Page 11 - AHATA

Saturday 21 June 2025 locAl
A10

Feeling parched? Grab a refreshing coconut by the side of the road!

(Oranjestad)—Touring the island in the blistering heat can leave one feeling rather thirsty
and looking to cool off. Luckily there are a few stands along the roads of Aruba that can
offer you just what you need: a nice, refreshing beverage!

These “coconut stands” can be found at several locations on the island, where you can
cool off with delicious smoothies, drinks, snacks, and of course, fresh coconuts! Perfect
during family outings around the island, these stands can be found in the following loca-
tions:
- Near the red Anchor in San Nicolas
- On the Linear Park in Oranjestad (in front of airport runway)
- At the California Light House hill
- Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruin
- Bushiribana Beach (Near the Ling & Song Supermarket)

Monuments in Oranjestad: Town House and Cas Veneranda

(Oranjestad)—If you’ve
ever taken a stroll through
main street Oranjestad,
you may have stumbled
upon a big green house
with beautiful colonial de-
sign. This legendary house,
now used as a town hall for
civil marriages, was once
owned by a wealthy doctor
and formed part of the elite
neighborhood in Oranjes-
tad. ter carpenter, Dada Picus,
who was famous at the
Jacobo Eloy Arends was time for his construction of
an Aruban physician, and beautiful buildings.
in lived in Oranjestad dur-
ing the 1920s. In 1922, he The construction of the
married Maria Monica house started once Jacobo
Lacle, the daughter of well- and Maria got engaged. It
known business man at the is said that during the time
time, Adriaan Lacle. The of construction, Maria was
two lived a posh life in the not allowed to see the
city center, and their man- building nor be anywhere
sion—once the center for near the construction site.
neighborhood parties— It wasn’t until after her hon-
now serves as a public eymoon that she saw the
town hall for civil marriages completed mansion for the
and is a cultural monument first time, furnished entirely
on the island. by her sisters-in-law.

The house was designed The mansion also con-
by architect Chibi Wever, tained the doctor’s office, the house was inherited by office into his own dental Frederico was married to
and constructed under the as well as a pharmacy. Af- his son, an Aruban dentist, practice. Over the years, Veneranda (whom the
leadership of famous mas- ter the death of Jacobo, who converted Jacobo’s the house was rented and mansion was named after).
used by third parties, but Their house was also con-
eventually fell into disre- structed by Dada Picus, uti-
pair, as the maintenance lizing Veneranda’s design
cost became too high to vision that was inspired by
cover. a house she saw in Carta-
gena, Colombia.
The land was sold to Land
Aruba in 1986, but it did not Nowadays, this mansion
see a renovation until 1997. lies in ruins. However, the
Nowadays, it serves to host Aruban government an-
weddings, and is attached nounced its official restora-
to a modern building situ- tion last year, with ongoing
ated behind—the Aruban steps to convert this monu-
census office. ment into a governmental
office and public space for
Jacobo and Maria’s man- visitors of Oranjestad.q
sion was situated in front
of another famous man- Source and pictures credited
sion, owned by Jacobo’s to: “De Kolibrie op de Rots (en
meer over the geschiedenis
brother Frederico Maxi- van Aruba)” by Evert Bongers.
miliaan (Machi) Arends.