February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015

The ship docked at the pier in Oranjestad, Aruba about 7:30 a.m., just behind the larger Royal Caribbean ship Explorer of the Seas. The temperature was 25 C and the wind 13 knots, a moderate wind. We had a quick breakfast in the dining room and then went to the Theater to get our stickers for today’s excursion – Sea and See Land Tour. Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba and is named after 'Huis van Oranje' (Orange House), the name of the Dutch Royal Family in 1824 during the Dutch colonization. Most of Aruba's government buildings are located in Oranjestad and it is also the place for shopping.

From the pier we boarded a 40 passenger catamaran for a 45 minutes cruise from Oranjestad south to Palm Beach. Then had a 30 minute wait for an “air conditioned” bus land tour. The bus was a converted school bus, with the side windows removed so we had the full benefit of the 18 knot north east wind. We began with a stop at the 90 feet high California Lighthouse was built between 1914 and 1916 according to a French design. It was named after the steamship California which was wrecked nearby in 1891.From its location you get a view of the arid divi-divi small tree and cactus landscape including views of the north coast, the sand dunes area, and also towards the high-rise hotel area. Next stop was Alto Vista Chapel. This small restored Catholic chapel dates back to 1750. It was the first church built on the island. It also has views of the North Coast. Our next stop was Casibari Rock Formation in the center of the island which can be climbed using a boulder and rock stair path to the top (about five storeys), if you are wearing sturdy shoes. As we climbed, Larry noticed about 40 cm iguana that blended with the colour of the boulders. The clouds had thinned and you could see most of the island and the cruise ships in the harbour. We could see the highest point called Haystack Mountain, which is not too tall (168 meters). Along the route the bus driver, stopped by a typical Aruban house and explained that it is a Christmas tradition to paint the exterior of their homes. Over 80% of the Arubans are Roman Catholic.

We got back to the ship at 1:30 and had lunch on Deck 14’s buffet.  The wind is still blowing, there were fluffy white clouds, but it was sunny and the temperature is 27 C. After lunch, we left the ship again to walk a half kilometer to the downtown shopping area. We checked the stores that had free gifts of jewelry and discounts at both jewelry and clothing stores, before stopping at a bar for a local beer and a Sangria. We returned to the ship and booked another cruise in 2016, getting the bonus ship board credit for this cruise.  So far today we walked 8613 steps. 

Before dinner, we shared the Grand Foyer dance floor with from 2 to 6 other couples dancing to an eight piece band of Celebrity Orchestra members. They played 3 or 4 minute danceable pieces. It was the usual people at tonight’s table. Tonight is Top Chef’s night.  Each dinner menu item is a recipe from a Top Chef contestant.  The main menu choices we selected, after ordering a glass of wine, were appetizers Braised Beef Short Ribs; followed by Beet Minestrone Soup. The entrée we chose was a veal shop with mashed potato and brussels sprouts. Dessert was Crème Brule and New York Cheesecake from the regular dessert menu as well as a sample of Vanilla Tres Leche cake which was a nice light textured cake. The ship left Oranjestad at 8 p.m. The temperature was 25 C and the winds were still strong at 20 Knots.

After dinner, we climbed the stairs from Deck 3 to Deck 4 to dance at the Quasar Lounge with a prerecorded ballroom dance playlist. We joined by Chris and Marie and were the only two couples dancing. We all left just before the 9 p.m. show featuring the Tenors of Rock.   We detoured to the Café Al Bacio, on Deck 5, to order “Iglu” frozen coffee beverage and took them to the theatre which was full and standing room only, so we returned to the cabin. The casino was not too busy so Larry played some Blackjack while I finished the blog. Final steps 12,394.

Overnight low is 24 C with a predicted high for tomorrow of 31 C under a sunny sky and a moderate wind.