Sunny days

June 5, 2009 Maurice 1 Comment

Today was sunny and warm, again. The weather is so predictable here, you can’t even say “nice day”, because it’s just as nice as the day before! We headed over to the beach, and piled into the water at the Fisherman’s huts, just north of the visible wreck.

We learned a funny story about that wreck. The wreck was not always in it’s current location, in fact, people aren’t even sure where it came from. One morning it just appeared on the beach. How is that possible? Well it was the morning after Hurricane Lenny hit the area! Seems Lenny dredged it up and deposited it there!

The water was calm, and clear and there were tons of fish! The fish in June have different behaviours than in December. In the winter, the squirrel fish is remarkably shy, and runs and hides at your approach. The triggerfish will usually not allow a close approach either. But here in June, they seemed to be showing themselves off. But upon reflection, it’s not that they are showing off, it’s that they are guarding their nests! The squirrel fish is actually a bit aggressive, protecting the holes they have dug in the bottom to lay their eggs.

We spent nearly three hours in the ocean, since it was so beautiful and clear. It was just so hard to get out! The only problem is, we kinda burnt ourselves out!

We spent the rest of the day just relaxing around Caribbean Palm Village, our condo. I’ve posted a pic Pam took of the view out the front door of our condo. It has a nice big hot tub, and we’ve spent quite a bit of time in there too!

We wanted something simple for dinner, so we tried the New Wei Tai restaurant, which is supposed to be the best Chinese food on the island. It was very good! Better than a lot of Vancouver Chinese restaurants, that’s for sure. The General Tao’s chicken deserves special mention – spicy and crunch and saucy! Marvelous!

We went over to the little mall and got an ice cream cone and strolled around hand in hand watching the people go by. It was a really nice finish to another day in paradise.

Aruba, Vacations

No fish pics!

June 4, 2009 Maurice 3 Comments

Today was a strange day! We actually have no photos of fish to show you! We started the day at Arashi beach, but the wind was a little too strong and made visibility poor. We swam for about an hour, but figured it was pointless to be out here, so we decided to – um – shop!

I’ve stayed out jewelry stores quite religiously. I bought a 15 dollar steel ring, just for the fun of it, a few days ago. That’s been it. But we drove into town and as we exited the car, a fellow handed us a coupon for a free 5 carat ‘gemstone’ from Kay’s Fine Jewelry. Anyone who knows Pam, knows that free is one of her favorite prices.

It was a lovely gemstone, and it took very little persuasion for me to convince her to get it set in a chain. But then, earrings are better right? In either case, Sunny did a great job showing us the settings, and soon we were happy campers.

Then we just had to head over to A Touch of Gold, a place that last year was the place we talked about how friendly and professional they were. Click here to read that post from last year. Anyway, they recognized us right away! He showed us a necklace that matched the ring Pam bought last year, and well, there went my resolve! I just can’t resist sparkly things! Here’s the whole gang at Touch of Gold. Trust me, these guys are so good – such unique stuff. And let me tell you, on an island with 7000 jewellery stores, it’s nice to see something unique and wonderful!

Wednesday is also karaoke night at CPV. Last year that was a can’t miss event, and this year was no different. Pam was the unofficial videographer, and I’ve made the vids she took available online. I’ve put them on another of my sites, so you can download them if you want. The connection here is not good, and I’m having a tough time getting them there. if your vid is not there, it’s coming. Sorry for the delays. Most of the vids are 50 to 70 meg in AVI format – so when you download them, make sure you’ve got some time! If the singers in the videos do NOT want them here, let me know and I’ll delete them right away.

We finished the evening with dinner at Madame Janette’s. It’s located in a old cunucu – country house – and you dine in their courtyard. It’s very romantic. And the dinner’s don’t come much better than this. We were lucky to have come to Aruba during the only 2 week period in the year that they serve white asparagus. Asparagus is one of my fave veggies (and one of my fave sayings a la Augustus!) We ordered all our courses off the Specials Sheet. The appetizer of white asparagus poached in a Riesling wine, then baked with ham and cheese was so divine, I thought, we should stop here so we’re not disappointed! The main courses – schnitzel with asparagus and hollandaise for me and golden snapper with asparagus and a cream sauce for Pam – were every bit as good as the appetizer.

