Aruba 2012 Day 2 (page 2 of 10)

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Day 2: Ah, sleeping-in in paradise is wonderful - well, at least for those of us who can sleep in. Mike woke Greta up at 9 am Aruba time, which is 7 am MN time (she was TIRED)!

We really like our condo ( http://www.prestigevacationsaruba.com/37455 ) even though we are having a problem with the wireless internet router, but the wired internet works fine. Although it drives the tech-boys crazy, surfing the web isn't the main goal here!

First things first, we needed supplies. So we headed out to find Ling & Sons IGA Grocery Store, which fortunately was only a couple miles away. Thanks Tom & Sue Cook for the recommendation! It had all the American food we know plus a enough Dutch brands/products that Mike started to long for his homeland of the Netherlands.

We picked up some snacks, bread, bacon, eggs, Dutch cheese, Spanish Cheese, chocolate sprinkles (Dutch sandwich topping), English Licorice (Dutch licorice with a sugary candy center), diet Coke and some Dutch beer. Because Carnival is in town, we also got two collapsible coolers & a t-shirt free with the beer - all of which will be handy at the beach.

Aruba has the 2nd largest desalination plant in the world for water, and it tastes good. It's nice to know you can just drink it from the tap wherever you may be - no worry of Motezuma's revenge here! We had a snack of crackers & some Gouda cheese, and then decided it was time for some beach going.

Our hotel is across the road from Eagle Beach ( http://www.aruba.com/thingstodo/attractions/eagle_beach.aspx ), and so we loaded up our coolers, changed into swimwuits, slathered on the sun block & headed to the beach. Our condo provides beach chairs which we could carry over and the palapas (palm frond covered shade "umbrellas" permanently planted in the sand) were "first come first served" but there was one available when we got over there. We bobbed in the sea for a while, and sat in the hot sun while reading/relaxing. Sometimes the clouds would come over & a sprinkle of rain, but it never got cool like it can in MN when the clouds/rain comes through. We tried snorkeling but there was nothing to see right where we were. Mike & Greta walked a mile down the beach & back, and saw some areas where the surf was stronger & coral/rocks washed up on the beach, so maybe there were small reefs in that area where the fish were. But either way, it was a really, really nice day. The sugar-sand beach is just amazing and you can easily walk around barefoot.

We headed back to the room, although we were delayed as the two engineers in the group could not figure out how to collapse the chairs down again. But only a couple minutes into their attempts, the ladies at the palapa next to us (who had the same chairs, and probably were from the same place) came over and showed them the "trick". They said the first day or two, they just ended up carrying the chairs around fully extended because they couldn't figure it out! Too funny.

For supper, we took our Realty Agent's recommondation again and headed down to the Screaming Eagle, which was just a short block or two away. It is the sister-restaurant to "Flying Fishbone" where we will be dining on the beach on Valentine's Day. Between our Condo and the restaurant , there is a deserted construction site. We think something happened there that has caused the sewer to come bubbling up through the manhole there - ick. We opted to walk on the OTHER side of the street on the way back that night.

The food was beyond outstanding! We started off sharing some bruschetta & an ahi tuna cake. For entrees, Jim had the grouper, Trina had sirloin, Mike had Thai Carmelized Shrimp and Greta had the pan-friend mullet (it's not just for the 80's anymore - it's a fish too!). For dessert, Jim & Trina shared a brownie/ice cream dessert, Mike had banana fritters & Greta had the Carribean Trifle (sponge cake, meringue, whipped cream & something else yummy).

Then we had a slow walk back to the condo (AWAY from the bubbling sewage) and are taking it easy in the room.

So far, this has been an outstanding trip - and we've been here 30 hours so far!

Tomorrow, we have been told there is a big lighting parade for Carnaval in Orangestad, so we think that will be the big plans for the night. For the day - snorkeling up near Malmok & Arashi beaches. We can drive there in our rental car and wade in to see all the fish. Those that are not as well informed (thanks again to our sister-in-laws parents for their info) pay $$$ to go on a snorkel cruise & end up at exactly the same spot we are going to go to!

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