Aruba’s First Inhabitants

Aruba’s first  known inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians from the Arawak tribe.

The earliest known settlements date back to about 1000 A. D. , the painted symbols they left behind are still visible on limestone caves found at Fontein, Ayo, and elsewhere on the island.

Some centuries later, the first Europeans landed on Aruban shores. Spanish explorer Alonso De  Ojeda  is thought to have been the first and arrived about 1499. The Spanish explorer promptly captured and exported the  Indians  to Santo Domingo were they were put to work in the copper mines.

In 1636, near the culmination of the eighty years’ war between Spain and Holland, the Dutch took possession of Aruba and remained in control until the Napoleonic wars when the British took control.

However in 1816, the island was returned to the Dutch .

Although Aruba continues to exist within the kingdom of the Netherlands, today it functions independently.

As with most islands in the Caribbean,Aruba has a melange of people from all over the world, South America, Europe, the far East, and other islands in the Caribbean.

Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

 

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Oranjestad Aruba Gallery Wrap Canvas by lifejourneysimages
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Oranjestad, Aruba Day 4

 Oranjestad, Aruba
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Approaching Aruba we sailed along the coastline, until we arrived at the pilot station. The local pilot expertly guided our big vessel into the dock at 11:00 AM, right on time.

According to records , human beings first reached Aruba some 4,500 years ago. Little remains of that era, although from fossilized stone implements found we know their roots are traced back to Dabajuro, Venezuela, long before Hugo Chavez.

Obviously the early communities were small, can’t get many people in a canoe! The people survived on collective hunting and fishing as well as fresh fruit that was abundant on the island.

From those humble beginnings Aruba has blossomed to the thriving resort area it has become today. Besides all of the shopping and dining available within walking distance of the pier, ( a large mall is located across the street), A large variety of attractions are available just a short drive away.

Casa Bari, a large climbable rock formation is a must see, The California Lighthouse, Aruba’s oude molen (“old windmill”), a gold smelter, and The Numismatic Museum which features coins that were cut with a guillotine!

A hard day of sightseeing, shopping and dining awaited us! Not wanting to leave a stone unturned a group of us rented a private bus and ascended upon the island, with all the veracity of Blackbeard.

After rumbling about the desert countryside and shopping til our credit cards exploded, we humbly crawled back to the our humble abode, dressed for dinner and settled in for the evening.

Our 11:00 PM departure time quickly arrived and we set an Easterly course for our next port of call Willemstad,  Curacao.

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

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