Page 8 - aruba-today-20240712

a8 local
Friday 12 July 2024

Aruba to me

ORANJESTAD — You are back and we would 6th, surrounded by stunning beaches,
like to portrait you! By inviting you to send us crystal-clear waters, and amazing friends
your favorite vacation picture while enjoying and family from across the East Coast -
our Happy Island. Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and
Maryland.
Complete the sentence: Aruba to me is …….
Send your picture with that text (including your I want to extend a huge thank you to
name and where you are from) to: news@ the entire Eagle Aruba team for making
arubatoday.com and we will publish your our celebration so special. Jerry Lascase,
vacation memory. Isn’t that a special way to our event coordinator, was a dream
keep your best moments alive? Please do to work with - was creative, easy to
note: By submitting photos, text or any other work with and expertly coordinated all Thank you for sending us this wonderful message
materials, you give permission to The Aruba vendors and Eagle Aruba departments.. sharing what Aruba means to you with us and
Today Newspaper, Caribbean Speed Printers Nelida Rodriguez was always helpful our readers!
and any of its affiliated companies to use said and gracious with owner services. Rafael
materials, as well as names, likeness, etc. for Wever and Maria made reservations a
promotional purposes without compensation. breeze. The front desk team - Louisanne,
Last but not least: check out our website, Christian, Ryan, Marvick, and others -
Instagram and Facebook page! Thank you for treated our guests with kindness and
supporting our free newspaper, we strive to respect.
make you a happy reader every day again.
I also want to thank Richard Roy for
For today we received a lovely message from his hard work in upgrading the resort.
Donna Ross. And Kimberly Geerman, our fabulous
mixologist, wowed us with her Mona Lisa
She wrote to us saying: “Aruba to me smile and creative cocktails! Her spirit of
is my little slice of heaven on earth! As Aruban hospitality was contagious. Thank
a Philadelphian at heart, I'm thrilled to you all for making my birthday party an
have celebrated my 60th birthday with unforgettable experience - I feel like I'm
my loved ones at Eagle Aruba Resort. coming home every time I step foot on
We had an unforgettable party on July this beautiful island!”

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

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