia\/08Curacao-cqvp\/08Curacao-cqvp-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[875,46816,25424,46815,11084],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45831"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45831"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45833,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45831\/revisions\/45833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}