Desert of fresh pineapple soaked in rum with ice cream and coconut was simply to die for. The young lady who served us was attentive and prompt and friendly. All in all, you will not be disappointed in Madame Janette’s!

And finally, you didn’t REALLY think I’d make a post without a fish in it did you?? This is a picture of a Dusky Sergeant Major. In Curacao, the Sarge was nowhere near as prevalent as it was here in Aruba last year. But they don’t seem to be so dominant here either. I seem to remember seeing more of them.

Aruba, Vacations

Tuesday is Bingo

June 3, 2009 Maurice 2 Comments

The day started so calmly, we figured we’d take a drive down to the south part of the island and take a dip in Baby Beach. It seems to have undergone some improvements. There are a lot of palapa huts up there now, and they have added another place to get snacks. They’ve added another parking lot, so people don’t have to park on the road.

The swimming is nice of course. The sheltered cove is perfect for people wanting to just get in the water. It’s very sandy on the bottom, for quite a distance. When you approach the opening to the ocean, the water fills with fish! It’s really cool to see. I’ve written about it last time we were here – click here for more about our 2008 trip. One problem with Baby Beach – the best fish to see, are out in the “rough area” where the ocean is well oxygenated, and that makes taking a clear shot very difficult. The Black Durgon, a type of triggerfish, is one of my fave fishes, but I’ve never been able to get a decent shot of him.

We’ve been smart about the sun this time, Joy – we used this new invention called “sunscreen” – and you know what, it works! Usually I get burned in the first few days, but this time, we’ve just browned up. No burns. Well except maybe the bald spot on my head! Pam is starting to peel on her right arm and she is not to happy to have that blemish on her brown bean tan!

It got quite windy while we were there, so we headed over to San Nicholas and Charlie’s Bar, a local institution for over 60 years. The place is really a delight, with bric-a-brac from customers lining the walls, the ceilings, the table tops…. I’ve made a quick little movie that I hope will give you a sense of the place.

Lunch was amiable and goofy, with Andy and the rest of the staff making sure you all have a good time. They are famous for their peel and eat shrimp and with good reason! If you come to Aruba, the Baby Beach/Charlie’s Bar combo is a must! Peter had mentioned to Andy last year, that he had an old 1960 Alberta car license plate, and would Andy want it for the bar? Why yes! So we brought it here for Peter, along with a picture that was taken in 2008 of Peter, Pam and me. It was laminated so it should stand the test of time. Andy put our picture up right away but said it was not the best spot and he would find a better one, plus he would put the license plate up later (he eyeballed it and took it away as a coveted prize).

We made our way back up north to near Boca Catalina and found another easy entrance to the ocean. We found a fish called a Highhat – and close to them were these two little tiny baby ones. I tried diving down to get their picture, and stuck my hand under the rock and clicked the picture. The flash went off, and you can imagine my surprise when a BIG green moray eel pushed out from the rock and glared menacingly at me!

Pam suggested that perhaps I shouldn’t be diving down there again, and sticking my hand under rocks is not the brightest thing to be doing! 🙂 Hard to argue with that logic…

We came back to the condo to wash the salt off, and they had their welcome party. Last year they had a local artist there who made wonderful water colors of the DiviDivi tree and I regretted not getting one. Well, she was back, and this time – no regrets!

They had a Carnaval Dancer there too – and then suddenly we realized it was Cuba, the waitress at CocoLocos, all decked out. She looked sensational! And this woman can dance. Latin Ladies know how to move those hips, and man, she can move!

We had dinner at Bingos, a restaurant with mostly Dutch locals in it. People who came in waved to other regulars, and hugged the waitresses. We’d come here last year, and the food this year was of the same high standard. I had the steak special, with a cheese sauce and fresh veggies. They did a great job cooking the steak the way I asked for it – which is hard to do, cuz I like it well done. Pam had the chicken brochette with salad and it was simply too much food for her to eat.

