2023 - Bonnie's Journey to Panama, Colombia, and Aruba

March 1, 2023   Day 1, Panama

We booked a cruise on WindStar Cruises to begin in Panama City and end in Aruba.

We were travelling with friends, David and Heidi Roupp, and their friends, Merilee Honholz and her brother Stan.

David booked a VRBO in the historic Casco Viejo section of Panama City for us ahead of the cruise and a second VRBO in Aruba following the cruise. 

We stayed in Panama City for three days, March 1-4, then boarded the ship March 4. 

We arrived by air on schedule in Panama City and were met by a taxi driver holding a sign with our name. He took us to the VRBO, a two-story reddish building. We took our luggage upstairs and got settled in our condo.

At 3:00 pm a representative of the rental company knocked on our door to tell us they had not processed our payment through VRBO and wanted us to pay them.

David looked at his credit card account on his phone and did not see a payment. The rep offered to walk to the office with David to settle things.

I reported the hot water wasn't working, and the agent apologized and said he would look into it. David walked across the plaza with the rep to the office to pay our bill and to arrange for an Uber to the marina to board the ship on departure day. (Spoiler alert: This later becomes a problem.)

Our balcony faced the central plaza, so I took photos in the three directions, first to the left, then directly across the plaza, then to the right, toward the church.

This famous church, Iglesia de la Merced, (Church of Mercy) was transported brick by brick from the ruins of a 16th-century city, Panama Viejo, into Panama City's current historic district. It was built in the 1600s by Franciscan monks. Mass was first offered here on the day of Panama City's inauguration in 1673.

 We walked around the town square selecting the Alma restaurant for a snack and then down to the marina, taking in the sights of the church, hotels, shops and waterfront.

I bought a Panama cap at a tourist shop and David took a picture of me with the owner.

We found a sidewalk cafe for dinner, serenaded by a local man with a guitar, and returned to our room for the night.

March 2, Panama City, Day 2

The Alma cafe was so convenient it became our favorite on the town square, and we went there for breakfast, then walked for more sightseeing and shopping and visited a museum of religious and colonial art.

El Arco Chato, built in 1678, has been considered a wonder of architecture, since its construction highlights the work of the colonial era. The arch remained standing for almost two and a half centuries.

We wandered through the vendor stalls at a farmers market taking place in the square.

The VRBO folks told David we were close enough to walk to the Lazotea rooftop restaurant this evening.

We stepped out, planning to use our cell phones for directions, but the phone said walking directions were not available. David asked a local woman for help. Using her phone to translate, she offered to guide us.

She led us a couple of blocks, then used her phone to tell us to go to the end of the street and turn left. David offered her a tip and she tried to refuse but he persisted, and she took it. What a lifesaver!

We walked two more blocks and found the Lazotea restaurant which had an elevator to take us to the roof. We discovered the seating area had a soothing ambiance with plants and modern decor, Light modern jazz music played in the background. We used our phones to read QR codes to get the menu and ordered shrimp tacos as appetizers. David wanted a beef entree, and I had sea bass and prawns. All delicious. A gentle breeze cooled us as we looked out over the bay.

We decided against dessert and walked back to our condo to sit outside on the balcony and people-watch on the plaza.

We saw folks walking there, families and couples holding hands, little kids dancing in the pavilion, lovers cuddling on the benches, and a gaggle of teens walking slowly. As late as it was, we were surprised to find a couple of vendors still hawking their wares. A dog barked once in a while and a male voice sang a wordless oh-oh-oh tune.

The church bell chimed seven o’clock. The traffic kept circling around the square.

I was reading a Ken Follett book my friend Pat loaned me. David was occupied with his phone. I finally got uncomfortable sitting in the plastic chair on our balcony, so moved inside to the couch until bedtime. I munched a couple of cookies for dessert and made a cup of tea. 

March 3, Panama City, Day 3

We had breakfast again at the Alba, then went out sightseeing.

We saw the Municipal Palace and City Hall before David's accident.

While we were walking near the marina, David tripped over a piece of rebar sticking up out of the ground in a loop, causing a large 8-inch abrasion of peeled skin from above his elbow to a ways below. He also skinned his knee. The very kind police escorted us about 4 blocks to the local health center where they cleaned and dressed it.

We were quite the subject of attention both on the street and at the clinic. Not everyone arrives at the clinic with a police escort. The doctor at the clinic was trained in the US and spoke English. We received good medical care and the only cost was $5 for a prescription for the antibiotic ointment.

We returned to the room to rest and relax while David recovered from the trauma of having his wound scrubbed and bandaged.

