Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
That familiarity with many languages translates into a wel-
coming atmosphere for visitors of any nationality. There is no
hostility to tourists on this island; no language barrier to over-
come. There is just a spirit of
bon bini
, or “welcome” which
greets visitors from the moment they arrive in the airport and
continues throughout their visit.
Papiamento is the language of the streets and it sounds a little
like Spanish. Below are some common Papiamento phrases.
How Do You Say...
good morning ..................bondia
good afternoon ...............bontardi
goodnight ..................bonnochi
welcome .....................bonbini:
thank you ......................danki
how are you? ...............contabai?
sweetheart, wonderful............dushi
kiss ...........................sunchi
I love you .................mystim abo
with all my love .........kuturmiamor
Located just 12½ degrees from the equator, Aruba's climate is
drier than that found on most Caribbean islands. Normal rain-
fall is less than 24 inches annually, resulting in a desert land-
scape of tall cacti, aloe, and windblown divi-divi or watapana
trees, bent permanently at a 45
angle by the ever-present
°
trade winds.
The rugged countryside is known as the cunucu, and it spans
the length of the 20x6-mile island. The island is dotted by small
communities, including
San Nicholas
, and the capital,
Oranjestad
(literally “Orange City”). Here, Dutch-style build-
ings punctuate the landscape with cool pastel hues and red
roofs baked a pumpkin color by the sun. Streets are bathed in
restful tones of ochre, pink, baby blue, and sea green - every-
thing but white. Supposedly, an earlier leader of Aruba,
plagued by migraine headaches, ordered that all buildings be
painted a soothing shade to stop the glare.
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