A NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION IN ARUBA?
SEE SAFETY WARNING AT
BOTTOM OF PAGE |
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When I got the news that Natural
Bridge in Aruba had fallen down I was surprised, hurt and felt that not
only had a natural wonder changed, as all natural wonders do, but Aruba
had lost a great tourist attraction. |
Tourist attractions are funny
things. They really do not have to be that impressive, however I
must say Natural Bridge was impressive, they just need to be unique.
Natural Bridge was unique. It really is just someplace for persons
on vacation to go and see something they will not find at home, kill a
little time and spend a little money. |
Being the tourist attraction that
Natural Bridge was I got to thinking, what could replace it, and the
answer is really, nothing. There are I believe four other natural
bridges on the island, one is at Colorado Point, on the North side of
the red hill, but is not as impressive or large as the Natural Bridge
that fell and it is hard to get to. There is one next to the one
that fell but it to is not as impressive. The other I can not tell
you where it is but I am sure it to is hard to get to and not that
pretty, not like the one that is no longer. |
Then I got to thinking about what
could be the next tourist attraction on Aruba. By that I should
say, Natural Tourist Attraction, and then it hit me, maybe I had the
answer. |
My thought was this. What I knew as
"BURSON'S CAVES", "THE COLONY CAVES", "THE NEW HOUSE CAVES", whatever
the name, that is not important, what is important is they are unique
and they are impressive. They are in Seroe Colorado and I think
would make a wonderful tourist attraction. |
The are below ground, that is to
say, they are in a hole, and when I was last in Aruba, the hole was still fenced
with cyclone fencing. As a boy I got to the caves through a hole
in the fence, cut I am sure by one of the other boys, climbed down a tree growing out of the hole and then,
from the bottom of the hole you
could enter the cave. I spent a lot of time exploring those caves,
they were exciting, unique as well as impressive. If you doubt me, look
at the photos at the top of this page, they are from those same caves. |
With a little ingenuity and really
very little expense these caves could be made accessible to the public
and would make a wonderful Natural Tourist Attraction. They are just like the
Fountain Caves, but instead of climbing up stairs, as kids we climbed
the cliff, you go down in the hole to get the Seroe Colorado Caves.
They are larger, much
larger, then the Fountain Caves and have many passageways to explore.
Although not like the other caves at in the Arikok National
Park, they do not have Indian writing on the walls, they do have things
of interest and as I said before, they are unique, beautiful and
impressive, just the requirements needed for a good
Natural Tourist Attraction. |
A hydraulic elevator could take
tourist to the bottom of the hole, a drop of about 12 feet. The
caves could be electrified, to provide lighting for the tourist to get
around and the old wells in the caves, dug they say, by the men who mined
phosphate on that end of the island, could be railed off and protected to prevent
persons from filling into the open wells. |
Such a Natural Tourist Attraction
would I believe be something for the government and some enterprising
Aruban to think about and look into. It would give the tourist another place to
visit, they now have only Baby Beach and Coco Beach, while visiting that
end of the island. |
By drawing the tourist out of
Oranjstead and into the other parts of the island you cause him or her
to spread their money throughout the island. Sitting here in
Austin, Texas and thinking about my up coming trip to Aruba; THE NATURAL
CAVES OF SEROE COLORADO, it just seemed like a good
idea to me and I wanted to put it out there for others in Aruba to consider.
Aruba, you may even put Carlsbad Cavern to shame.
Your comments are welcome. |
CAUTION - NOTE ABOUT SAFETY |
If these caves are to
become a tourist attraction they will need to be cleaned of trash,
rubbish, garbage and other debris that has been left behind over the
years. When my son went down in the caves there was signs that
persons may have been living down there.
There are illegal aliens on the island, so use extreme caution if you
intend to visit the caves and certainly do not do so alone. |
CLICK HERE TO TO SEE MAP FOR
LOCATION OF THE CAVES |
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TOURIST DIRECTORY |