March 4 Panama City to the WindStar Cruise Ship

At 4 am, we were roused by a loud banging on our door. David called through the door to ask who it was. He finally figured out it was the Uber driver coming for us at the wrong time, 4 AM instead of 4 PM.  David rescheduled and came back to bed.

We actually got back to sleep.  When we woke, we dressed and did the first round of packing before heading to Alma Restaurant for breakfast. I had caprice toast. Great idea! I may try this at home. A hearty slice of toasted bread with mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes and shredded basil. Yum! I got a cup of hot water to use my own tea bag.

I suggested going inside the church today and making another trip to the pharmacy to buy sunscreen and face moisturizer. The weather was warming up but there was a cool breeze, so it was comfortable. We made the round trip. There was an event going on at the church, so I quietly slipped inside and made my way across the rear of the sanctuary and out the other door. I was able to glimpse the murals and icons, and we went back to the room to finish packing and get ready to board the ship.

David was having some pain from the injury, but Tylenol seemed to be managing it. The Uber arrived and transported us close to the cruise ship marina. There was construction going on, and the ship texted us to give us directions to a new location. 

We found the correct spot, showed our documents and boarded. There was live music playing on Deck 8, a safety drill at 5:15 at our Muster Station on Deck 7, and departure scheduled for 6:00 pm.

Cruise Itinerary:

Saturday, March 4, 2023  Balboa Amador, Panama

Sunday, March 5, 2023 Panama Canal, Panama

Monday, March 6, 2023 Bocas del Toro Panama

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 San Blas Island, Panama

Wednesday, March 8, Cartagena, Columbia

Thursday, March 9, 2023 Santa Marta, Columbia

Friday, March 10, 2023 At Sea

Saturday, March 11, 2023  Oranjestad, Aruba and Disembarkation 

We boarded and found our cabin, did the safety drill, and located our travel partners to have dinner.

March 5, Navigating the Panama Canal

David did not sleep well last night. He is having pain from the abrasion on his left arm. I woke up first, got dressed, and was ready to go to breakfast when David woke up. I waited while he dressed, and we left the cabin to look for breakfast. David took the elevator, and I took the stairs. I made it to the restaurant and ate my breakfast, but David didn't show up. I found David on Deck 7 looking for me. We obviously had not communicated well.

We went to the front of the ship to watch the crossing of the Panama Canal. The decks were crowded. Everyone was trying to find a vantage point to take pictures. We found a spot and watched as the ship approached the gates of the first lock.

We both took lots of pictures. We watched the railroad engine on the shore, which is called a mule because they used to actually use mules to pull the ships through the canal. There was one of these engines on each side of the ship. As the mules pulled the ship toward the lock, the lock gates slowly opened. The ship entered the lock, and the gates closed behind us.

The ship remained stationary in the lock while the lock filled with water, lifting the ship. When the lock was full, the gate in front of us opened so that we could move into the second lock where the process was repeated to raise the ship even higher. Each step in the process took over an hour, as we moved past the visitor center on shore beside the canal, and past the canal administration building.

David and I moved down to the second deck where it was less crowded to get a better view. We watched there for a while until we exited the second lock and moved out into Gatun Lake, which is 85 feet above sea level. The lake is a man-made lake and a part of the Panama Canal system.

As we sailed across Gatun Lake, we passed ships going in the opposite direction. 

We returned to the cabin so I could call the medical center. The nurse was available, so we went to a lower deck to the clinic. We got delayed on the way as we pushed Deck 3 on the elevator but went up to Deck 7 instead. When we finally got to the clinic, the nurse greeted us. She was kind and friendly and took David's vital signs. She moved us to the treatment room where she removed the old bandage. We brought with us the antibiotic ointment we bought at the pharmacy in Panama City. The nurse used a tongue depressor to apply the ointment and covered the wound with non-stick dressings before wrapping the arm to keep the dressings in place.

She removed the bandage from David's knee and told us the area was healed well enough not to need additional dressing. She painted the area with something that looked like Mercurochrome. Of course, removing the bandages caused additional pain, so we returned to the cabin for pain medication and David took a nap.

When David woke up, we went to the restaurant for lunch. We are beginning to figure out the layout of the ship. Heidi and David joined us. David reported on his visit with the nurse. Heidi told us the highlights of the lecture about the Panama Canal she attended.

When it was finally our turn to go through the second set of locks, we lined up with the canal and were hooked up to the mules. The lake is the largest and highest body of water. The first locks raised us to the level of the lake. This time, the locks were already full of water which was being pumped out to lower the ship. The ship will now go through the second set of locks to be lowered back to sea level on the Caribbean side.

