02 | June | 2009 | Snorkeling the ABC Islands

Monday was very busy. We took in three beaches, did some shopping downtown, spent some time in a casino, then in the afternoon….

First we took in a beach just south of where we dove yesterday. It was nice, saw tons of fish of course, but mostly the usual suspects. One thing I saw that was unusual was five French Angels swimming together. Usually they are pretty solitary guys.

Next we had a quick bite at the end of the highrise hotels, in a small beach cafe. Food was soooo cheap, and very good. It’s near the Divi Palace, so we decided to try their fancy beach. It’s protected by two breakwaters, and has an incredibly sandy entrance. It was fairly cloudy, and difficult to see – but we did see a lobster – most unusual as they are nocturnal. And I saw what I thought was a shark. Pam kinda pooh-poohed the idea til she saw the picture! I leave you to judge….

We got in the car and headed north back to near where we dove in yesterday. It was really cool – got to see a triggerfish, and the world’s largest trumpetfish – well over 5 feet long – and we actually swam over to where we saw the porcupine fish again. He was still in his cave hiding.

We got out of the ocean, made a quick pitstop at the condo and headed downtown for some shopping. Guess what? My underwater camera died again. So this one is headed back to Olympus – but we picked up another at the same shop we bought this one last year!

We went into the shop that sells Inti masks, and the lady immediately recognized us! The Inti make masks, carvings of animals, birds, religious icons etc then “paint” them with this vegetable matter. It is not a liquid, but a kind of coating, that they knead, and mold, and stretch using their hands and teeth! It’s then put on the carvings, in intricate patterns. The final result is a gleaming, colorful statue or wall hanging that is uniquely Aruban.

We had a great dinner at Iguana Joes. We both had the keshi yena, a typical Aruban dish. It’s a bit like lasagna, without the noodles! Its origins are from the old sea vessels. They carried cheese, and scooped out the soft interior. The hard exteriors were filled with spices, meats, raisins, currants, and then baked. Marvellous! The woman who served us was unbelievably over worked, but did such an amazing job! She was visibly pleased when we ordered the keshi yena. Most people were there for nachos, burgers and fries.