Blogs from Aruba, Central America Caribbean - page 2

Wow, it is Thursday already!! Guess what we did at 7 am? Jumped up and went birding at the Spanish Lagoon of course. Can’t beat the photo of the Ruby-topaz humming bird taken the other day, but there’s a really cute one of the hummer with a HUGE bare-eyed pigeon on the same branch. You can imagine lots of subtitles for that.And another where he is displaying his lovely red fanned tail. We returned home for a small breakfast and to change into our snorkeling gear – let’s see how the drift looks at Mangel Halto. It was THE BEST ever. Hardly any waves or current and so very clear. We had so much fun just exploring near the entrance to the drift because a local coming out as we entered suggested we go “upstream,” which ... read more

…and we did – eat breakfast outside, that is. (Just checking to see if you'd read yesterday's post.) This enormous mango was ripe, even though it was very hard. It tasted great in our oatmeal. Then we were off to Mangel Halto for the first drift snorkel this year. Yes, the seas were rougher than the calm days we’d seen of it, but not much more so. David did the usual: dropping me off at the “hole in the wall” that the divers use to get outside the rocky reef, and then driving back to Mangel Halto, and walking about 8 minutes back to me. We got in at the usual dock area, and the water felt cold at first, but we soon got used to it. As usual it was sediment-y until after the breakwall ... read more

Off to Tres Trapi, the turtle area, and darn if Hungry Turtle wasn’t there, as usual, in the tender turtle grass just maybe 60’ at the most from the steps where you enter. But this time he also brought his two cousins. We also saw a Southern Stingray (which only Tom saw before) and got a photo of a single white mullet – not a very interesting fish, but one we needed a photo for. We didn’t see much else, so we headed out further and – yep – we got the pika pika bites again. Interesting how something that is in effect sediment in the ocean can stay in more or less the same place, thru storms and currents. It actually rained on us, and there was a lovely double-rainbow in the sky. Back home ... read more

Yes, it sure rained last night, judging from the huge and deep puddles, and was still doing so this am. So we got to poke around the room in the early hours – including doing some much-needed laundry (there are laundry rooms on every other floor of the building). The locals made it sound like today would be dreadful, but it cleared off and, while the winds were still up and coming from the “wrong” direction, it has been a lovely day. We checked out our Tres Trapi place (where we saw Hungry Boy turtle) and the waves were crashing over the rocks! We then stood and watched the kite surfers and wind surfers enjoying the winds at Hadicuri. Then we visited the Holiday Inn, where Tom and Amy had stayed about 30 years ago when ... read more

8:30 am and we are off and at’em, with a quick trip to the Huchada Bakery to get a frappochino each to go. But it turned into NOT such a quick trip. Yes, it’s always been busy – with maybe 4 people in front of us, but this was PACKED. Was David telling people about them too? Anyway, frapps in hand, we drove to Baby Beach, but not on Big Mama’s side, but on the n.e. side, near the padi dive shop. We had been recommended to try it for turtles. There were lovely sea oat trees for shade, and a sandy entrance. We did not see any turtles though, although conditions were lovely and calm and warm and not very deep. Then a huge black cloud finally drew near so 3 of us got out ... read more