Of course, the rails of the ship were crowded with passengers watching the process. There was a narrator speaking over a loudspeaker describing what was happening. This was a slow, deliberate process, taking most of the afternoon.

We finally reached the level of the Caribbean. As we moved forward, we were in ocean and I felt the motion of the waves. I took my nausea meds and am hoping for the best. Not much was planned today for onboard activities as everyone was expected to be watching the canal.

Tomorrow, we stop at Bocas del Toro, Panama. I scheduled a massage for the 6th. Now that we are sailing away from land, I'm not counting on wi-fi connectivity.

March 6, Bocas del Toro

As we came out of the Panama Canal, the ship turned left toward the San Blas Islands, which are on the Caribbean coast of eastern Panama. Our destination is Bocas del Toro, on the Panamanian coast. Tomorrow, we will backtrack a little going past the area near the canal exit, heading further south to the archipelago near the Columbian border.

As an aside, I have to admit that I always thought the Panama Canal ran east to west. You know, from the Atlantic to the Pacific/Caribbean.  As it turns out, the country of Panama actually is almost S-shaped, so the central area of the country, where the canal is located, is curved in a way that the canal runs north and south. Isn't it great the things one learns by travelling?

The morning was overcast with a slight drizzle. David set the alarm for 7. The ship was moving into position and docked at 8:00.

We ate breakfast, but the Roupps did not appear. When we returned to the cabin at 8:30, I called David Roupp. He answered the phone but sounded groggy. They just woke up and weren't moving very fast. We agreed to keep to our own schedule today. He said he is stiff and sore from a fall he took. He too, visited the ship's doctor.

David and I wanted to go into town to look around and maybe have lunch. It is not exactly beach weather. March 8 is David R's birthday and we want to look for a gift.

At 9:30, we boarded the tender, which is the name they use for the lifeboats that shuttle passengers to shore and back. The ocean was calm and both sides of the tender were open like big windows so there was plenty of fresh air. It was a quick 1-minute ride, and I had no motion sickness problem.

When we arrived at shore, we pulled up to the dock as the driver skillfully "parked" the boat, even moving it sideways, (which gives a whole new concept of parallel parking,) to the spot on the pier where the onshore staff had placed two large inverted wooden boxes to serve as steps. Staff were well trained and worked to keep us safe, one standing on each side to take our hands as we stepped out of the tender and down the steps.

We stopped at a small boat launch site belonging to a company called Bocas Docks and followed a narrow sidewalk toward the street. A woman from Bocas Docks was standing near a map of the small village, pointing out the location of restaurants, gift shops, and other destinations. Some passengers brought their snorkel gear, but she suggested today was not the best day for it because the rain had made the water cloudy.

She suggested other water activities and said there is a bike rental place. It was still misting, and the streets were wet and full of puddles, but we headed down the street toward the central area, ready for a new adventure.

The Bocas del Toro tropical fishing village is on a small island. It has four or five internal streets plus a street that loops around the village. The buildings on the loop face the street and the rear faces the ocean, so you can literally walk from the street through the building to access the beach.

The village was a busy place with people walking, riding bikes or scooters and some vehicular traffic. There was not much focus on tourism, so it seemed a fairly traditional village with usual daily life and lots of construction of new buildings. Women were grocery shopping, kids were riding bikes, and vendors tried to get us to take their $2 water taxi to the next small island with the supposedly famous Red Frog Beach.

We were careful to watch where we stepped as the surfaces were uneven, sometimes just muddy soil, then maybe a wooden sidewalk, or a concrete sidewalk with tiles imbedded. Some sidewalks were slanted like a ramp. The sidewalks did not match each other in height. You could sure tell there was no zoning here with ample opportunity to trip.

At one point, men were unloading a large grocery truck by literally throwing boxes of packaged goods or even cases of Coke from inside the truck across the sidewalk to a man inside the store. It looked pretty labor intensive. Imaging catching a case of Coke!

We looked at the homes for sale flyers in the realtor's window. Most were in the $350,000 range. The price must surely reflect location, because the houses have two bedrooms and a small lot size. So now when we crossed paths with others from our ship, David asked if they want to buy a house in Paradise.

We stopped to browse in a couple of gift shops as we wanted to find a birthday gift for David Roupp for his birthday.

In one of the clothing shops we found tee shirts with "Panama" and Bocas del Toro". We bought one of each design for both Davids.

Our other goal today was to find Wi-Fi and we stopped at a restaurant for a cold drink and password. We managed emails as they came in and caught up on the news from home.

