Eagle Beach

We took the bus to get to the low rise district that has the nicest beach, we are told, in Aruba.  The low rise district is full of timeshares.  The sand is powdery white and water has a low surf.  We had a great afternoon here!  We have a few more beaches to visit, but this one rates high on our list!

                              One of the many time shares. The gardens are all beautifully manicured.

                                          You will find small beach bars at Eagle Beach.

Cute Snack Shack

Just down the street from our place is a small snack shack that is visited by a lot of people.  It is only open for breakfast and lunch.

Oranjestad, Aruba Accommodations

Our digs are basic, with super fast internet, and we are very close to all amenities.  Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba.  There is lots of shopping, high end to budget, many restaurants, lots of people, especially when the cruise ship is in.  We now have our bearings as we have walked a lot checking out many streets and nooks and crannies.

                                         Our Aruban home.

                                          Street view from our balcony.

                                        Another balcony view.

                                         Our studio suite.   All the amenities of home...well almost!!

                                           Another balcony view.

                                          Our balcony.

                                         Our stairs to our upstairs suite.

Aruba

We left Toronto, on an early morning flight that took us into Charlotte, North Carolina, with a short layover, then onward, forward to the small island of Aruba which lies in the southern Caribbean, just 29 km off the coast of Venezuela.

Aruba's first inhabitants were the Caquetio Indians from the Arawak tribe who immigrated there from Venezuela to escape attacks by the Caribs, indigenous people native to the northern coastal areas of South America.  Today, the Caribs or Kalina live largely in villages on the rivers and coasts of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.  Spain explored the island in 1499, and then in 1636 the Netherlands laid claim to the island.  After a brief rule by the British, the Dutch regained control of the island in 1816, and it officially became part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1845.

Languages spoken in Aruba are English, Dutch(official language), Spanish, and Papiamento, an Afro-Portuguese Creole language spoken since the 16th century.  The currency is the Aruban florin, its 2014 estimated population is 103,400, the island is 33km long and 9km wide.  Aruba is mainly flat with a few hills, and is renowned for its white sandy beaches.  This small island is located south of the hurricane belt which means that it rarely rains for extended periods, but rains often for only a few minutes at a time.  The temperature hovers around 29 degrees Celsius.

Aruba is the most touristed island in the southern Caribbean with North Americans fleeing winter for the warmth and charm of this tiny island.  The draws are obvious; miles and miles of white sand beaches, plenty of all inclusive resorts and time shares, the quaint bustling capital of Oranjestad which many cruise ships dock to allow passengers to disembark and stroll the streets to eat and shop.  Aruba's extreme ends are rugged, windswept vistas, and uncrowded beaches.  Crystal clear waters are full of sea life, and shipwrecks, and plane wrecks provide opportunities for snorkeling and diving. The island's motto is "One Happy Island".

Trip 2017

Our trip has begun with the first leg from Regina to Toronto.  Our flight was uneventful.   We left Regina early in the morning December 27, 2016, landed in Toronto for an overnighter, took the shuttle to the hotel, settled in, then went for a bite to eat down the street to a restaurant called Arizona.  Hoss has relatives that live in Mississauga, and we were able to visit them.  His cousin, Greg, came and picked us up from the hotel and took us to Hoss's aunt's home where the whole family was there to greet and meet us.  We had a fun afternoon of reminiscing and catching up!

It's Not Goodbye!

Our  time in this beautiful area of Mexico has come to an end!  We are not saying goodbye to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, only "so long, see you later", it's a worthy place to  return and explore more!  The sun, water, beach, food, people, and landscape has been a beautiful experience!!  We have had a great time!!  A huge thank you, thank you , thank you to our good friends Marie and Randy for inviting us to join them!!😎😍👍

Group Supper

We got together once again with Rose, Joanne, Terry, Claude and Lynne for a delicious meal at Any.  We haven't had a bad meal yet! Yummmm!

                                          Enchiladas

                                          Fish

                                          Nightcap at Barracudas