Page 9 - AHATA

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local Thursday 10 augusT 2023

Enjoy one of the best views on Aruba at the top of the Hooiberg Hill

(Oranjestad)—If you are located at the center dis- ment decided to renovate
a regular hiker, or may- trict of the island, Santa these stairs in 1991. This
be want to spice up your Cruz, the Hooiberg Hill is new project delivered the
morning work out session, the second highest point newer staircase with only
then you might enjoy one on the island at 165 meters 587 steps. However, don’t
of the most popular climb- above sea level (or about be fooled—it may still be
ing sites on the island: The 540 feet above sea level). a work out to get on top.
Hooiberg Hill. Accompa- The highest point is Ja- In addition, there is now a
nied with a 600-step stair- manota Hill at 189 meters gazebo placed halfway up
case, this hill overlooks a (620 feet), located in the the stair for a little rest. The
great part of the island, the Arikok National Park. view at this resting stop is
Caribbean sea, and some- The staircase that run on also a sight to see.
times even the Santa Anna the side of the hill was first The best time to climb the
mountain located in the built in 1951, when Mr. Edu- hill would be early in the
coastal state of Falcon in ardo Tromp constructed it. morning or right before
Venezuela, providing one At that time, the staircase sunset, as it may not be as
of the best views you can consisted of 900 steps. hot. However, the hill is of
get on Aruba. Over time, as the steps course open all day, every
faced erosion, the govern- day.q

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.q
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