Aruba

Tuesday, so it must be Aruba.  Docked at around 08.30 this morning and the temperature is the customary 28 degrees, rising to low 30’s later in the day.  Very acceptable!  Tried to avoid another full English, but failed miserably.  As usual, it was delicious and eaten amongst excellent company from Belfast.

Went ashore fairly early, around 09.15.  Intended to take a taxi for a tour of the island, but instead took a bus tour with a difference.  The bus was an ex-school bus like you see in the movies, but it had a new paint job and all the windows had been removed!  The ultimate in air conditioning.

Interesting bus in that there were speakers mounted inside the coach, but bolted to and pointing down to the floor.  This meant that the bass tones vibrated though the floor of the coach and through your body.  Visited a local rock formation, the oldest catholic church and the oldest lighthouse on the island amongst other things.  Strong American influence here reflected in the hotel chains and a number of popular US eating houses.

Landscape is fairly green, but I suspect that is mainly due to it being the rainy season.  I could imagine that in the summer months, the landscape is fairly harsh and not a lot grows other than the abundance of cactus plants.  There must be almost as many as in Arizona.  Just about everything other than babies are imported onto the island.  There is a huge refinery, but as the island is only 18 miles from Venezuela, the crude is bought to Aruba by tanker, then shipped off again as finished petroleum products.

Apparently Aruba is rated as the number 4 place in the world for snorkelling and scuba diving.  Even as you walk along the waterfront, by the docks, you can see blue parrot fish swimming around and loads of sea urchins, crabs etc.  You don’t even have to get wet!!  It must be fantastic further out on the reefs.

Returned to the ship for a spot of lunch, then back out again for a walk around town.  Went through the Queen Beatrix Gardens and came across loads of iguanas.  Lots of small ones and a few pretty large ones.  Ugly crechers but then I expect that they think we’re pretty ugly too.  Back to the ship again for a couple of hours sunbathing, before a swift G&T on the balcony and into early sitting for dinner. Tonight we had a full house on the table.  A couple from Wales who run a caravan park were our new table partners.   Followed that with a drink in one of the clubs and listened to a young lady singing for an hour or so before retiring to bed. 

Very windy on Tuesday evening and the ship had a small amount of movement, which helped rock you to sleep.  Not that we ever need it.