Page 14 - AHATA
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A7
                                                                                                           LOCAL Friday 29 November 2024

             Another  Treasure  of  Aruba’s  Beaches:

             Sea Glass!


















                                                                                                   the beach. The waves and  If  you  like  to  see  the  sea
                                                                                                   weather  conditions  wore  glass  for  yourself,  and  be
                                                                                                   down      the  overwhelming  in awe of the power of na-
                                                                                                   amount of garbage in the  ture,  rent a car or jeep and
                                                                                                   water,  creating  millions  of  go  explore  our  deserted
                                                                                                   beautiful smooth rocks.      beaches on the north  side
                                                                                                   It’s  hard  to  believe  the  of the island. Make it a fun
                                                                                                   short-sighted  mistakes  we  family day!
                                                                                                   were  making  that  could  Even if we didn’t mean to
             NOORD - It is hard to imag-  and  that  is  why  you  can  are being used for decora-  have  potentially  ruined  pollute  the  Beaches  how
             ine  this  happening  today,  find  these  beautiful  and  tion,  handcrafts  and  jew-  these  beautiful  beaches.  we did, it is inspiring to see
             but  years  ago  people  colorful pieces on the north  elry!                          But  thanks  to  natural  pro-  just how the earth can cor-
             dumped all kinds of refuse  shore beaches of Aruba.      Once  glass  makes  its  way   cesses,  the  ocean  trans-  rect our mistakes.
             straight  into  the  ocean,  Especially  on  the  strip  on  into the ocean, the glass is   formed  the  trash  into  the  Funny,  how  trash  can
             including  old  cars,  and  white sand between the fa-   broken up into shards and is   sea glass.                 change into treasures!
             their  household  garbage,  mous  Natural  Bridge”  and  tumbled around in the wa-    Each  colored  gem  on  the  Everybody  knows  that  you
             which  of  course  included  the huge red anchor close  ter, where sand and other     beach has its own story.     are  not  allowed  to  take
             lots of glass. Over the next  to “Grapefield” beach you  rocks act like sandpaper to   The  ruby  red  glass  stones  local  shells  home,  but  the
             30  years  the  pounding  will be able to find your own  smooth out its rough edges.   are  typically  from  old  car  people  working  at  the  air-
             waves cleaned the beach,  pieces of sea glass. The sea  Sometimes as the sea glass    tail-lights.  Then,  the  sap-  port have no problem you
             by  breaking  down  every-  glass  that  was  created  is  is passed through fire, it be-  phire  rocks  are  the  rem-  taking  sea  glass  home.  A
             thing  but  glass  and  pot-  the product of a very long  comes fire glass, the rarest   nants  of  broken  apoth-  few  of  those  pieces  make
             tery.  The  pounding  waves  and  interesting  process.  It  of  sea  glass  with  certain   ecary  bottles.  The  most  great  souvenirs.    You  can
             washed  the  trash  up  and  can  take  anywhere  from  inclusions, just like precious   common  and  the  easiest  place them in a wine glass
             down, back and forth. Tons  10 to 30 years to make sea  gems.                         to find are the brown (Am-   or large bottle for decora-
             of  polished,  broken  glass  glass.  The  name  for  any  For  years,  the  water  beat   stel  &  Polar  beer),  green  tion  and  every  time  you
             pieces  were  created  by  piece of glass that finds its  against  the  different  kinds   (Heineken  &  Balashi  beer)  look at it a smile will light up
             the  pounding  surf.  These  way to the ocean and tum-   of  trash  being  dumped.    and  clear  glass  which  are  your face thinking back of
             smoothened, colored glass  bles  around  in  the  water  Glass,  household  appli-    the  soft  much  loved  “soft  your  unforgettable  Aruba
             particles then settled along  long enough is “Sea glass.  ances  and  even  motor     drink” bottles.              vacation! q
             the  sea  shore  in  millions,  The colorful pieces of glass  parts  were  discarded  on

            The Bali Restaurant: a touristic hot spot and lost gem on the island



            (Oranjestad)—Once       lo-  Bali did not look like that at                                                         leaks  and  overflowing  of
            cated  in  what  is  now  the  all  but  was  still  considered                                                     water  into  the  restaurant.
            Renaissance  Marina,  the  as  one  of  the  most  popu-                                                            And  as  most  great  things
            Bali  Restaurant  was  once  lar restaurants on the island                                                          come to an end, so did the
            both  a  touristic  and  local  at the time. The restaurant                                                         survival  and  maintenance
            hot  spot,  and  nowadays  saw three different owners                                                               of  the  Bali  Restaurant.
            it’s  considered  a  forgotten  during its existence, during                                                        However,  folks  today  still
            gem on the island.           which it underwent various                                                             reminisce  its  legacy,  and
            Known as “the floating res-  renovations  and  rebrand-                                                             it’s  now  considered  a  lost
            taurant”,  Bali  first  opened  ing.                                                                                monument.
            in 1955 by Willem “Bill” Stri-  In 1964, the restaurant was                                                         Be  apart  of  the  conversa-
            jland, who had experience  taken over by Karel “Carl”                                                               tion:  if  you  or  any  family
            in Javanese cuisine. At the  Schmand.  Over  the  years,                                                            member  of  yours  have  a
            time,  the  restaurant  was  the   restaurant   needed                                                              memory of the Bali restau-
            pretty exclusive with space  constant  renovation  and                                                              rant,  whether  it  be  a  pic-
            to host only 25 guests. Yet,  repair, mainly due to its vul-  also  expanded  to  host  a  enjoyed  live  music  from   ture or just a story, share it
            4 years later, it was named  nerability  to  leaks  and  the   total of 85 guests. This was  legendary  Aruban  musi-  with  us!  We  would  love  to
            the  best  restaurant  in  the  unstable pillars underneath   “The New Bali”, who had its  cian  and  composer,  Toti   see this legendary hot spot
            Caribbean  by  the  Carib-   the  foundation.  However,   official (re)opening in 1972.   Arends.                   through the lens of our visi-
            bean Tourist Association.    the biggest change made      After  1972,  when  Ronny  After  1989,  the  restaurant   tors!
            The  restaurant  was  proba-  to the restaurant happened   Schmand  took  over,  the  was  again  handed  over      Source and pictures credit
            bly most iconic for its Java-  in  the  year  1970  still  under   restaurant saw yet another  to other owners, and since   to: “De Kolibrie op de Rots
            nese-inspired  exterior  with  the ownership of Schmand,   expansion;  this  time  com-  then suffered from unstable   (en meer over de geschie-
            its  pointy,  slanted  roofs.  when it got its iconic pointy   plete  with  a  long  bar  and  pillars underneath the foun-  denis van Aruba)” by Evert
            However, the first version of  roofs.  The  restaurant  was   dance  floor,  where  guests  dation,  resulting  in  various   Bongers. q
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