60 Nights

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Top photo courtesy of The Dekker Institute. Other photos by Pierre Arsenault

To learn more about Jacob Gelt Dekker and his works,visit www.jgd.cc or www.kurahulanda.com.

No Man is an

Island? by Susan Campbell

Though he’s often globetrotting insearch of new treasures for his museum,his heart always returns here. New digsfor Dekker are currently in the works inthe form of a tree house! Inspired bythe bandas (tree houses) of Africa, hisnew personal perch, currently underconstruction in Westpunt, will serve asthe prototype for developing unique andinnovative eco-friendly guesthouses therein the near future. l

They say no man is an island, butwhen it comes to Curaçao, Jacob GeltDekker is as close as it gets. This Dutch-born tour de force is behind so manyimportant cultural endeavors anddevelopments on this island that QueenBeatrix herself recently recognized hiswork. In the spring of 2006, the Queennamed Jacob an Officer in the Order ofOranje-Nassau. Also in 2006, he receivedthe Netherland-America Foundation’sAmbassador K. Terry Dornbush Award.

To date, Dr. Dekker has been respon-sible for the creation of the world-classKurá Hulanda Museum, the award-winning Hotel Kurá Hulanda Spa &Casino, the global Dekker Institute foradvanced cultural studies, the Jade Foun-dation for the island’s underprivilegedyouth, Curaçao’s first dialysis center andthe new Lodge Kurá Hulanda and BeachClub in Westpunt. He is also activelyinvolved in many global aid projects suchas Childright. But it has been his tirelessefforts to ensure Curaçao develops astrong cultural identity and his down-to-earth accessibility as a person that havemade him something of a local folk hero.

Meet Jacob Gelt Dekker and you might think differently!