The only problem is, I can see the end of our vacation fast approaching. Three more sleeps and we’re outta here! Still need to get to El Gaucho’s, we want to dive the Antilla, the largest wreck in the Caribbean, and we’re going to try to fit in the sunset cruise. Plus I’ve only been in ONE jewelry store – that is simply NOT enough. (Did I mention that I bought a ring in that one store? No? Oh – I did.)

Below is a movie of the fish columns I mentioned in the post yesterday. Enjoy.

Aruba, Vacations

Monday must be a shopping day!

June 2, 2009 Maurice 3 Comments

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.

Then it was over to the Crystal Casino to win back our money! Guess what? Didn’t happen.

Tuesday I think we’re heading down to Baby Beach.

Aruba, Vacations

Lazy Sunday in Aruba

June 1, 2009 Maurice 2 Comments

After breakfast we decided to check out Arashi Beach, the northern most beach on the island, near the California Lighthouse. We thought we’d swam this beach last year, but we had not. It’s very popular with locals, and most of the people there on Sunday were not tourists.

It’s easy to see why this beach is popular – it’s got a wide white sandy beach that goes out into the ocean for quite a while. It’s great for simply being in the ocean, without fins or masks – just to swim and play. But the snorkeling is amazing, too!

We finally saw our first turtle in the wild! That was very cool, very special. He was a hawksbill turtle, about 3 feet long. He was under the surface, and I was diving to get a shot of a little fish, when suddenly this beauty was there! We’ve waited a long time to catch one of these guys in the wild, and it’s so cool we did…

But there was something else at Arashi that was truly stunning to see. It’s difficult to describe what it was we saw – but there were literally millions and millions of fish, all involved in some intricate movements, flowing through the water. It was like a giant ballet – unique columns of fish like ribbons of moving color would flow and move and dart, all in perfect harmony, seemingly being directed by some underwater conductor. It was not some local thing – it was over hundreds and thousands of square meters – we swam for 20 minutes or more, just totally and completely surrounded by this mass of fish. It was intoxicating. I kept expecting the phenomenon to end, but it seemed to just go on and on forever. It was truly humbling. We are going to go back to Arashi in a couple of days to see if they are still there. Trust me, these pictures do not do this phenomena justice. Really, we were in awe.

We headed slightly south – less than a kilometre, to Malmok Beach, a beach we had visited last year while a baptism was going on. No baptism this year, just lots of families enjoying the ocean. It’s got a very sandy entry to the ocean, and there were a couple of Red Sail catamarans there, so you know the snorkeling is good!

We saw some “big” French Angels, and then each subsequent French Angel we saw seemed to get bigger! I’ve put up a pic of the largest we saw. Now the guide book says they grow to a maximum of 18 inches, but this guy must have been hanging around with A-rod, cuz he must have been two feet at least!

There was a huge peacock flounder – they are so cool to see move. They remind me of a magic carpet ride! Thin as a sheet of paper, they just wiggle a bit and they are gonzo! We also saw what we thought was a “miniature” porcupinefish – about 8 inches long, which was a webb burrfish. He’s a real shy guy, and tried to hide in the seaweed, but didn’t move off, even when I came within 6 inches of him.

Sunday is not a shopping day in most of Aruba, but they are trying an experiment near the high rise hotels, whereby they have created a mall of sorts, with lots of nice shops and restaurants that stay open late into the evening. Most shops close at 5 or 6 every day, so it’s nice to be able to walk around in the evening while the sun is down and do a bit of shopping.

We strolled around, watched a light show with dancing waters in the fountain, with Enya singing Caribbean Blue in the background. Very nice. We had dinner at Scala, a restaurant on the second floor, so we could watch the people stroll by below us. Dinner was amazing again. Wonderful food, wonderful service, wonderful ambiance, wonderful company. A brilliant conclusion to a brilliant day.