Aruba Trip December 2012
 |
| Aruba Airport |
It was Monday morning at the office and my dad and his wife in Florida were getting ready to leave to go to their timeshare in Aruba. They had invited us but I only had 3 vacation days left for the year and I was going to take off a couple days around Christmas and stay at home. I thought that maybe I could move my remaining 3 days up to next Monday - Wednesday and get down to Aruba after all. I asked my boss if moving the vacation was a problem. No problem. I emailed Dad to see if the invite to Aruba was still open. No problem. I called Amelia and asked her if she wanted to go to Aruba Saturday. She thought about it for a bit less than a quarter of a second and said yes, yes, heck yes. I got online to look at airfares. Not too bad. OK, up early on Saturday morning and we're off. A less than an hour hop to Atlanta and then about four more hours and we arrive in Aruba, just 17 miles north of Venezuela. Arriving in the tropics is always great, the ocean and palm trees just slay stress.
 |
| Taxi Stand at Aruba Airport |
Aruba's airport is small and not crowded, we get through baggage claim and customs very quickly and get out to find a taxi to take us up to meet Dad and Sonja at the Paradise Beach Villas a little way up the coast at Eagle Beach. This is in the section of low rise condos and is a very relaxing area. We manage to get unpacked and settled in and then next door for dinner at the Swiss Chalet Restaurant for an impressive dinner before we walk out to the beach for the sunset.
 |
| Swiss Chalet Restaurant. Very good! |
 |
| Sunset at Eagle Beach |
Sunday morning we got up and enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant/bar at the Paradise Villas pool a few steps out from our patio. Then we got a cab and headed down to the marina for a little cruise on a submarine. This was new for us and we really did not know what to expect.
 |
| Heineken Christmas Tree |
 |
| Submarine Ticket Office |
After we checked in for our submarine cruise we boarded the tender which took us out of the marina and south to where the submarine Atlantis VII was waiting.
 |
| Sonja, Dad, Amelia and me on the way to the sub |
 |
| Cruise Ship and sailing cruise ship docked at Aruba |
 |
| Time to get into the sub |
 |
| Submarine Atlantis VII |
The experience of being in a submarine was pretty cool, but the view out the windows was a bit sparse and not too exciting. Scuba diving in the Virgin Islands was much better for scenery.
 |
| Exotic underwater view |
 |
| In the submarine, it was one of those things you really only need to do once in your life. |
|
The scenery was a bit more interesting having lunch at the harbor after we got back. While eating harbor side a boat with a couple young ladies came by and they decided that the bikini tops were just too much trouble to keep wearing...
 |
| More beer, less inhibitions. | |
|
Aruba is an important port for oil tankers as well as the freighters and cruise ship which are also regular visitors. The constant flow of shipping in interesting to watch.
 |
| Cruise ship Mein Schiff 1 from German TUI Cruises and Swedish Star Clipper's Star Flyer |
 |
| Italian Oil Tanker Four Smile |
The Marina is right at Oranjestad's waterfront. Oranjestad is a nice example of a Dutch Colonial city once you get past the shopping area around the cruise ship terminal. It seems that every Caribbean island has a similar shopping area next to the cruise ship terminal. Oh well, back to the Paradise Beach Villas and a really great beach for some fun and sun, chillin' at the beach.
The sand, sun, and sea here in Aruba were tremendous. Just fantastic beaches - as good as any I have seen in the Caribbean. Later that evening, we were treated to dinner on the beach. Great ambiance and very few bugs too. The restaurant is set up every night and packed away during the day.
 |
| Passions on the Beach. A must do at least one evening while in Aruba. |
So far we have only seen the populated leeward side of the island. We decided to take one of the jeep tours of the windward side where the island is pretty much as it was before man found it. The tour group headed out in a couple jeeps, a dune buggy and a string of ATVs. The vehicles were all well past their prime but that added a bity of adventure to the trip. We headed out from downtown Oranjestad in our parade of jalopies through town and then out into the barren east side of Aruba. Being the windward side, the surf is much rougher and the coastline is mostly rocky, craggy and scenic.
 |
| Man handling the decrepit Jeep, |
 |
| Rocky shoreline of the east side of the island |
 |
| The caravan stopped at the one outpost on the east side, the Thirst Aid Station Snack Bar and Gift Shop |
 |
| The Caribbean crashes into the rocky coast |
Our group wound its way northward with a stop at what used to be a thriving gold smelting center. This heavily built castle like structure seems medieval.
 |
| Built in 1825 from local stone, the Bushiribana Gold Smelter operated for 10 years processing gold mined nearby. |
We found our way to the northern tip of Aruba, where the major landmark is the beautiful California Lighthouse. As the sun was starting to decline in the sky we stopped here for a photo op at Arashi Beach.
 |
| A shelter on the barren east side of the island for fishermen |
 |
| The north east end of the island with a variety of cacti |
 |
| The 100 foot tall California Lighthouse on the northern end of Aruba |
