Page 16 - AT

A16 LOCAL
Thursday 16 January 2020

“Take your car off the beaten track to meet our monuments and their stories”

ORANJESTAD - The mix of cultures
in Aruba is very visible in its ar-
chitecture as -like in all cultures-,
monuments reflect your history
and your people. If you take the
chance to leave the beach for a
little while and take your car off the
beaten track you will be surprised
what you see. Anne Witsenburg
is director of the Monument Fund
Aruba and points out precisely why
a monumental trip should not lack
in your vacation’s itinerary.

The fund owns 12 monuments, out
of the 36 protected monuments
in the island. “But there are over las. “We are wealthy in different
300 more monuments on the list styled monuments and my sugges-
to be protected and of course we tion is to discover this world outside
dream to see that become real- of the tourist zone. The book Monu-
ity as soon as possible.” The inter- mental Guide comes in handy as
national guidelines that apply for there are three maps inside that Sustainable driven
monuments decide whether it will guide you to the monuments and Sustainability is a big thing to the
be a protected monument or not. tell you about them. But there are Monument Fund Aruba. Witsen-
“The building or object needs to also possibilities to have your per- burg: “Obviously to restore old
be at least 50 years old, a special sonal people guide. And the best buildings and not destroy them to
value in architecture or to history or is that I can almost guarantee you build new ones is already sustain-
to the people of Aruba is required the magic of the local touch when able in itself. Than we have the
and there has to be a certain “That goes back to their histo- you bump into an authentic cu- technical sustainability as in using
uniqueness. If it was changed too ry. Curacao used to be a very nucu house (country house) and the right materials and techniques
much throughout time or there are wealthy island where many -mainly talk to the owners. They will proudly but also the social sustainability.
already any of the same kind it is a Dutch- merchants lived close to- share their family history with you.” That includes looking at the non-
no go.” gether and that is the reason you tangible part of heritage: the stories
find this typical colonial Dutch style Outside inspiration to be told, the music to be played,
Useless islands buildings packed in certain areas The Monument Fund acquires or the dinners that were cooked in
There is a difference between the nowadays. They are celebrating buys monuments and restores the places we try to restore. That
islands when it comes to monu- more than 20 years of Unesco heri- them back into their former glory. keeps it alive. Most of our monu-
ments, as Witsenburg explains. tage. Than scattered around the Than they rent it out. “That sounds ments are meant to be lived in so
rest of the island you will see the easy, but it is incredibly complex we would like to reintroduce the
smaller country houses.” Aruba as most monuments have multiple joy of living in a monument. We
and Bonaire were called the use- owners due to the fact that inheri- work together with private compa-
less islands in the colonial time, so tances are split and all need to de- nies to look into that.” In their office
any Indian willing to live here was cide upon the selling.” They coop- they installed solar panels, use LED
given a small piece of land to build erate with the government office lightning and recently implement-
his home. “That is the reason you of monuments because they set ed an electrical charging point for
find all these typical small houses the rules of what you can and can- electric vehicles.
scattered around the island. We not do to a protected monument.
actually have the same amount “We also have the task to maintain The Monument Fund Aruba is open
of monuments as Curacao though the buildings which is an ongoing every day from Monday to Friday
way smaller.” process. The wind, the salt in the from 8 to 5. You are more than wel-
air and the sun that not only burns come to ask for information, guid-
Magic local touch human bodies but also buildings ing and help. For more information
Some of the monuments owned by are huge challenges. Next to that check out their Facebook page
the Monument Fund Aruba are the we do education, create aware- stichting monumenten fonds aru-
light house, town hall, water tanks ness and maintain public relations ba and the website http://www.
in both Oranjestad and San Nico- about our monuments.” monumentenfondsaruba.com.q

Can I have a …, please?

ORANJESTAD — Want to taste of cheese or hotdog. If you want
something different for a to try something more familiar go
change?? How about a differ- for a homemade hamburger or a
ent breakfast from what you are ham and cheese toast, but with a
used to at your hotel. Hop in your local touch. All these snacks are
car, drive around and anywhere ridiculously addictive. Freshen up
around the island you will come with a delicious fruit shake (ba-
across a local snack shop. cheese or meat and fried up de- tido) made out of watermelon,
liciously. Or perhaps you might strawberry, banana, papaya or
Here you will find all types of snacks want to try a croquette, a crusty just mix any fruit together. What
loved by the locals. Try a paste- little meat ball. A dedito is also a makes these little snack shops its people and the smile you get
chi, a Caribbean pastry filled with good option, it’s a stick made out more attractive is the warmth of for free.q