Volume 12 Issue 1 » 73
heritage homes and new Dutch-styled enterprises like Royal Plaza.
Pretty in pink, its shops sell bargain Colombian emeralds, high-end
European fashions and other merchandise sans sales tax.
On the nearby northern coast, luxury resorts line white-sand Eagle
Beach. Among tall palms, gnarly Divi Divi trees bend toward the
Caribbean. The Butterfly Farm offers tropical gardens fluttering with
kaleidoscopic colour opposite the shoreline. Bubali Pond stretches
behind. Opposite a red 1800s windmill, we enter this designated
bird sanctuary and listen to joyous birdsongs atop the observation
tower. Of the one hundred species attracted here, we sight snowy
egrets, purple gallinules, cormorants, coots and a heron.
Those interested in Aruba’s Aloe Museum and Factory turn inland.
There, Hato Plantation has cultivated aloe vera since 1840. As
appreciation increased for this source of healing antioxidants, the
aloe crop covered a full two-thirds of the island, making Aruba the
world’s largest aloe exporter.
Passing Malmok Beach’s countless one-storey holiday rentals, we
ascend a large knoll topped by a classic lighthouse. Here, we enjoy
sweeping panoramas of the now distant resorts. “That lighthouse
memorializes the SS California, a wooden sailing ship that sank just
offshore in 1891,” explains a friendly snack truck vendor, adding,
“Like to try my delicious, nutritious coconuts?” We buy one and sip
the refreshing chilled milk through straws.
We continue on to Arashi Beach that stretches below the hill.
Plunging into the warm, crystal waters, we snorkel toward a rocky
outcrop and encounter translucent reef squid, gold-speckled blue
angelfish, Moorish idols and other beguiling creatures. All swirl
colourfully above grey brain, purple fan and yellow pillar corals.
Once ashore, we lounge under a thatched palapa, enjoying the soft
Caribbean breezes.
Our drive proceeds through pretty neighborhoods of small, ranchstyle homes freshly repainted for holiday guests. One eccentric
owner whimsically adorns his front yard with workaday-dressed
manikins, simple furniture and crockery. Old license plates declare
Aruba: the Happy Island and are tacked onto Caribbean pines.
We arrive at Alto Vista Chapel atop another hill, and park beside a
red party bus emblazoned with Mi Dushi, meaning “my sweetheart.”
Like us, these fun-loving tourists are interested in this site where
Arawak Indians converted to Christianity in 1750. Outdoor benches
form a large semi-circle hinting at overflowing Sunday services.
As we depart, we count roadside white crosses and later learn how
the chapel hosts Good Friday pilgrimages. At noon, our car radio
plays multilingual, musical renditions of the Lord’s Prayer on
Aruba’s twenty stations. This national religiosity accounts for the
many churches spotted on the island.
Minutes later, Casibari Rock rises inexplicably from the desert floor.
Native pink Robinia trees and flowering yellow acacias surround this
huge, dome-like boulder formation. This is home to iridescent blue
lizards that lurk around small garden cacti. A steep, carved path and
winding stairway lead us to the top of this natural sandstone marvel.
We are presented with spectacular 360-degree views. The route
downward requires us to twist our bodies through a very narrow
tunnel. To reward our dexterous achievement, we cross the road to a
café for chicken-filled pastiches, a delicious Aruban snack.
Driving slowly onward, we study the distinctive desert life. Bristling
with needles, the towering Kadushi cactus is often used for soup
by the locals. The slightly shorter Yatu Cactus is often seen planted
for fences. Birds seem to love both these cacti. An orange-breasted,
black-and-white Trupial – an island oriole – lands ahead on a
Kadushi. Meanwhile, a tropical mockingbird flicks a long, whitetipped tail perched atop a prickly pear, and above us, an Aruban
eagle swoops lazily. But we fail to spot other well-known Aruba
wildlife: wild goats, donkeys or cottontail rabbits, whose ancestors
arrived centuries ago.
The Aruba Ostrich Farm materializes amid this arid landscape, so
we do sight ostriches and emus. Many head for this east coast farm
to learn about these raucous ratites … then sample “big bird” steaks
and omelets!
Straddling a nearby ridge, Bushiribana is an abandoned smelter that
looms like an ancient fortress. In 1825, it processed gold ore from
local mines. Inside the black, basalt walls we look through a rock
window frame at jeeps racing along the hard-packed shoreline.