Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Monday 21 august 2017
Happy Island Miracles in Pictures and Words

ORANJESTAD - Books, they “Beautiful pictures of Aru- bays and stunning beaches
can shake your world up- ba, this is a perfect cof- in the shelter of rock walls.
side down. A good book fee table book to dream From beach to beach,
can change your mood away with”, explains Sylvia. point to point, cave to cliff
like that perfect vacation The book has 192 full color to boat to bird, Aruba truly
spot that energizes your pages and more than 400 is... One Happy Island.”
spirit. photos in a landscape for-
mat of 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inch- ‘Bird Wildlife of Aruba’
Take these two together es. In the words of the au- Hardcover by Greg
and what you get is a va- thor: “Slipping beyond a Peterson
cation book, a memory of dynamic tourist industry to Popular book that gives
that wonderful, heavenly discover its wild and unde- an overview of Aruba’s
place where you spent veloped beauty. Starting birds together with descrip-
your valuable leisure time. at the extreme north of the tions. The book contains full
Aruba Today dived into a island, at California Light- page photographs of over
local book store and won- house, I travel south along two hundred species of
dered which Aruba books pristine beaches of white birds taken in Aruba’s wild-
thrill the visitor’s mind. Sylvia sand and calm, translucent life. A checklist, for scientific
Wouters, store manager at seas, passing hotels, sail- and educational purposes, uncommon, scarce, and ‘Aruba Monuments Guide’
Bruna Book Store, gladly boats and shipwrecks as is at the end of the book rare) of the particular bird by Michel Bakker and Olga
helped us out and informed I go. At the southern tip, it containing the names of species will be added to van der Klooster
us about a small selection is hard not to wish that the all bird species that can be the checklist. Aruba! Everyone knows this
of Happy Island miracles in island would never end. found in Aruba. Where pos- tropical island in the sun
pictures and words. Then back up the rocky sible, the status (resident, ‘Island Life, Aruba’s Best- with pearly white beaches
East coast, where time and migrant, vagrant, intro- Kept Diary’ by Rona Coster and palm trees swaying in
‘Aruba Point to Point’ by the eternal embrace of the duced) and abundance The book is a selection of the trade winds. But there’s
Federico Cabello waves have opened secret (common, fairly common, columns written by Rona more to Aruba than this. It
Coster between 1992 and has a fascinating history,
2004. The column ap- a diverse culture and a
peared for the first time rich architecture. Traces
under the title Island Life in can still be found of the
1992 in The News, a local original indigenous inhabit-
English-language newspa- ants, and of the gold indus-
per. The Island Life columns try and aloe plantations.
were very factual and had The islands architectural
a very strong educational heritage includes historic
undertone. Marking its 25th churches, a fort and a light-
anniversary the column house. And you will come
has become part of Aru- across the islands char-
ba’s history and collective acteristic cunucu houses
memory. “For those who wherever you go. This
were part of history to re- guide will lead you through
member those days and this wonderful cultural heri-
for the next generations tage along three routes:
and Aruba’s visitors to learn one driving route around
about our islands valuable the entire island, and two
traditions, movements and walking routes in the cit-
contributors”, quoted by ies of Oranjestad and San
Karin Swiers, the book’s edi- Nicolas. You will discover
tor and publisher, at Visita- places known only to in-
ruba.com. siders. And of course this
guide also provides his-
‘We Are Aruba’ by Linda torical backgrounds and
Reijnders practical information.
Worldly life tales of island-
ers that come from 76 dif- ‘Modern Caribbean
ferent countries. This is a Flavors’ by HelmiSmeulders
book that tells the stories This is “the” book about
of immigrants who make the contemporary Carib-
up for the multicultural so- bean kitchen with healthy
ciety that Aruba is. A world recipes made with fresh
within an island, a cocktail and local ingredients. With
of people. The book is vis- recipes for Tropical Qui-
ibly enriched with a picture noa Salad with Mango
of each interviewed im- & Pomegranate Seeds,
migrant and an image of Sweet Potato Salad, Goat
her/his country as well as a Merguez, Watermelon San-
map with the country’s lo- gria or Plantain Soup, the
cation. In the back you will Caribbean vibe enters your
find a list with all nationali- kitchen, and you feel for
ties living in the island and a bit you are back in the
their numbers. tropics again….q