Page 11 - AHATA

Friday 10 November 2023 locAl
A10

Visit the island’s popular cave sites!

(Oranjestad)—Among the the undying love between sible of all three caves. This
endless sea of dark brown the chief’s daughter and cave had five chambers,
sand and cacti, there are her beloved. As legend including one that is heart-
two caves hidden in the would have it, the chief shaped. This cave had nar-
outskirts of San Nicolas, in disapproved of his daugh- row stairs that led to long
the north-eastern area of ter’s choice of lover, as pathways deep into the
the island. These caves, he thought him unworthy. cave, with a staircase lead-
The Quadiriki cave and The Stubborn and filled with an- ing to the exit on the other
Fontein Cave are open to ger, the daughter refused side. In one of the cham-
visitors of the Arikok Na- to turn away her beloved. bers, there used to be the
tional Park, so if you ever carving of the Virgin Mary,
decide to take an “off- So, the chief decided to put there for the protection
road” tour in the park, be lock her up in the Quadirikiri of the cave.
sure to visit these prehis- Cave, in hopes that she
toric caves…and be sure to would soon calm down However, the Huliba Cave
bring a flashlight! and turn away her lover. has been permanently
Her beloved, in turn, was closed for a few years now,
locked away in the Tunnel as a way to preserve the
Quadirikiri Cave of Love (Now known as the bat population that lives
Known for its two cham- Huliba Cave). in the cave. These Long
bers accompanied by a Tongue Fruit Bats and In-
skylight, the Quadikiri Cave Through the pathways un- sect Eater Bats are very im-
is the most popular cave derneath the Tunnel of portant to the ecosystem of
among locals and tourists, Love running up to the the island. Though this cave
as it is easy to walk through Quadiriki cave, the two is no longer accessible to
and provides great lighting love bird found each other, the public, it surely is inter-
for pictures. and refused to let each esting to learn more about
other go. Because of their the history of these caves
As with all prehistoric or an- stubbornness, they both and the Awarak tribes that
cient sites, there is always died in the Quadiriki Cave, resided or utilized them.
a folk legend that adds to their ascending spirits burn-
the lore and mystery of the ing two holes in the ceiling Do note that these caves
site. The Quadirikiri cave of the cave. This is why the are very dark, humid, hot,
is no different. The most cave has two holes through and are inhabited by bats.
well-known legend behind which sunlight passes Do wear comfortable
the cave could be consid- through to illuminate the clothing and shoes, as the
ered as Aruba’s first love chamber. pathways in these caves
story, as it tells the tale of may be rough and bumpy,
the public, and was the and don’t forget to bring a
Though there have been biggest and most acces- flashlight!q
discoveries of Amerindian
drawing on the wall, these
have mostly been ruined
by vandalism. However,
the Fontein Cave further
up north, provides a better
glimpse in prehistoric Amer-
indian paintings.

Fontein Cave
Longer than the Quadirikiri
Cave, the Fontein Cave
contains pathways that
stretch to the limestone
walls further down. Here
is also where prehistoric
drawings can be seen.
Though this cave does not
have its own legend, this
was speculated to have
been occupied—or at
least used by prehistoric Ar-
awak settlers on the island
for rituals and other spiritual
ceremonies.

The Huliba Cave/
Tunnel of Love
The Huliba Cave, formerly
known as the Tunnel of
Love, was once open to