We had thought to have lunch in town, but have succeeded our goals for gift and Wi-Fi, so decided to walk back to Bocas Docks to wait for a tender. I was glad we stopped to check landmarks as we walked into town, because the streets and shops looked similar. I could recall seeing this sign or that and remembered walking past the police station. We had walked further than I thought.

We only waited a few minutes for the tender and were soon back on board. We dropped off our purchases in our cabin and had lunch. 

I read a while and wrote my journal.

I had scheduled a "manager's special" at 3:00 so headed to the spa. The massage therapist was named Esther and did a good job. I love massages!

The ship started moving at 3:00 and we reached some choppy water, so I laid down until time for the port talk briefing for tomorrow. I'm still doing OK and taking my medicine on schedule.

From the talk, we went directly to dinner with Heidi and David. I had a small fig salad and a crab cake. Both were really good! David and I shared a chocolate ganache for dessert.

We had such interesting conversations at dinner. Tonight, we included a discussion of how to spell desert and dessert. I told the joke about the difference between finished, complete and completely finished. The answer is when you marry the right woman you are complete. When you marry the wrong woman, you are finished. And when the right woman finds you with the wrong woman, you are completely finished.

March 7 San Blas Islands

The water continued to be choppy as we travelled overnight. I was sleeping ok, but when I got up to use the toilet, I felt the wave motion, especially front to back. Everyone weaved back and forth as they walked down the hallways because of the side-to-side motion. I just kept taking my medicine. So far, so good. This was the smallest cruise ship we have been on. The captain calls it a yacht. There are 199 passengers. I assumed the smaller size contributed to feeling the wave action more.

We were supposed to have a BBQ on the beach today to see the Kuna Indians dance and shop in their market. The crew had been loading tables, chairs, umbrellas and the BBQ to transport across the water to the beach on the island, but the captain said the sea is too rough from the wind. He calls the wind chop, and said it is not safe to use the Zodiacs (rubber rafts). Instead, they will bring the natives to us. We were informed this is a matriarchal society.

At 11:00, passengers gathered at the open area near the ship pool to watch the performance. There are 12 dancers, 6 men and 6 women. The men played pipes like I associate with Peru. The women had maracas. They were dressed in colorful outfits. The men wore solid blue shirts and black pants. Each had a different size and shape straw hat on, some had headbands, some feathers or other accessories. 

The women wore a colorful legging under a green patterned skirt. The women each had a different head covering, like a stovepipe hat without a top or a bandana tied around their hair. The men and women faced each other and began with quiet music to a slow dance step. They performed a variety of steps and moved around reminding me of the Virginia Reel. At times they had a partner, at times, danced alone.

They brought their handiwork of fabrics in a sort of batik style design. There were rectangles which could be framed as wall hangings or used as pillow covers. There were aprons, potholders and other fabric items.

I found a table runner made of seven six-inch squares with patterns sewn end to end. She said $10, which I gave her, but she signaled me to stop. The price is $10 for each square. I didn't want to pay $70 so took my money back.

We ate our BBQ lunch on board and visited with Heidi and David, Merilee and Stan. No, the wind chop waves never stopped, so we set out early for Cartagena. The captain apologized for missing out on beach time, but said it was better to be safe.

Heidi and I browsed in the gift shop. They had nice merchandise. I wanted to bring David back to look at the long sleeve tee shirts.

David and I saw the nurse to have his dressing changed. The doctor was present and suggested getting an x-ray of the elbow. I was amazed they have a portable x-ray machine on the ship. The nurse was very capable with the equipment and on the third try, got a good picture which the doctor enlarged and studied. He found nothing, not even a hairline fracture. Good news.

I found myself getting queasy and went to lie down until dinner. We served ourselves at a generous buffet.

March 8 Cartagena, Colombia 

We arrived ahead of schedule and docked about 6:30 am.

Cartagena is one of the major ports on the northern coast of Columbia. It has been known since colonial times, and near the sea is the old walled city, founded in the 16th century, with town squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings.

Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to the West Indies provides it with important historical value. Its strategic location made it defensible against pirate attacks from the Caribbean.

We were impressed at the white high-rise buildings surrounding the harbor. What a beautiful bay.

This port was very active with huge container ships in the water and stacks of the containers on the pier. There were several giant cranes moving the containers, some loading a ship and others placing containers on semi-truck trailers to be driven off somewhere. I supposed there were computers managing all the containers, so someone knows what cargo is in each one. They looked like a giant Rubrics Cube puzzle.

We also saw the remains of a huge old castle in the distance, which was one of the defenses against pirates.

