Page 12 - HOH

Saturday 8 June 2024 locAl
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Why You Should Not Miss Aruba’s Free City Center Street Car Tour

ORANJESTAD - Aruba’s City seats. The line was inspired trian mall. The double-decker
Center Street Car - or as we by the popular battery-pow- offers you a 360 degree view
call it in Dutch; “Tram van ered streetcar operation at of the down town area with
Oranjestad’ - is a single track the Grove in Los Angeles, a picture perfect scenery of
tram line in Oranjestad, the USA. Aruba’s streetcars are the island’s clear blue skies.
capital city of Aruba. It was powered by hydrogen fuel Who would not enjoy a ride
inaugurated on 22 Decem- cells, which are charged by on this beautiful and naturally
ber 2012, being the first and the island’s year-round trade air-conditioned vehicle? The
so far the only passenger rail winds. tour consists of a total of 9
service on Aruba and the stops approximately 200 me-
rest of the Dutch Caribbe- Caya Betico Croes, mostly ters apart from each other;
an. There are two trolleys, a referred to as our “main all stops are clearly marked.
single-deck one with 42 seats street” has been developed The tram will bring you close
and a double-decker with 64 into a pollution-free pedes- to different museums, histori-

cal plazas, monuments, the am sharp with intervals of
Protestant church, Aruba’s 25minutes. The last trolley de-
high- end mall, retail shops, parts from the cruise port at
and a variety of local and 5:00pm. Don’t miss this tour
international cuisine restau- of the beautiful Aruba’s City
rants. The “I love Aruba” Center– it is free for all!q
trademark also belongs to
that list. The third stop on the
route is close to a 5-minute
walk to the famous Renais-
sance Marina showcasing
luxurious yachts and Aruba’s
blue waters.

The “Tram van Oranjestad”
starts from a balloon loop
near the Port of Call and
serves the downtown area
and ends at Plaza Nicky.
The first ride starts at 10:00

How Aruban beaches came to be!

(Oranjestad)—We’ve talk- veloped over the span of sand starts to accumulate
ed about the best beaches thousands of years. Waves around the area. Howev-
to visit on the island before, crashing on the rocky for- er, whether the sand stays
but have you ever won- mations along our coast there is another question
dered how Aruba got its line (which consists mainly to be answered, and this is
white, sandy beaches, and of coral reefs) have start- where we highlight the big-
why there’s a clear differ- ed to wear and tear the gest difference between
ence between the northern reefs over time, resulting the northern and southern
and southern shores? Here in its gradual breakdown. coast of the island.
are some fun facts about Fish that feed off corals
the development of Aru- also contribute to this, one The sand that accumulates
ban beaches. small bite at a time. Over around a torn coral reef
the course of thousands is swept away along with stream is weaker, the sand interesting phrasing.
How did Aruba get its of years, as waves contin- the debris by the ocean tends to sick to the bot-
white, sandy beaches? ue to crash and fish con- stream. However, in areas tom faster. This is why the Aruba is a continental
Aruba’s beaches have de- tinue to eat off the corals, where it’s shallow and the beaches in the south—the island. The island actu-
areas with weaker stream ally forms part of South
and shallower ocean America, and the space
floors—has sand that between Aruba and the
stretches for miles. In con- South American continent
trast, the northern area, is simply referred to as land
where the stream is much that runs under the ocean.
stronger and the ocean This is why it gets gradu-
floor is much deeper, there ally deeper in the south,
is no sand present—they whereas the ocean floor in
were swept away with the the north runs steeply to the
current! bottom.

Why north deep, but south Source: archival document
shallow? provided by the National
Ah! Good question…and Archive of Aruba (ANA).q