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A8 LOCAL
Monday 7 SepteMber 2020

About Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Aruba is the small- tal land area of Aruba, the Parke
est, driest and windiest of the three Nacional Arikok includes the is-
Leeward Islands of the Dutch Ca- land’s highest hill, Mount Jamano-
ribbean. Despite this, it has a sur- ta. Located on the island’s wind-
prisingly varied landscape. The ward shore, the park gives access
island’s connection, via the conti- to the rough lava hills and lime-
nental shelf, to the South American stone rock formations typical of this
mainland means that Aruba’s flora arid island. With its fragile dry cac-
and fauna are quite different from tus forest and extensive scrublands
her sister islands — Bonaire and the park is home to over 50 spe- its short, round, watermelon-like St. Maarten. As if its spiny hat was
Curaçao. Aruba’s stunning geo- cies of native trees and is the last base. The most interesting part of not enough, the pope’s head cac-
logical features include grottos, protected refuge for Aruba’s en- this plant however, is the strange, tus also sprouts tiny, fuchsia flow-
caves and giant rocks (tonalites) demic rattlesnake, the Cascabel, red, bristly “cap” (called a cepha- ers from its cephalium. These flow-
fashioned by the elements. Aruba and their irresistible burrowing owl, lium), which grows out the top of ers give way to bright pink, waxy,
is famous for long sandy beach- the Shoco. The park not only con- the green base and can reach cone-shaped fruits. The fruits are
es and strong trade winds, which tains outstanding nature but also heights of up to 1 m (~3.3 ft)! Using edible and have the seedy con-
make the island a paradise for a rich cultural history. This includes your imagination, one can really sistency of a crunchy kiwi, though
beach lovers and windsurfers but a a renovated farm area (cunucu) see a green “head” topped with a their flavor is quite light. Lovely to
challenging environment for plants and early Arawak cave paintings, tall, red, clergical “hat”. This cac- look at and delightful to taste, but
and animals. which were used as the inspiration tus can be found clinging to rocks do remember to mind their sharp
for the park’s iconic logo. in some of the drier, less hospitable spines and leave enough fruit for
Coastal lagoons with mangrove climes throughout the Caribbean, the plants to procreate.
forests and extensive and well- Pope’s Head Cactus Mexico, and South America. It’s The next time you are having a
developed seagrass beds at the Our spotlight moves to one of quite a common sight while hiking wander through our starkly beau-
southern part of the island are a the Caribbean’s most person- in the scrublands of both the Wind- tiful sub-tropical dry forests, don’t
magnet for sea turtles, as well as able succulents, the Pope’s Head ward and Leeward islands, though forget to look down and admire
an important base in the marine Cactus (Melocactus intortus). Its different species inhabit the north- the quirky and stout pope’s head
food chain. genus name is Melocactus, mean- ern and southern ranges. This par- cactus. q
Covering almost one fifth of the to- ing “melon cactus”, referring to ticular specimen comes to us from Source: DCNA.

Travelpulse.com:
Americans Looking to International Travel for Early 2021

NEW YORK, US — Americans are mand among travelers to venture Unsurprisingly, travel restrictions
poised to travel abroad in ear- abroad. Squaremouth reports resulting from the pandemic are
ly 2021, according to new data that international destinations ac- having a profound impact on
from travel insurance aggregator count for a whopping 86 percent the destinations Americans are
Squaremouth, which found that of all planned trips in January and targeting for next year, with most
65 percent of trips booked for February 2021. international trips being booked
next year are to international des- The data is based on all travel to places that are already ac-
tinations. insurance policies purchased cessible to U.S. travelers, including
through Squaremouth.com be- Mexico and the Caribbean.
It appears that the COVID-19 pan- tween March 12 and August 15,
demic has led to a pent-up de- 2020, for travel in 2021. Continued on Page 9