Alto Vista

Aruba is where I was born, and where I have called home before we made a life in the US.

Alto Vista was a big part of my families life growing up. Our parents would be at work and our grandmother would be taking care of us. That meant a once a week trip to Alto Vista where her and my aunts would be praying and my cousins and I would be fidgeting until it was time to go outside and explore. Over the years I developed a certain fondness for the third right pew by the window. The best breeze, even on warm days.

Now I bring my children here when we travel to Aruba and I know that one day they will bring their children there.

The peace that you feel when you are there is intense. It gives you a feeling that you can take on whatever is thrown your way.

A major regret I have when I go there now is that people has lost the reverence for what it stands for. Some of the tour guides come in revving the four wheelers, though I have heard some guides reminding the tourists that it is still a place of worship, and the vendors that are literally standing in front of the gate loudly trying to sell their wares.