The story of Toni Kunchi!

Toni Kunchi

For over 30 years I have lived in Curaçao, of which 20 in the Toni Kunchi district. High time to shine my light on this neighbourhood. After all, the name of my B&B is directly linked to it.

Because I always appreciate a bit of historical awareness of the places where I stay, I have recently done some research. You could say, quite late. Absolutely! How can you be blind to what you are right in the middle of? In any case, I hope you read it with pleasure. If you plan to come to Toni Kunchi, after reading the story below you will certainly look at this district with a different perspective.

Don Jaime

Jaime Jose Sprock (1904-1994) was a true adventurer. He is both the forefather of Ponche Kuba and of Toni Kunchi. In 1924 he went to Cuba as a sailor to obtain a secret recipe for making Ponche Crema. A salient detail is that the label says 1942. Archive documents state otherwise and moreover World War II was in full swing and sailing was not allowed due to German ships off the coast. In any case, he got the recipe in his hands and with great success Ponche Crema was sold worldwide under the name Ponche Kuba. Later he sold the recipe to the company Bols. From close family I have learned that the Bols version is by far not as good as the original.

Sprock had an enormous commercial spirit and was also at the basis of the Antillean Amstel Brewery. The only place in the world where beer was brewed from distilled seawater.

De plantage

In 1939 Jaime Sprock, together with his brother‑in‑law Mozes ‘Moi’ Pieters, bought the Vreugdenberg plantation. From that moment people spoke of Toni Kunchi. Where that name comes from is still a mystery. Both families used the area for years as a country retreat to escape the bustle of the city. Parties were held on weekends. The daughter of Moi Pieters (and therefore the niece of Jaime Sprock) still lives in Toni Kunchi. She can recall birthday parties from her childhood when Toni Kunchi was still a plantation. The Toni Kunchi manor stood on the opposite side of the hill.

De kruiken van Bols

The small manor consisted of a main residence and two warehouses. These were used to store stock bottles and other beverage accessories of Sprock's company. Shiploads of Bols bottles arrived here, to be returned bottled. These bottles from that time are still found during construction or gardening work.

De tragedie

In 1965 the plantation was subdivided and the small manor demolished. Initially sales were slow. When it finally took off, a real disaster unfolded in 1969. First, on May 30, during the great workers’ uprising, the families’ shops were burned down, but the real drama occurred on October 10 of that same year.

The son of Jaime Sprock, Harold ‘Oy’ Sprock, lost his life in a train accident in Boxtel. He might have followed in his father’s footsteps, but fate decided otherwise. The main street in Toni Kunchi, and also our street, is named after him.

Van plantage naar een klassieke wijk

By now Toni Kunchi has grown into a delightful neighbourhood with plenty of greenery and a rural atmosphere.

The location is very central and in no time you are in Willemstad or at Mambo‑Beach. Yet Toni Kunchi still radiates the tranquility of yesteryear.

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