Page 6 - AHATA

a8 local
Friday 1 November 2024

Aruban legends:

Frenchman’s Pass

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

Prohibited by law: leaving the island with seashells, white sand or corals

(Oranjestad)—Often times, the have to pay before leaving. This is
customs department at the air- surely not a pleasant experience
port intercepts many tourists leav- for the tourist. This also leads to a
ing the island with seashells, white negative reaction which can put
sand and/or corals as souvenirs. our tourism in a negative light.
Though we love to accommodate
Conforming to the international our visitors, let’s all give nature the
treaty of CITES and our local law respect it deserves by protecting
which protects our Flora & Fauna, it our environment. Stop collecting
is absolutely prohibited to take any seashells, white sand and corals
seashell, sand and coral outside of from our shores and stop buying or
Aruba. This is to protect our envi- accepting these from local sellers
ronment. The high number of sea- or companies.
shells, coral and amount of sand
confiscated is very strange and it is We want our future generations
suspected that our own locals are and visitors to enjoy the beauty
the ones selling these to the tour- of our beaches, shells and corals
ists, which is unacceptable. in a sustainable way, without de-
stroying or disrupting the Aruban
Upon confiscation at the airport, ecosystem. Help us protect what is
you can also face a fine that they ours!q