 We had breakfast and waited in the lounge for the 8:15 tour departures. We signed up for the Getsemani and Old City walking tour. All is well organized as we leave the ship and find the bus with the name of our tour. David and Heidi also signed up for this one, but they wound up on the second bus.

 Our tour guide is very good, and we really enjoyed the tour. We first had to navigate the heavy gridlocked traffic. The bus driver was skillfully maneuvering the turns and lanes, getting us into position and finally parking at our drop off location. All the while the guide points out landmarks and tells us the history of Cartagena. It is a walled city with 11 miles of walls still standing. This of course was for protection during colonial times. Columbia became well known for gold, silver and emeralds, all eagerly sought by Spain, Portugal and England who attacked frequently in search of treasure.

 Old town was an island which was eventually joined to the mainland. This historic area is now highly prized and even the smallest old homes cost more than one million dollars. The old town area has become a tourist haven of small boutique hotels, shops and restaurants. The tiny streets are only wide enough for horses so there is no vehicular traffic. Each house is painted a different color and many are covered with colorful murals. Butterflies are a common theme. Strung across the streets at rooftop level are strings of banners or flags of all the countries, bright flowers or colored umbrellas. It is all a profusion of color, visually striking. The guide tells us the houses are handed down through generations. We visited churches, plazas, and shops. The term Getsemani is Biblical and is the name of this original poor neighborhood.

The area embodies the greatest cultural heritage of the city. From the colonial architecture and history, to the brightness of its streets and the colorful personality of the people, it is a magical place designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for every visitor to appreciate.

 We boarded the bus to drive to a nearby area where more affluent people lived. We walked the neighborhood to see the larger homes. We wound up in Simon Bolivar square where we had some free time for shopping or exploring and went through the Emerald Museum and shop.

 David bought a Columbia Soccer jersey and one for Gavin. We searched for a Wi-Fi site and found one at Starbucks, where we quickly downloaded our email and sent replies.
We boarded the bus for the return trip to the pier and walked through an aviary next to the pier before boarding the ship. We were pleased to tip our guide for such a great job.

 Back on the ship, we dropped off our purchases and headed to lunch. For the afternoon, we spent some time resting on chaise lounges on deck, David enjoyed the sun and me the shade. 

At 6:00, the ship arranged for a group of musicians and dancers called African-Columbian to perform folk dances. They were very good, quite energetic. They had very colorful costumes in yellow, blue and red, the colors of the Colombian flag. Yellow for the country’s treasures, blue for oceans, and red for the blood of defenders of the country. Columbia has coastlines on both Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well as Caribbean Ocean.

 We dressed for 7:15 dinner and celebrated David Roupp’s 82nd birthday. The ship's doctor was at a nearby table. He stepped over and we exchanged pleasantries. He lives in Tucson and has practiced medicine for 47 years. 

 At 9:30, the ship began to move out of port toward our next destination. Time for me to start taking medication again.

March 11, Aruba Arrival, Saturday

We packed yesterday and set our bags outside for transfer to the terminal at 6:AM.

We got up at 7, walked to breakfast, and then returned to the cabin to remove David’s dressing. Pulling the gauze caused another ordeal with some bleeding, but overall the wound was looking better. One spot had a little pus even though we put the antibiotic ointment on it last night.

We left the cabin with hand luggage, stopped at reception to get our passports, exited the ship, got our bags at the terminal, and caught a taxi. I was surprised there was no immigration check.

We met our friends for lunch before they caught their flight back to the US. We are staying on in Aruba on our own for a few more days.

In the photo around the table are David W, Bonnie, David R., Stan, Heidi, Merilee.

Aruba is a Dutch-owned island, and the official language is Dutch. We noticed a heavy Dutch influence in the architecture.

But it seemed most folks on the street were speaking Spanish. Our cab driver's name was Roberto, which sounded Spanish, but his last name was Boekhoudt - that sounded Dutch.

David rented our place through VRBO. It is called Yoyita Suites Aruba. They sent directions which I gave to the driver, and he drove us right to the place. It was a large room and the resort had a pool, but VRBO had advertised it as 3 minutes from the beach, which wasn’t true. We requested the driver to wait while we unloaded our bags, and then we asked to go to the closest beach. He suggested the Holiday Inn and dropped us there.

We walked straight through the lobby and out to the beach to be met by beautiful white sand and turquoise water. Wow. Aruba delivers!

We found an umbrella and got settled. That worked for about an hour until a couple came to say they had this spot rented. They explained that the protocol was to reserve an umbrella and beach spot at noon the day prior. We relinquished our spot but quickly found shade near the building in an unclaimed space. The man whose spot we took was so kind as to help move our chairs to our new space.

