The Mango Vol 1 Issue 6

table in the water—at sunset, of course! There is a unique food in Aruba known as pastechi. It is a deep-fried pastry stuffed with cheeses and meats. Order one at a local bakery, or get a dozen for the day. Imbibers will delight in downing ice-cold Aruba Aribas on the beach. Aribas are made with Coecoei, a local liquor, shaken with vodka, rum, banana, orange, cranberry and pineapple. Oh my! Aruba’s Agriculture and Beauty Aruba’s primary agricultural product is aloe vera (who knew?). If you’ve used aloe on a sunburn, you may have a little bit of Aruba in your medicine cabinet. Have you ever wondered why cashews are so expensive? I think I’ve figured it out. Look at the photo where Janie Singleton is holding the dark green pod. That little “stem” beside her thumb is the casing for

a cashew. What a lot of work to get these little gems ready for market! Numerous natural bridges in the area grace the shoreline. One of the last bridges collapsed a few years ago, so you are no longer allowed to walk over them, but the photo op is lovely just the same. Here Comes the Bride Aruba is famous for destination weddings. Pravin Patel says that he was only there seven days and saw two weddings held at Renaissance. A wedding— or honeymoon—in Aruba would add exotic romance to your big day. Exchange your vows on the beach at sunset or in a tropical garden. But do your homework in advance so you don’t require five ceremonies! Jo Clark is a self-proclaimed beach bum. She moved to the Grand Strand after shoveling over 50 inches of snow during one winter in Snowville, Virginia!

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