#2 Aruba

9 March 2016

If you go from the sheltered south coast with the beautiful beaches to the north coast you don’t see much tourisme anymore. The inland of Aruba is desert like with a barren rocky landscape. Yellow dust in your eyes, nose and hair and thorny bush and the cactuses. Without proper protection from the sun it is far too hot to be here during the day. The coast is rough. The waves bash against the rocks day after day. Nothing grows here, too much stone, too salty and too hot. 
Every now and then a buggy with tourists pass by who are racing through the landscape. Another type of transport is impossible. One of the spots they visit are the ruins of a gold mill. The Dutch built this mill many years ago to grind the ore from the auriferous stone they found here. But due to the climate the mill was out of order quickly and the only thing that’s left is the remains of the stone substructure. 
A bit further in the National Park Arikok you find the ‘Conchi’. A big bowl of rocks that fills up with new seawater that you can swim in. In the early days local fishermen kept the turtles they caught to keep them fresh. In the park you can also find the oldest rock drawings made by the Indian population.