Page 19 - AHATA

A10 LOCAL
Friday 26 September 2025
Lessons from our elders: Plants and fruits for medicinal use

(Oranjestad)— Though too much sweet potato, as
western medicine is now this raises blood pressure.
widely used for common Sweet potatoes are also
illnesses and to keep our great for people who work
bodies healthy and happy, hard labor jobs, and it’s
it is still very common in been said to be aid blood
every household in Aruba circulation in the body,
(and around the world) to as well as help those with
have staple home rem- hemorrhoids or diarrhea.
edies that is passed on
through generations. Here Many of our elders opted to
are some tips that our el- plant sweet potatoes them-
ders have passed on to us selves, mostly because of
over the years. how easy it was to do so.
Cut the end of a sweet po-
Sweet potato tato let it sit in shallow wa-
According to our elders, ter until it starts to sprout.
sweet potato is mostly use- Then you may plant it in the
ful for low blood pressure. ground. Sweet potatoes
People who suffer from low need plenty of water to
blood pressure were ad- grow, especially in the first
vised to eat sweet potato 2 week in the ground. It was
to 3 times a week. Howev- said that once you start to time to harvest. This should produce tinier pomegran- for our health. According
er, if you have high blood notice the ground crack happen around month 3. ates that can be harvest- to customs, pomegranate
pressure, it is best not to eat underneath the flowers, it is ed early on. Contrarily, skin tea can help those that
Pomegranate big trees produce bigger suffer from diarrhea. Dried
Pomegranates are also pomegranates, but they pomegranate skin tea is
one of the easier fruits to need enough time to fully also good for people who
plant and harvest. Origi- ripen before harvesting, have worms. Pomegranate
nated from Persia, this otherwise you might end flowers can be boiled to
plant can grow almost ev- up with bitter seeds. Pome- make a drink and this can
erywhere. In Aruba, there granate trees are also very be used for irritated gums;
are many homes that have easy to plant. In essence, just take a swig and let the
a tiny or big pomegranate if you just throw the seeds tea sit in your mouth for a
tree. You may be wonder- on the ground, they could couple minutes.q
ing what the difference is grow into a tree.
between a small and big Source: Remedi i Kustumber
pomegranate tree, for In terms of medicinal use, di nos Bieunan (Medicine and
which the answer is based pomegranate skins are Customs of our Elderly) by Di-
nah Veeris
on harvest time. Tiny trees said to have a few benefits

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

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