Page 5 - AHATA

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Wednesday 29 november 2017

Happy Island Miracles in Pictures and Words

ORANJESTAD - Books, they island, a cocktail of people.
can shake your world up- The book is visibly enriched
side down. A good book with a picture of each in-
can change your mood terviewed immigrant and
like that perfect vacation an image of her/his country
spot that energizes your as well as a map with the
spirit. Take these two to- country’s location. In the
gether and what you get is back you will find a list with
a vacation book, a memo- all nationalities living in the
ry of that wonderful, heav- island and their numbers.
enly place where you spent
your valuable leisure time. ‘Aruba Monuments Guide’
Aruba Today dived into a by Michel Bakker and Olga
local book store and won- van der Klooster
dered which Aruba books Aruba! Everyone knows this
thrill the visitor’s mind. Syl- tropical island in the sun
via Wouters, store manager with pearly white beaches
at Bruna Book Store, gladly and palm trees swaying in
helped us out and informed the trade winds. But there’s
us about a small selection more to Aruba than this. It
of Happy Island miracles in has a fascinating history, a
pictures and words. diverse culture and a rich
architecture. Traces can still
‘Aruba Point to Point’ by be found of the original in-
Federico Cabello digenous inhabitants, and
“Beautiful pictures of Aru- of the gold industry and
ba, this is a perfect cof- aloe plantations. The islands
fee table book to dream The book contains full page ‘Island Life, Aruba’s Best- member those days and architectural heritage in-
away with”, explains Sylvia. photographs of over two Kept Diary’ by Rona Coster for the next generations cludes historic churches, a
The book has 192 full color hundred species of birds The book is a selection of and Aruba’s visitors to learn fort and a lighthouse. And
pages and more than 400 taken in Aruba’s wildlife. A columns written by Rona about our islands valuable you will come across the
photos in a landscape for- checklist, for scientific and Coster between 1992 and traditions, movements and islands characteristic cu-
mat of 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inch- educational purposes, is at 2004. The column ap- contributors”, quoted by nucu houses wherever you
es. In the words of the au- the end of the book con- peared for the first time Karin Swiers, the book’s edi- go. This guide will lead you
thor: “Slipping beyond a taining the names of all under the title Island Life in tor and publisher, at Visita- through this wonderful cul-
dynamic tourist industry to bird species that can be 1992 in The News, a local ruba.com. tural heritage along three
discover its wild and unde- found in Aruba. Where pos- English-language newspa- routes: one driving route
veloped beauty. Starting sible, the status (resident, per. The Island Life columns ‘We Are Aruba’ by Linda around the entire island,
at the extreme north of the migrant, vagrant, intro- were very factual and had Reijnders and two walking routes
island, at California Light- duced) and abundance a very strong educational Worldly life tales of islanders in the cities of Oranjestad
house, I travel south along and San Nicolas. You will
pristine beaches of white discover places known only
sand and calm, translucent to insiders. And of course
seas, passing hotels, sail- this guide also provides his-
boats and shipwrecks as torical backgrounds and
I go. At the southern tip, it practical information.
is hard not to wish that the
island would never end. ‘Modern Caribbean Fla-
Then back up the rocky vors’ by Helmi Smeulders
East coast, where time and This is “the” book about
the eternal embrace of the the contemporary Carib-
waves have opened secret bean kitchen with healthy
bays and stunning beaches recipes made with fresh
in the shelter of rock walls. and local ingredients. With
From beach to beach, recipes for Tropical Qui-
point to point, cave to cliff noa Salad with Mango
to boat to bird, Aruba truly & Pomegranate Seeds,
is... One Happy Island.” Sweet Potato Salad, Goat
(common, fairly common, undertone. Marking its 25th that come from 76 differ- Merguez, Watermelon San-
‘Bird Wildlife of Aruba’ Hard- uncommon, scarce, and anniversary the column ent countries. This is a book gria or Plantain Soup, the
cover by Greg Peterson rare) of the particular bird has become part of Aru- that tells the stories of immi- Caribbean vibe enters your
Popular book that gives an species will be added to ba’s history and collective grants who make up for the kitchen, and you feel for
overview of Aruba’s birds the checklist. memory. “For those who multicultural society that a bit you are back in the
together with descriptions. were part of history to re- Aruba is. A world within an tropics again….q