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                                                                                                           LOCAL Wednesday 10 January 2024






























            Another Treasure of Aruba’s Beaches: Sea Glass!


            NOORD - It is hard to imag-                                                            beer),  green  (Heineken
            ine  this  happening  today,                                                           &  Balashi  beer)  and  clear  Funny,  how  trash  can
            but  years  ago  people                                                                glass  which  are  the  soft  change into treasures!
            dumped all kinds of refuse                                                             much  loved  “soft  drink”
            straight  into  the  ocean,                                                            bottles.                     Everybody knows that you
            including  old  cars,  and                                                                                          are  not  allowed  to  take
            their  household  garbage,                                                             If  you  like  to  see  the  sea  local  shells  home,  but  the
            which  of  course  included                                                            glass  for  yourself,  and  be  people  working  at  the  air-
            lots of glass. Over the next                                                           in awe of the power of na-   port have no problem you
            30  years  the  pounding                                                               ture,  rent a car or jeep and  taking  sea  glass  home.  A
            waves cleaned the beach,                                                               go  explore  our  deserted  few  of  those  pieces  make
            by  breaking  down  every-                                                             beaches on the north  side  great  souvenirs.    You  can
            thing  but  glass  and  pot-                                                           of the island. Make it a fun  place them in a wine glass
            tery.  The  pounding  waves                                                            family day!                  or large bottle for decora-
            washed  the  trash  up  and                                                            Even if we didn’t mean to  tion  and  every  time  you
            down, back and forth. Tons                                                             pollute  the  Beaches  how  look at it a smile will light up
            of  polished,  broken  glass                                                           we did, it is inspiring to see  your face thinking back of
            pieces  were  created  by                                                              just how the earth can cor-  your  unforgettable  Aruba
            the  pounding  surf.  These                                                            rect our mistakes.           vacation! q
            smoothened, colored glass  way to the ocean and tum-      For  years,  the  water  beat
            particles then settled along  bles  around  in  the  water  against  the  different  kinds
            the  sea  shore  in  millions,  long enough is “Sea glass.  of  trash  being  dumped.
            and  that  is  why  you  can                              Glass,   household  appli-
            find  these  beautiful  and  The colorful pieces of glass  ances  and  even  motor
            colorful pieces on the north  are being used for decora-  parts  were  discarded  on
            shore beaches of Aruba.      tion,  handcrafts  and  jew-  the beach. The waves and
                                         elry!                        weather  conditions  wore
            Especially  on  the  strip  on  Once  glass  makes  its  way  down      the  overwhelming
            white sand between the fa-   into the ocean, the glass is  amount of garbage in the
            mous  Natural  Bridge”  and  broken up into shards and is  water,  creating  millions  of
            the huge red anchor close  tumbled around in the wa-      beautiful smooth rocks.
            to “Grapefield” beach you  ter, where sand and other
            will be able to find your own  rocks act like sandpaper to    It’s  hard  to  believe  the
            pieces of sea glass. The sea  smooth out its rough edges.  short-sighted  mistakes  we
            glass  that  was  created  is  Sometimes as the sea glass  were  making  that  could
            the product of a very long  is passed through fire, it be-  have   potentially   ruined
            and  interesting  process.  It  comes fire glass, the rarest  these  beautiful  beaches.
            can  take  anywhere  from  of  sea  glass  with  certain  But  thanks  to  natural  pro-
            10 to 30 years to make sea  inclusions, just like precious  cesses,  the  ocean  trans-
            glass.  The  name  for  any  gems.                        formed  the  trash  into  the
            piece of glass that finds its                             sea glass.
                                                                      Each  colored  gem  on  the
                                                                      beach has its own story.

                                                                      The  ruby  red  glass  stones
                                                                      are  typically  from  old  car
                                                                      tail-lights.

                                                                      Then,  the  sapphire  rocks
                                                                      are  the  remnants  of  bro-
                                                                      ken  apothecary  bottles.
                                                                      The  most  common  and
                                                                      the  easiest  to  find  are  the
                                                                      brown  (Amstel  &  Polar
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