Page 10 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Friday 22 November 2024

Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas

SAN NICOLAS— At Just 11 miles the purpose of education or enjoy-
southeast from Oranjestad you ment.
will enter the city San Nicolas, also Carnival Euphoria is showcasing
known as Sunrise City or Chocolate Aruba’s Carnival. See how are
City. A city that is rich in authen- Carnival has developed over the
tic culture and island charm. San past 65 years.
Nicolas is Aruba’s second largest
city and was once a bustling com- The new San Nicolas
pany town dominated by the oil in- In the shadow of the refinery, an
dustry since the early 1930’s. in the Water Tower in San Nico- art capital is quietly beginning to
las and narrates Aruba's industrial grow. This is the new San Nicolas,
Over the course of four decades, history which began in the 19th a place that is starting to become
its demographics had changed century. Here you will learn about a magnet for all that is young,
immensely due to a stream of Afro- gold, aloe, phosphate, oil and the cool and hip in Aruba. Indeed, brightening up SunriseCity.
Caribbean and South American tourism industries which made San San Nicolas has all of the ingredi-
workers who came to fill the jobs in Nicolas once a bustling business ents of an emerging cultural hub Must See, Do, Buy & Eat
the oil refinery between the 1920’s center. Experience the touching — varied history, interesting archi- A little bit of everything can be
until the 1960’s. To this day traces stories of those who were part of tecture, and, perhaps most impor- found in the main street. Stores
of the multicultural influences in this history. tantly, an urban layout that makes selling shoes, clothing, jewelry you
culinary offerings and customs, Nicolaas Store built in 1940 and it walkable. As you walk around, name it. Arts & crafts by Cosecha
housing and population are clearly renovated in 2014 is the home of the streets are silent but the walls store & Creative Center, a design
visible in San Nicolas - more than the Community Museum. The col- are loud, filled with bright, color- store in which you can immerse
anywhere else on the island. lection is remarkable and spans ful murals painted by a collection yourself in discovering genuine
millennia. Ancient fossils stand next of artists from around the world. and locally made arts and crafts
Flow of history to tableaus of an authentically Thanks to the efforts of various art which reflect the diversification of
if you are looking for history San recreated colonial kitchen and organizations in Aruba, such as Art the Aruban craft heritage and the
Nicolas has it. Here you will find bedroom and 19th-century bar- Rules Aruba and Aruba Art Fair, artistic supply of artisans. Don’t miss
three amazing museums, The Mu- bershop, just to name a few of the San Nicolas has had quite the aes- out on trying the exquisite food of-
seum of Industry, the Community items of old-time Aruba that has thetic makeover with regards to fered by the cafes and restaurants
Museum and the Carnival Eupho- been preserved. A collection of vibrant street art. Each year more or just enjoy a peaceful walk ad-
ria, all within walking distance from artifacts and other objects of artis- and more stunning murals are re- miring the murals, mosaic benches
one another. tic, cultural, historical, or scientific placing broken down buildings and all the history San Nicolas has
The Museum of Industry is situated importance can be found here for with colorful art pieces that keep to offer.q

How Aruban beaches came to be

(Oranjestad)—We’ve talked about the best as waves continue to crash and fish continue the ocean floor is much deeper, there is no
beaches to visit on the island before, but have to eat off the corals, sand starts to accumulate sand present—they were swept away with the
you ever wondered how Aruba got its white, around the area. However, whether the sand current!
sandy beaches, and why there’s a clear dif- stays there is another question to be answered,
ference between the northern and southern and this is where we highlight the biggest differ- Why north deep, but south shallow?
shores? Here are some fun facts about the de- ence between the northern and southern coast Ah! Good question…and interesting phrasing.
velopment of Aruban beaches. of the island.
Aruba is a continental island. The island actu-
How did Aruba get its white, sandy beaches? The sand that accumulates around a torn cor- ally forms part of South America, and the space
Aruba’s beaches have developed over the al reef is swept away along with the debris by between Aruba and the South American conti-
span of thousands of years. Waves crashing the ocean stream. However, in areas where nent is simply referred to as land that runs under
on the rocky formations along our coast line it’s shallow and the stream is weaker, the sand the ocean. This is why it gets gradually deeper
(which consists mainly of coral reefs) have start- tends to sick to the bottom faster. This is why the in the south, whereas the ocean floor in the
ed to wear and tear the reefs over time, result- beaches in the south—the areas with weaker north runs steeply to the bottom.q
ing in its gradual breakdown. Fish that feed off stream and shallower ocean floors—has sand
corals also contribute to this, one small bite at that stretches for miles. In contrast, the northern Source: archival document provided by the Nation-
a time. Over the course of thousands of years, area, where the stream is much stronger and al Archive of Aruba (ANA).