Dec 30, 2018 - Aruba

Since we've been to Aruba a couple of times before, we decided to just get off the ship and walk around town, do a little shopping, maybe have lunch and make it an easy day. Oranjestad has lots of shopping and dining establishments and there is even a nice beach within walking distance. I wanted to get some of the famous Aloe, great for burns and skin irritations. It was nice to just walk around and we had a local snack called pan bati (a pancake-like bread) and enjoyed our time ashore. Back onboard ship, we decided to go to the seafood...

Apr 20, 2017 - Under the Sea

On Easter Monday we arrive at Aruba. Now you can look for it in your atlas or I could just tell you it is 17 miles off the Venezuelan coast and in the Caribbean Sea. It is the original desert island. It has the same rainfall as Arizona and so very similar vegetation, cacti, dusty scrub etc. It is weird to see somewhere that looks as if it came out of a western yet turn around and see the sea. Aruba might be in the Caribbean but it actually a part of Holland. The main town is neat and tidy and well maintained. However with the exception of...

Apr 23, 2016 - Saturday 23rd April

Aruba Apparently Aruba is “the ‘A’ in the ABC Islands”…so that helps ! It is about 15 miles north of Venezuela, so about as far down the Caribbean as it is possible to be and not be in South America, and is now Dutch, having been French, Spanish and English at different times in its history. You can forget all the ideas about it being a lush green Paradise Island….they have been having a serious drought. The wet season is October to February - but there was no rain at all during the “wet” season that has just finished – so they have had no...

Apr 19, 2015 - Caribbean Cruise! Day 3 Hello Aruba!

You always hear how gorgeous Aruba is and the friends, Keith and Patty Lindsey (Washington, D.C, we had met during our Cancun trip had traveled here 18 times and are on Aruba's tourism website! Aruba is nicknamed 'One Happy Island' because everyone is so friendly and carefree there. We had booked ourselves on a Jeep Safari with ABC Tours through Trip Advisor that included a visit to Aruba’s Natural Pool and Baby Beach on a unique off-road 4WD adventure to the island’s top natural attractions and traversing the rugged terrain of Arikok...

Mar 13, 2014 - The Caribbean

Saturday 8 March Day 65 - Bridgetown, Barbados It was a very early start for us because of an early tour to the Island. After docking we noticed a lot of boating traffic with both cruise liners as well as two beautiful tourist clippers. The cruise port was enormous and it had its own shopping centre as well as free Internet, so I was at last able to upload and download some stuff. It was slow but after the ship, it was a dream! I think everyone on the ship including crew was there! Barbados is a relatively small island, only 431 square km...

Oct 17, 2012 - Back Home...

Hello Everyone, Thanks to all of you who have traveled with me on this trip, and other trips that I have taken. I do appreciate it. I made it home safely. I did not enjoy the flight because a whiny 1 or 2 year old was sitting behind me. I was very tempted to turn around and tell the mother to put a muzzle on that child. I did ask the stewardess if there were any other available seats on the plane. The airlines really should have some flights designated for adults only, no children under 10. On a different note, this concludes this trip...

Oct 15, 2012 - Last Full Day In Aruba 2012

Hello everyone, My trip is winding down. Tomorrow I head home, and I must say that I am ready. I won't get there until wee hours in the a.m. on Wednesday. I've had a great time here in Aruba, met a few nice people, but...ready to go. I've absorbed more foreign energy than I really care for, and the mosquitos have had a field day biting me. I have bites all over me, too many bites to count, seriously. I didn't think to buy bug spray before heading this way. I didn't think about buying any here until like yesterday, by that time, I said...

Oct 14, 2012 - My Chef Prepared Dinner

Hello again, So after I made the earlier entry in the journal, I took a nap for a few hours, and then sat down for my chef prepared dinner. Today I requested a simple pasta dish. As previously mentioned, I had Gruber fish the first night, and had a bit of an allergic reaction to it. By the way, the chef's name is Graciela. Her husband's name is Phillip. The food is very tasty. Angela

Oct 14, 2012 - Sunday In Aruba/Island Tour

Hello everyone, Today I did the island tour...they got the pick up location right this time. Again, it was hot and humid, but we were on an air conditioned bus, so that made the weather more tolerable. I met a few nice ladies who were from New York on the tour. I always meet people during a tour that I can kind of hang out with and chat with. It rained a bit, but by that time, the tour was over, we were on the bus being driven back to our prospective hotels/pick up locations. At least the tour guides here don't try to force things down your...

Oct 13, 2012 - My Saturday In Aruba/Full Day 3

Hello Everyone, Today my surrounding energy was a bit off. I was scheduled to do an Island tour today, the bus was supposed to pick me up in front of the Marriott because they don't pick up from private residences. Well, needless to say, that didn't happen. The guy who booked the tour told me to be in one place, and the driver went to another. That was quite annoying because that little mishap through my entire day off. I had to shift gears and find something else to do. We're going to try the island tour again tomorrow. Hopefully they have...

Oct 12, 2012 - Aruba/Full Day 2

Hello everyone, Today I did not get dressed until 2:00. I was just not in a hurry to get moving today. In addition, I think jetlag set in. I always have at least one of these type of days when I travel. When you travel alone, you can do that...get dressed anytime you like, or not get dressed at all that day. On a different note, there is a guy who lives across the street, somewhat of a peeping tom. As it is quite hot and humid, I usually keep the front and side doors open. The house has an air conditioner and ceiling fans, but sometimes it...

Oct 11, 2012 - Doing Aruba Like A Local

Hello Everyone, Today is my first full day here in Aruba. The weather is hot and humid, about 90 degrees. The rental car company dropped off my car this morning and I drove around the place like I knew where I was going...without using a map mind you. Aruba is a small island, so you can't really get lost, a bit mixed up, but not lost. I had lunch at Wendys, went by the grocery store to buy a few things, and bought most of the souvenirs/post cards. I like to get the souvenir/postcard shopping out the way the first day or two. On a different...