Page 12 - AHATA

A7
LOCAL Saturday 2 auguSt 2025
Aruban legends:

Frenchman’s Pass

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

Why You Should Not Miss Aruba’s Free City Center Street Car Tour

town area with a picture monuments, the Protestant The “Tram van Oranjestad”
perfect scenery of the is- church, Aruba’s high- end starts from a balloon loop
land’s clear blue skies. Who mall, retail shops, and a va- near the Port of Call and
would not enjoy a ride on riety of local and interna- serves the downtown area
this beautiful and naturally tional cuisine restaurants. and ends at Plaza Nicky.
air-conditioned vehicle? The “I love Aruba” trade- The first ride starts at 10:00
The tour consists of a total mark also belongs to that am sharp with intervals of
of 9 stops approximately list. The third stop on the 25minutes. The last trolley
200 meters apart from each route is close to a 5-minute departs from the cruise port
other; all stops are clearly walk to the famous Renais- at 5:00pm. Don’t miss this
marked. The tram will bring sance Marina showcasing tour of the beautiful Aru-
you close to different mu- luxurious yachts and Aru- ba’s City Center– it is free
seums, historical plazas, ba’s blue waters. for all!.

ORANJESTAD - Aruba’s inspired by the popular
City Center Street Car - battery-powered streetcar
or as we call it in Dutch; operation at the Grove in
“Tram van Oranjestad’ - is Los Angeles, USA. Aruba’s
a single track tram line in streetcars are powered by
Oranjestad, the capital hydrogen fuel cells, which
city of Aruba. It was inau- are charged by the island’s
gurated on 22 December year-round trade winds.
2012, being the first and so
far the only passenger rail Caya Betico Croes, mostly
service on Aruba and the referred to as our “main
rest of the Dutch Caribbe- street” has been devel-
an. There are two trolleys, oped into a pollution-free
a single-deck one with 42 pedestrian mall. The dou-
seats and a double-decker ble-decker offers you a 360
with 64 seats. The line was degree view of the down