Oranjestad Bus Depot

We are super close to the bus depot.  We always walk all around town, but going to the beaches is a bit further so we always go by bus.  Each bus ride for us is $2.50US no matter how far you go, there are no transfers, so some locals need to pay $5US to get home from work.  It is not cheap!!

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve produced a very rainy morning, so we hunkered down in our suite and read, wrote, and watched TV.  The afternoon brought better weather.  We went to restaurant that was close by for supper and had plans to go to the highrise district for the evening but discovered the buses quit running around 6:30pm, so that idea was scrapped!  We wondered around the quiet streets of Oranjestad looking for some place to go for a drink with little luck.  Finally, we discovered a restaurant called El Gaucho, which was fully booked with dinner reservations, but they had room for us at the bar.  We had a glass of wine, people watched, and witnessed people having a difficult time getting a cab when their dinner was over and they wanted to leave!  We were so glad we decided to stay close to home, being able to walk wherever, and whenever we chose.  We also stopped at another busy restaurant for dessert!  The rocket/firecracker noise has been going on all evening and ramped up as midnight drew closer.  The fireworks started around 11:30pm and it was an unbelievable sight.  No matter where you looked in the sky the brilliant spray of a firework was being displayed!!  It was continuous for about an hour in all directions, then slowly ended!  Wow!  What a way for 2016 to end!

                                          NYE dinner

Indian Supper

The more we travel, the more we are enjoying Indian food.  We found a gem of an Indian restaurant called the Taj Mahal.  The food was delicious!!

                       We started off with samosas that came with the yummiest of dipping sauces.

Hoss ordered Chicken Saagwala, which is chicken and spinach, and I ordered chicken curry.  The meal comes with naan bread and rice, and is served communal style.

Beach and Planes and Boats

We enjoy this small beach off The West Deck beach bar.  If you lie still you can watch small lizards scamper around looking under leaves for seed, and sand crabs warily making their way around in search of food also.  Once you tire of that you can always watch the planes come in, or boats go by.

The West Deck Beach Bar

We found a neat little beach bar in Oranjestad, called The West Deck, by a small slender beach that we occasionally go to when wandering around the city.

                                          If you look closely, you can see a plane flying in.

                 We like to walk down this thin strip of sand and find a place to lie in the sun.

Fort Zoutman

Fort Zoutman is a military fortification at Oranjestad, Aruba.  Built in 1798 by the Dutch army, it is the oldest structure on the island.  The Willem 111 Tower was added to the west side of the fort in 1868.  The fort and tower were restored and reopened in 1983 as a Historical Museum of Aruba.

Blue Horse Sculptures

While walking throughout the streets of Oranjestad you will notice several blue horse statues, eight in all.  The outdoor art project began in 1915 as a tribute to Paarden Baai.  In English, this means Horse Bay.  This was the city's original name in the 17th century when selling horses to Europeans became a major contributor to the economy.  However, by the end of the 18th century, this trade suffered a significant decline at the hands of the French and English.  Each horse represents a different strength.