Page 13 - AHATA

Tuesday 18 November 2025 locAl
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Aruban legends: Frenchman’s Pass

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

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

According to Etnia Nativa, in served, there was the cem-
the 18th century most of the etery which father Pablo de
inhabitants of Aruba were Algemesi blessed. It is not
indigenous who lived on certain, but it is believed
the north coast, one of the that the two graves belong
largest communities lived in to Antonio Silvester and
Alto Vista. Miguel Alvares, according
to Nooyen. About 50 meters
As they were very religious, near the chapel there are
they had a chief with the still the markings of an old
name of Antonio Silvester house, where Antonio and
who guided them in the Bernardino Silvester would
Christian life and it was he have lived. About 200 meters
who decided to build a from the chapel there is a
stone chapel with a roof R.H. Nooyen, it is not known that the Alto Vista area was of work they found the old water tank which the locals
of corn rods, which would when Domingo Antonio Sil- the most infected, they be- foundations of the Church call Tanki Cacique. In the
serve as a place of prayer. vester came to Aruba from gan to build their homes fur- of the Queen of the Holiest past this tank was closed. But
In 1750 it was blessed by Fa- Venezuela. The elders be- ther south within the Noord Rosary to build a new cha- mostly water was brought
ther Algamesi who came lieve Antonio was a Span- area, so the town of Noord pel on the same place. The out from the Poz di Noord,
from Coro-Venezuela and iard. In 1780, father Joseph began to grow into a com- entire surrounding area was a well dug in the sand.
appointed Domingo Anto- Antonio de la Vegal called munity till getting its own empty and desolated, mak-
nio Silvester as the island’s Bernardino Silvester, one of Church. However religious ing it hard to imagine that The chapel can be viewed
first prosecutor in the name Antonio’s sons with his wife festivals continued to be Alto Vista was a town at all. from basically any point in
of the Spanish crown and Anna Cathalina Tromp, celebrated at this sacred A hundred years later, peo- the north side, even from
Rome. In 1752 the prosecu- “neighbors and naturals of native place, with the cus- ple can see the remains of Paradera and Sero Plat. All
tion passed into the hands of the island Aruba” and thus tom of arriving in procession around twenty houses, some the historical remains around
Antonio Silvester’s son-in-law, they became natives. to Alto Vista. made of stone and others the chapel provide us with
Miguel Álvarez, who contin- of clay. Nowadays, only an idea on how the old peo-
ued to guide the parishioners At the end of the eighteen Two-hundred years after the around six of these houses ple of Alto Vista used to live.
in their prayers. century many inhabitants beautiful time of Alto Vista, remain. Don’t miss the opportunity to
the island died as a result of people can no longer see visit a place of historical sig-
According to the book, the black fever epidemic much of the town of Alto South of the chapel in the nificance with a window to
The History of Alto Vista by and since people believed Vista from 1750. With a lot yard two graves can be ob- Aruba’s past.q