Friday, January 13, 2017
Today we got the bus to Oranjestad again. We took pictures of Royal Plaza Mall, a very ornate pink, blue and white building.

We walked to Queen Wilhelmina Park. Queen Wilhelmina was the longest-reigning Dutch monarch ruling the Netherlands from 1898 to 1948. There is a marble statue of the queen that was erected in 1955. There were several iguanas in the park as well.

There is also a statue of Anne Frank. At the base are the words: How wonderful it is that nobody needs a single moment to improve the world!

We walked to nearby Fort Zoutman. It was built in 1798 by the Dutch and is the oldest structure on the island. The William III Tower was added to the west side of the fort in 1868. It was used as a lighthouse which also housed the town bell. The fort was armed with 4 cannons.

We walked through the Renaissance Marketplace where there were shops and restaurants near the water's edge. Nothing was worth seeing. Many of the shops were vacant. There was a special spot to stop for a rest, however.

We went to the Pastechi House for lunch.

Pastechis are half circle shaped fried dough pockets, stuffed with your choice of seasoned meat, chicken, ham, seafood, or cheese. They are eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Most cost $1.50. Stan had three pastechis: ham and cheese, chicken, and lobster. I had two: ham and cheese and chicken.

From there we went to Gelatissimo for dessert! We both had two scoops: caramel and milk chocolate. 2 scoops cost $5.50.

We took the trolley ride again, got off and walked to the local flea market. Same old things: dresses, hats, caps, purses, bags, and souvenirs.

Eight blue horse statues are around the city. They each have a story to tell of Aruba history. The natural harbor of Aruba made it easy for horse trade that dates back to the early Spanish colonization of Aruba. That's why they use horses as the statue.