We hung out until early afternoon when we decided to get lunch at one of the restaurants on the beach. I had a chicken quesadilla and David ate a tuna melt. Good lunch!

We decided to stay for the afternoon, so we rented an umbrella and settled in. 

We played in the water and watched the people and water sports. I saw four or five people riding a large inflatable in the shape of an oversized couch towed by a speeding boat. Lots of bumps resulted in squeals from the passengers.

Ready to call it a day, we stopped by the convenience store for some snacks to take to our rental. We were a short cab ride away, only $8.

We showered and shared my leftover quesadilla and some of the snacks as our dinner. We both felt tired from a day in the sun. David overdid the sun and was considering a day without sun tomorrow! 

March 12, Aruba Day 2, Sunday

Happy Birthday Granddaughter Madison! You are14 today! And getting ready for your choir trip to Florida!

We spent the night at our rented condo. This complex had 10 units, all on the ground floor. Our unit had two Queen beds, a bathroom, a small closet, and a mini kitchen with a microwave and apartment-size fridge. There was a large flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. The table sat outside in an alcove by the pool. We found a large, covered, common sitting area with couches, ottomans, and a coffee table. Everything was painted white with blue or turquoise accents, and a continuous loop of mellow sax jazz music played poolside. We also saw grills and outside showers.

Palm trees and some shrubbery comprised the landscaping. Aruba is a desert island, but rain was forecast for this afternoon.

We went to sleep early and slept until the alarm went off at 7. We didn’t mean to have an alarm, but it was left over from the ship yesterday. I turned it off and crawled back into bed, but we were awake and pretty soon we got up for the day.

We didn’t wrap David’s arm last night, so it stuck to his pajama shirt sleeve. Of course, it bled when he took the shirt off. But the wound was improving and stopped bleeding with some pressure.

We sat by the pool for a while reading and planning the day. We decided we would walk to the beach hotel area for breakfast.

Last night when I got out of the shower, I began looking around for my watch to put it back on. I did a pretty thorough search of the condo without finding it. Finally, it dawned on me. I didn’t take it off to get in the shower. I took it off at the beach to get in the ocean! Oh no! How could I have been so careless? Why didn’t I put it in my purse or shoe? Why didn’t we find it when we packed up to leave? Why didn’t I miss it before we left? I chided myself and prayed about it, my last thought last night and the first one this morning.

So that was on our minds as we walked back to the place where we spent the afternoon on the beach yesterday. I am fond of that watch. And I am still praying, although I’m not optimistic.  David had wanted to buy me a new one for my birthday, but I said no because I really like this watch.

We finally reached the place where we were on the beach yesterday. It was about 9:00 AM, early since we wanted to arrive before the place got busy. The guys had just set up the beach lounges and umbrellas. We looked around the area and moved some of the furniture, but nothing appeared. One of the men came to ask if he could rent us a spot. David told him about the watch, and he said he would go and ask if one was found. He came back and asked, “What brand was it?” That sounded promising! I answered, "Seiko," and he held out my watch! I was moved to tears! Answered prayer! Why wasn’t I more trusting? We thanked the worker profusely. God is good! This sure made my day!

Then I was ready for breakfast, counting my blessings and thanking God.

We checked the menu at a couple of the beach restaurants, settled on one, and sat down. The waitress brought menus with coffee and tea, but it was a long time before she took our order. We weren't in a hurry, however. We were on island time.

We finally ordered and eventually our meals arrived. The waitress must have misunderstood us because she brought David extra sausage even though his meal came with sausage. And she brought me two orders of wheat toast. Or maybe she’s just too busy. We were watching people on the beach. We were tickled at the excited kids jumping around. Two men set up the oversized chess board and begin to play. I might be intimidated to have all the passers-by judging my moves.

We headed inside to explore the options. We passed an ATM, so we discussed whether we wanted to get local money. We had US currency, and it was accepted here, but would we need more cash? It has been a consideration on every trip - how much money to exchange and where. We didn’t want to be stuck with too much foreign money. 

Over the years, we have learned not to exchange currency in the US before we leave. We wait until we arrive and withdraw local currency from an ATM. This avoids exchange fees and our bank card does not charge us for the international transaction.

We looked up the exchange rate and talked about what we would spend money on. Tours and food can go on credit cards. We really just needed cash for cab fares, so we passed the ATM for now.

At the tour desk, we looked at potential excursions, but choices are limited because we would leave on Wednesday. We checked with a second tour company which offered an off-road experience. The full-day tours were booked, but a half-day trip was available on Tuesday afternoon. David may be the one driving the Jeep! The adventure would be a sightseeing tour with some off-road. We hadn't been to Aruba before, so wanted to visit the landmarks and see the beaches. The schedule included a 30-minute swim time for two of the beaches.

