It's Aruba again, the fun island, which is 19.6 miles long and 6 miles wide. The number of residents is 72,000. Oranjestad is the capital and is also where we docked this morning. Other ships in port were the Marella Discovery (Tui), which was actually the former Splendour of the Seas (RCI). She holds up to 2024 passengers and is currently doing a 7 day round trip from Barbados. The other ship was the Freewinds, which curiously was docked here on our last visit. If we didn't know better, we would think it never moved.
The weather today was close to perfect, with moderate temperatures, little wind, and mostly sunny skies. It was going to be a good walking day, which is what we did by 11am. The best description of Aruba is that a palm-lined boulevard runs the length of the island. Beginning at the top end, there are dozens of luxury hotels and resorts with beautiful beaches. Down where we are, is the more touristy section. We remember coming here back in the 90's when the biggest attraction had to be the iconic Royal Plaza Mall, a three story pink and white Dutch building with dozens of boutiques and places to dine. Near that mall, was the Renaissance Mall and hotel resort in the city's center. There is actually a canal that connects to the hotel's lobby. Guests can take a boat from there to a private 40 acre island with beaches. Very convenient.
After leaving the terminal, we noticed that fewer folks were wearing masks. Actually none of the guests on the Marella Discovery had them on. Good sign that things might be getting much better in this part of the world. Last night, the Hotel Director did indicate that things might be changing soon with the ship's requirements. He did not elaborate, for fear of saying something not quite correctly. For certain, the steps back to normal will be taken slowly.
Heading for the marina, we passed the many jewelry shops offering specials. Vendors are still handing out flyers to entice customers into their stores. Like we stated yesterday, the duty-free policy does not always apply here. The usual activities were taking place at the small boat harbor. A few fishermen were cleaning their catch of wahoo and other smaller fish. A young and hungry pelican sat right across from the cleaning table to catch small bits of fish. A little iguana moved into the pelican's range, and the bird stabbed at the lizard. Not sure iguanas eat fish. They do eat grass.
The Renaissance Marketplace is the anchor of the marina. Although it was early in the day and there was little activity, we can imagine this place is lively at night. Most all of the dining venues and bars are open-air. At the far end is an Italian café that served the best pizza in the past. But we are still not indulging off of the ship just in case the virus is still here.
We made our way to the gardens of the hotel, where we found a bench in the shade. Updating the Kindle worked well here. We did notice that many of the crew were doing the same thing inside the terminal building. We are not sure the crew gets free or really reasonable wifi. Around the back of the hotel, is a lagoon that connects to the ocean. Under a concrete bridge there is a bunch of tropical fish. We always stop here to watch the fish come out, but we learned a little trick today. A few kids and their moms brought some crackers and bread to toss in the water. That's when the big fish came out from under the rocks and bridge. At one point, it was like a feeding frenzy. The little kids loved it. Secretly, so did we. There are always a few iguanas eating grass here, as well as pelicans perching on the rocks.
Time to head back, we stopped at one of the road stalls and bought a red visor, a color I do not have. Another stop was at Diamonds International for the free pendant and bracelet. Many other ladies, obviously cruise passengers, were doing the same thing. And no pressure to buy something. All the way back to the terminal, there were many chances to buy souvenirs. The most serious shoppers were here.
Time for ice cold beer and lunch in the Dutch Café. Dropping off our stuff in the room, the power went off briefly. That is something that has never happened on this ship. The Captain announced it, and promised things would be up and running soon. It took a while, but not everything got "re-booted", such as the deep fryer in the Dutch Café. No crispy hot French fries for us today. Michelle the server said she owed us doubles the next time we go there. The draft beer still worked as did cooking the ham and cheese sandwiches. Small slices of apple pie finished the meal.
Relaxing on the veranda and working on the computer kept us busy until we noticed the Marella Discovery was leaving at 6pm. Dinner was just the two of us, since our tablemates ate elsewhere. Our meals of crispy spring rolls, farmer's salads, and honey mustard chicken were perfect. We added custom-made chocolate sundaes for dessert.
The ship left the dock shortly after 10:30pm, and the best sight to see was passing by the airport, all lit up, waiting for more tourists to arrive.
Tomorrow we have a most welcomed day at sea.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Report # 63 Oranjestad, Aruba Friday - February 18, 2022 Mostly sunny & 80 degrees
