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local Friday 14 June 2024

Aruban legends:

Frenchman’s Pass

(Oranjestad)—If you ever From then on, this passage
plan on taking a group was known as Frenchman’s
tour of the island, you may Pass, and there have been
pass through the French- many accounts of spirits
man’s Pass in Balashi. The roaming the area of Span-
Frenchman’s pass (known ish Lagoon.
to locals as “Franse Pas”)
remains a mysterious—and There are many ghost sto-
spooky—road of which its ries surrounding this area,
legend is told from genera- but one of the most famous
tion to generation. one involves a lonely hitch-
hiker, trying to find a ride
The history of the French- back home in the dark
man’s pass—and how it got rainy night.
its name—dates back to
the colonization era, when Sometime after trying to
the French tried to colo- hitchhike, the man saw a
nize the island, but were car approaching, appear-
met with an angry mob of ing almost ghost-like in the when he though the car his experience. Everyone
indigenous settlers, refusing rain. However, since he might drive straight off the grew quiet, because they French man’s pass is one
to give up their land. How- needed a ride real bad, road and crash, he saw a realized he wasn’t some of the few sites on the is-
ever, as the French were he didn’t think twice and hand appear out the win- drunk messing around; he land that keeps the locals
heavily equipped with fire jumped in. But to his horror, dow and turn the wheel. was telling the truth. on their toes. While most
arms, the indigenous set- he noticed that the there For the next few turns, the ghost stories may not have
tlers began to retreat, and was no driver in the front. hand appeared again. Af- Sometime later, two men real grounds—or some may
hid away in nearby caves. Paralyzed with fear, he ter having had enough, the walked into the bar and even be a set up story for a
The French colonizers tried didn’t dare to get out, and man decided to jump out one of them noticed the joke, this pass contributes a
to smoke them out of the the car started to move. and he ran to Santa Cruz. hitchhiker. He called out to lot to our culture of folkloric
caves, but the indigenous his buddy and said: “Look, story-telling.
settlers ended up inhal- When approaching a Arriving at a nearby bar, there’s the idiot who sat
ing too much smoke and sharp turn, the hitch hiker he ordered a drink and be- in our car when we were Source: visitaruba.com
most died in those caves. braced for impact, but just gan to tell everyone about pushing it!”

Lessons from our elders:

Plants and fruits for medicinal use (part 2)

(Oranjestad)—In last week’s to eat sweet potato 2 to 3 how easy it was to do so. Cut
edition, we shared with our times a week. However, if the end of a sweet potato let
readers some medicinal use you have high blood pres- it sit in shallow water until it
for plants and fruits, passed sure, it is best not to eat too starts to sprout. Then you may
down from our elders through much sweet potato, as this plant it in the ground. Sweet
generations. This week, we raises blood pressure. Sweet potatoes need plenty of wa-
present two more uses of potatoes are also great for ter to grow, especially in the
fruits and plants for medici- people who work hard la- first week in the ground. It
nal use. bor jobs, and it’s been said was said that once you start
to be aid blood circulation to notice the ground crack of the easier fruits to plant ground, they could grow into
Sweet potato in the body, as well as help underneath the flowers, it is and harvest. Originated from a tree.
According to our elders, those with hemorrhoids or time to harvest. This should Persia, this plant can grow al- In terms of medicinal use,
sweet potato is mostly use- diarrhea. happen around month 3. most everywhere. In Aruba, pomegranate skins are
ful for low blood pressure. Many of our elders opted to there are many homes that said to have a few benefits
People who suffer from low plant sweet potatoes them- Pomegranate have a tiny or big pomegran- for our health. According
blood pressure were advised selves, mostly because of Pomegranates are also one ate tree. You may be won- to customs, pomegranate
dering what the difference skin tea can help those that
is between a small and big suffer from diarrhea. Dried
pomegranate tree, for which pomegranate skin tea is also
the answer is based on har- good for people who have
vest time. Tiny trees produce worms. Pomegranate flow-
tinier pomegranates that ers can be boiled to make
can be harvested early on. a drink and this can be used
Contrarily, big trees produce for irritated gums; just take
bigger pomegranates, but a swig and let the tea sit in
they need enough time to your mouth for a couple min-
fully ripen before harvesting, utes. q
otherwise you might end up
with bitter seeds. Pomegran- Source: Remedi i Kustumber
ate trees are also very easy di nos Bieunan (Medicine and
to plant. In essence, if you Customs of our Elderly) by Di-
just throw the seeds on the nah Veeris