This set the last two days of our schedule. Tuesday we would do beach time in the morning then lunch, then the 1:45 half-day tour. Wednesday would hold the final packing, last-minute shopping, lunch, and travel to the airport for a 3:33 pm departure.

That left today, Sunday, and Monday. We were in the hotel/beach/shopping area so opted to browse the shops and stop at the mini market for a few food items. We bypassed a timeshare saleswoman and the souvenir shops. Most stores were high-end places with a few local shops thrown in.

Many buildings had Dutch style architecture.

We walked until we were hot and ready for a cold drink. We found an open-air cafe, called Yolo, to sit for a while. We thought we might come back here for dinner.

We spent the afternoon at the beach.

 Done with the sun, we took a taxi back to the condo.

March 13, Aruba Day 3 Public transit to Baby Beach, Monday

The day dawned partly cloudy and muggy, still clammy with the high humidity from all the rain yesterday. The roads and walkways had puddles of water and muddy spots everywhere.

We bought six eggs in a clear plastic container which I assumed were boiled, but not! I thought I could boil water in the microwave to cook them. Not a good idea! The eggs exploded and made a huge mess inside the microwave. It took me a while to clean that all up!

We both decided to leave our watches at the condo. We packed up and walked to the Marriott asking a local where the bus stop was. She pointed it out on Main Street. The sign, in Dutch, said Bushalte. Bus halt. We waited only a few minutes before the bus arrived. We asked the driver for a round-trip pass, but he said he only sold one-way on the bus. We followed his advice, paying $5.20 for both of us to ride into the main bus terminal in Oranjestad, where we could buy a round-trip ticket to San Nicolas and change bus lines to go further south. We learned these buses do not go all the way to Baby Beach, but we could stop in San Nicolas where the minibuses park to hire one to take us to the beach.

We have often used public transportation when we travel. It’s a great way to get a local tour and see the folks riding the bus. A cultural experience. Since we are early many of the riders are reporting for work at the hotels. One young woman had on a Wendy’s uniform. On the way home, there were lots of kids going home from school.

The bus was inexpensive. As I said earlier, the public bus for our trip was two connecting routes. It was $2.10 each from the hotel zone into downtown. And the same on the return. In town, we bought two round trip tickets to San Nicolas. They were each $5. The public bus does not run all the way to Baby Beach, so in San Nicolas, we got off at the minibus station and each paid $10 each way from there to the beach, so $40 total for that.

I would guess the public bus routes were a total of 20 miles each way. The minibuses were less than 10 miles each way.

Baby beach is popular and pricey. It doesn’t cost to access the beach, but the concession to rent two lounge chairs and a cabana tent for shade was $60. Conde Nast 3 years ago named Baby Beach the number one beach in the world. It is a man-made beach in a lagoon shape with beautiful turquoise water and soft fine white sand that doesn’t get too hot to walk on. The water never gets much more than waist deep, almost like a swimming pool! Don’t go beyond the breakwater, as the dangerous rip tides have caused many drownings.

David sat in the sun. I don’t like to do that. I get too hot and worry about burning, so I lay on my lounge in the shade and read. David allowed me to spray him with sunscreen three times, so we controlled his exposure. He was red from the sun on the trip so far.

 We went to the restaurant for lunch. It was good. Back at the beach, I kept reading. I’m enjoying my book. David waded in the water and then sunned on his chaise and then back in the water to cool off. It was a lovely day.

We left about 2:00. It took us two hours to get here this morning and we didn’t want to start home too late. We offered our spot to folks from Canada who just came in today on a cruise, but the eagle-eyed vendors were not about to let that happen and charged these folks another $60. And they charge $2 to use the restroom too.

When we got back into the downtown area, we went shopping for an Aruba soccer Jersey. David’s favorite souvenir wherever we go is to get a local jersey. He likes to use them to sleep in. We asked locals where to look and tried three sport shops but found no gear. Both of the last two stores said that the team doesn’t sell its jerseys, so we gave up. We were getting tired anyway and ready to catch the last leg of our trip back to the hotel area to have a sunset dinner on the beach.

We got off at the Holiday Inn and walked through the lobby to the beach, then along the beach to find a nice restaurant. We stopped but they said they don’t open till 5:30. It was after 5 and we decided to find a spot in the shade to wait.

We were glad we did. The food was good, and we enjoyed the sunset over the water. There was a nice sea breeze and the evening seemed perfect. Our waitress took our picture.

