Continuing our tour of the Caribbean, we're celebrating several people's new jobs by spending about a week in Aruba with some friends (henceforth, referred to as Matt and Dietlinde).
We left home before 5 AM this morning, in light rain, fog, and darkness. They only live across town, so we carpooled to the airport.
Our 8:40 flight out of Newark was slightly delayed, but uneventful. (Don't count on getting anything to eat in terminal B before 8 AM on a Sunday, though.)
Once airborne, it's about 4.25 hours to Aruba. We spilled out into the wind and humidity before 2 PM, in search of our rental car.
If you've been to the Caribbean, you're probably familiar with island time; it was another 40 minutes before we made it to the condo, despite it being a 10-minute drive.
Sometimes, Airbnb or VRBO photos/listings can be deceiving or exaggerated, but this condo is as "on the water" as we expected.
We took a few minutes to explore the views and the waterfront.
We hadn't really eaten much, and were all in need of a cold beverage and a bite to eat, so we headed to a nearby beach bar (Battata).
I had to try the
Aruba Ariba (pronounced "Arubariba"), for science. There were also some piña coladas on the table, along with some snacks. There was a constant 20 to 25mph wind, which made everything a little tricky but also tempered the oppressive heat and humidity.
If you look carefully, you can see the horse in the volleyball court. They were offering horseback rides around the beach. We resisted the urge, but it must've been popular because their
Facebook page is currently filled with horse videos. 🤷♂️
After a brief stroll on the beach, we continued down the road in search of a grocery store. The first one we tried was closed, the second one was more of a mini-mart situation, and the third rounded out our immediate shopping needs. We returned home with our spoils, then spent a few minutes unwinding and investigating dinner options.
Not wanting to get back in the car, we opted for the nearby
Zeerover bar/restaurant/seafood-shack. It was only about a 10 minute walk from the condo, accompanied by a beautiful view of the sun sinking toward the horizon.
This turned out to be a popular idea; we had to wait in line for about 40 minutes to order our food, but we were committed once we set out on foot. Matt and I enjoyed a local bottled beer while waiting.
It took another 45 minutes for the food to show up at our table. Luckily, the scenery and company were agreeable, and the ever-present ocean breeze kept it relatively comfortable. Occasionally, water would splash up through the gaps in the deck boards, slightly wetting our feet.
I think it was almost 9 PM by the time we wandered home. If not for the full moon, I suspect it would've been too dark to walk back along the water's edge.
The forecast for the entire week is remarkably constant: mid 80s, feels like mid 90s, sunny and windy during the day, but 80 F at night. There's no plan for tomorrow, or any other day (yet?).
We're all tired, and will be turning in early tonight. It's tempting to watch the lunar eclipse, though...
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