Page 8 - AB

A9
LOCAL Friday 2 February 2024

Aruban legends:

Frenchman’s Pass

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

Prohibited by law: leaving the island with seashells, white sand or corals

(Oranjestad)—Often times, the confiscated is very strange and it is respect it deserves by protecting
customs department at the air- suspected that our own locals are our environment. Stop collecting
port intercepts many tourists leav- the ones selling these to the tour- seashells, white sand and corals
ing the island with seashells, white ists, which is unacceptable. from our shores and stop buying or
sand and/or corals as souvenirs. accepting these from local sellers
Upon confiscation at the airport, or companies.
Conforming to the international you can also face a fine that they
treaty of CITES and our local law have to pay before leaving. This is We want our future generations
which protects our Flora & Fauna, it surely not a pleasant experience and visitors to enjoy the beauty
is absolutely prohibited to take any for the tourist. This also leads to a of our beaches, shells and corals
seashell, sand and coral outside of negative reaction which can put in a sustainable way, without de-
Aruba. This is to protect our envi- our tourism in a negative light. stroying or disrupting the Aruban
ronment. The high number of sea- Though we love to accommodate ecosystem. Help us protect what is
shells, coral and amount of sand our visitors, let’s all give nature the ours!q