Aruba and Cruisin'

We have been busy, busy, busy….relaxing. ☺ The funny thing is, there are tons of things going on here all the time. Each morning you receive a 4 page handout that tells you about all the things you can go do. There are tournaments for everything from shuffleboard and ping pong to volleyball and basketball. There’s a daily art auction, where they auction off Dalis and Miros and all kinds of art. There are cooking demonstrations by the chef (today’s was a black forest cherry cake demonstration.) They have seminars on computer skills, learning Spanish, learning to play the guitar, and how to care of your aching feet. There are movies, shows, casino tournaments, and about 7 different fitness classes a day. There really is so much to do! Our favorite? Lying on a deck chair in the sun! (We did do some other things, we promise! Kirk participated in the ping pong tournament, and he’ll be rock climbing tomorrow.)

Aruba:

We arrived in Aruba as the sun was rising. What a beautiful sight! We chose not to take a planned tour. Instead we rented a car and explored the island ourselves. We were amazed to learn that Aruba is a desert, and we saw the cacti everywhere to prove it. In fact, Aruba has NO fresh water source on the island. No rivers, no lakes, none. They have a huge desalination plant to provide their water. They have an oil refinery, but their main source of economy is the 1.5 million visitors each year.

Our trip along the island included views of stunning beaches, a Dutch windmill from Holland, some wild goats, charming houses that were brightly colored and old-fashioned, miles upon miles of jewelry stores (apparently that’s what everyone shops for,) and geckos galore. Then we took a dip in the ocean, which was wonderful. The water was warm and when you stepped out, the wind didn’t even make you feel cool. It was so great!

Now we are on the way to Panama, where we will arrive early tomorrow morning. We’ve had poolside barbecue today, played Bingo and miniature golf, and will work out here in just a bit.

One thing we are having fun with is the room attendant. He comes in 2-3 times a day to clean up, and when he makes the bed or turns down the bed, he sets it up differently every time. We’re going to upload those pictures to show the different ways he does it. (All right, all right, we’re easily amused!)

Take care everyone, and Martin: we loved your last blog entry, and we hope you’ll do it again SOON! Anne, we’re enjoying your comments too! Will you please post on my blog that I am out of country and will contact my buddy soon!?