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local Thursday 4 January 2024

Lessons from our elders:

Plants and fruits for medicinal use

ritation and inflammation.

When the fruit is unripe and green,
this can be used to stimulate
menstruation flow in women. This
also stimulates the passing kidney
stones. When ripe, the fruit can be
used for poisoning in the gut and
can help treat rheumatic diseases,
like arthritis.

However, breastfeeding women
who cannot produce much milk
are advised not to consume too
pineapple, and people with acid
(Oranjestad)—Though western reflux are recommended to not
medicine is now widely used for consume any pineapple at all.
common illnesses and to keep our
bodies healthy and happy, it is still Arrowroot
very common in every household Arrowroot is native to tropical
in Aruba (and around the world) to America and can be sold as a pow-
have staple home remedies that der or whole. It is said that you can
is passed on through generations. take arrowroot powder and make with milk, add a pinch of salt. Raw blood. However, do make sure to
Here are some tips that our elders a “shalup” (porridge) for stomach arrowroot powder can be used to drink slowly; let it mix with your spit
have passed on to us over the pain or when you’re feeling weak. powder babies. and then swallow.
years. You can make it with milk too, but
it is advised to best use just water. Eggplant/Aubergine Eggplant kataplan* can also be
Pineapple You can also add prunes for a bit Eggplants, or aubergines, are easy used to treat skin tumors, abscesses
Pineapple has more uses than top- of sweetness. Arrowroot shalup is to find in supermarkets around the and hemorrhoids. Eggplant kata-
ping it on your Christmas ham. Ac- also good to treat an unhealthy world and can be grown all year plan can also be used externally to
cording to elders, the skin of a pine- gut or for diarrhea. round on the island. Related to po- treat arthritis. q
apple is great to use to refresh your tato and tomato, eggplants are
body. Clean the skin thoroughly To make arrowroot shalup, boil a bit good to calm nerves. It can also be *warapa: term referring to a water and
and make tea or warapa* with it. of water and add one tablespoon used to lower blood pressure, by sugar solution, a.k.a simple syrup.
It is said that this tea can also be of arrowroot powder and stir con- steeping its leaves in boiled water *kataplan: porridge-like mixture used
drank after an operation on the tinuously until you reach porridge and drinking it. You can also make externally for wounds or parts of the
body that are painful or swollen.
ovaries or uterus. This gets rid of ir- consistency. If you make a shalup eggplant juice to help purify your

Visit the historic museum at Fort Zoutman!

(Oranjestad)—Located in ally referring to two sepa- ernor Jan Helenus in 1866, it
the middle of downtown rate buildings that, over the also became a bell tower.
Oranjestad, situated right years, have been merged: The fort itself was originally
next to the government the fort and the tower. constructed to protect
building “Cocolishi”, is one That’s right, the iconic 5-sto- the commerce bay of
of the oldest buildings of ry, squared tower was not Paardenbaai from pirates
Aruba: Fort Zoutman. First part of the original structure and other disreputable
constructed in 1796, this of the fort, and is actually characters roaming the
site has been used (or left called “Willem III Toren”. Caribbean Sea. Unlike the
unused) in many ways and Constructed in 1867, this Willem III Toren, Fort Zout- constant war with England rich depository of the com-
have survived eras of war tower was named after the man had a more tumul- back in the colonial era). mercial, military and social
and attempted disman- then-reigning king of The tuous past, including the Over the years, both the history of Oranjestad, offer-
tling. Netherlands, Willem III. Wil- on-and-off reception of fort and the tower had ing a glance into how the
lem III Toren was originally unwanted members of the functioned as different social culture of the town
When anyone refers to Fort a light tower, but after a re- English military several times government center points, came to be. If you are in-
Zoutman, they are actu- quest from Lieutenant Gov- (The Netherlands was at including a tax and stamps terested in history and want
office. For some time these to learn more about Aruba,
two buildings also housed then Fort Zoutman should
a police precinct and jail, definitely be included into
and even experienced your itinerary.
abandonment until the Cul-
tural Center Aruba Founda- The museum is open Mon-
tion (CCA) petitioned for its day to Friday from 9am-
renovation in 1964, turning 6pm, and Saturday from
the site into the Historic Mu- 10am-2pm.
seum it currently is.
Despite its small size, The Source: The Old Fort of Aruba
Historic Museum guards a by Jan Hartog.