We talked about the day’s adventures as we both were pretty tired. Yes, it would have been easier just to take a taxi to Baby Beach. But then we’d miss the local flavor. Isn’t that part of why we travel? A dilemma as we get older is how much energy do we have to spend on days like this?

We watched the sun set and hailed a taxi for the ride back to the condo.

We for sure are not wanting to try that walk in the dark! Too many hazards and few streetlights. We are ready to relax and crash.

Good night! 

March 14, Aruba Day 4 Tuesday

Today was sunny with only a few wispy clouds. We were gone 12 hours yesterday so want to take today at a slower pace. We ease into the morning, awake at 7:30 and reading by the pool.

Another part of our conversation yesterday was that David’s hearing loss causes him to depend on me to get information and negotiate situations. He wonders if that means he’s “losing it”. My opinion was no, but missing out on information limits his ability to participate in informed decisions. We saw the audiologist just before we left town and ordered new and improved hearing aids. She said the technology had improved and she expects these will help him hear better. We can pick them up on Friday after we get home. I am excited about this. David is more guarded, cautiously optimistic. More good news is that our Medicare Advantage Plan had added hearing aid coverage, so will pay about half the cost. The audiologist says he will not qualify for cochlear surgery because he has some hearing in his right ear, and you have to be deaf to qualify.

Today we had booked a half day island tour by Jeep leaving at 2:00. David will be driving, following a caravan of jeeps to the landmarks and scenic spots where we will stop and get briefings from the tour guide. It includes stops at two beaches for swimming.

We are relaxing and reading this morning and plan to leave around 11:30 to walk to the beach for lunch. We needed to be in the lobby at the Holiday Inn for the tour at 1:45.

David’s arm continues to heal slowly from the outside edges in. The outer edges are firm with skin or maybe scar tissue? But the larger inside area was still moist and weeping. You can blot the serum with a tissue. And it weeps on the sheet at night. Not infected and not hurting, thankfully.

Aruba promotes itself as The Happy Island. It says that on tee shirts and the license plates. It was friendly and safe.

We head for the beach at 11:30 and find a restaurant for lunch. I ordered a caprice salad and a margarita pizza. Either would have been plenty! David had a burger. I finished the salad and had one slice of pizza. I had the rest boxed up. Now I’m wandering around with a good-sized box of pizza. I don’t really want to take it on the tour.

We decided it would be good to get some extra cash and we knew where the ATM was at Holiday Inn. It gives us the option of cash in US dollars or Aruban Florin (Gilder). We wound up with $100 US. That will amply cover the taxi to the airport tomorrow, a tip for our tour guide today and other incidentals. We were already holding on to cash to pay our Uber driver when we get back to AZ.

We waited in the lobby of the Holiday Inn for our tour to pick us up. I approached one of the bell caps and asked if he can stow my pizza. He laughed and teased me that he will eat most of it but agreed to put the box aside for me and even though there will be a shift change before I get back, he will see to it. I gave him a tip.

Our tour bus showed up, a rickety bus without windows. It said Pelican Tours on the side. There are 10 of us who got on. George was the driver and guide. He drove the bus a few miles to where the Jeeps are parked. He made copies of driver's licenses for David and the other driver. George drove the third one. His instructions are, “If I go 20, you go 20. If I go 200, you go 200. At the roundabouts, the driver on the left has the right of way.” He pulled away with David right behind. David was a little nervous about how this was going to go. Two young women from New York were passengers in our Jeep.

We headed north to the California light house, the most northern point of the island. We got out and took pictures. 

Our next stop was the oldest church on the island. 

More photos. Now we went off-roading! George led us along a very rutted, rocky, bumpy, curvy, hilly coastal dirt road. We were bouncing, rocking, and bumping along. There were literally dozens of ATVs, Jeeps, 4X4s and all matter of off-road vehicles zooming up and down this long stretch of road, zipping around us and coming toward us from the other direction. Dust was kicked up and blown by the wind. I was glad we were at least inside a vehicle. We could see the sea waves crashing into the coast, sending huge sprays of water into the air.

 When we finally reached the pavement again, one of the women passengers said, “That was intense!” They both thanked David for driving.

We continued the tour across the back country, stopping at an abandoned gold mine processing site, a natural bridge, rock formations, and both beaches. We headed back at 6:45 and arrived at the Holiday Inn at about 7:30.

We walked across the street for dinner at a nearby small restaurant, then returned to get my pizza which was as promised, being safely held for me. We took a taxi back to the condo and congratulated ourselves on another great day of vacation.

Home tomorrow on March 15, Wednesday

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