Day 5

The pictures are:
. . . That’s our ship in the background.
. . . The Marriott – we are in the right wing, front corner.
. . . Barb with “punch” on the ship.
. . . Dinner

The day started out like the last couple except even later. Ed was on the beach by 10:30 and Barb was there by 11:00 – relaxing is wonderful!!!

We had lunch on the beach consisting of a yogurt and banana for Ed and a strawberry smoothe for Barb – what a great lunch.

Then at 2:30 it was on to the pier to board the ship the Jolly Pirate.

We spent the next 3 hours sailing up the north coast and stopping twice to snorkel. The water is unbelievably clear and there were lots of fish. The third stop was for the kids to swing off the side of the ship into the water. We decided to not try it.

This sun is really hot and we still haven’t gotten past spf 4 lotion. This may be the first southern trip we have ever had where we did not use oil. But, Barb probably will tomorrow!

Dinner was a chicken cordon blu on the beach that we split and it was great. When we ate it was 81 and getting colder.

Then it was on to the casino and for only the second time since 1993, we have had a losing trip in the casino. We might not even go tomorrow night to cut our losses.

Night for now.

Day 4

The Pictures are:

. . . Small boats and kitesurfing.

. . . Dinner

. . . Ed's favorite food stand!!

What a routine – we went to bed early at midnight and Ed was up at 9 to have breakfast and reserve some beach chairs.

Barb was at the beach by 10 and until 2:30 we were on the beach. This was probably the best day with virtually no clouds and we came close to getting too much sun. We walked a lot and had fun watching the windsurfers and kitesurfers. With the wind here, they really can travel fast.

We then sat on our balcony for the rest of the afternoon. The balcony is 50’ long and we sat in the shade side overlooking the pool and talked and people watched – it was just relaxing fun.

When it was time for dinner, we walked down to the strip mall about ½ mile away and ate at a local restraurant.

Back to the hotel for a short break and then into the casino to try to win back some of our money and we didn’t do it. Ed played for a long time at his table and Barb had miserable luck at the slots – oh well, maybe it will be better tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be another day like today except we are going snorkeling at 3 – should be a lot of fun. This blog is being posted tomorrow because we were tired when we got in last night - sorry about that.

Day 3

The pictures are:

. . . Sunset at the pier

. . . Another lizard - there are a lot of them and yes they are big!!

. . . Dinner on the beach

We are starting to adjust to island life. Ed woke up at 8 and went down and saved some beach chairs and then went back to sleep. Up at 9:30 and over to breakfast, back to the room to change clothes and we both were out to the beach at 11. A perfect start to a relaxing day.

We ate a hot dog on the beach and enjoyed the almost perfect sky with the temperature again at 87 degrees.

This is probably the first time forever that we have both used spf 4 lotion for the first two days. Don't know if we can switch to oil tomorrow or not. The sun is really hot.

We cleaned up at 2 because we couldn’t be in the sun any longer without burning. It was off down the beach to see a Marriott time share resort next door and its lazy tubing river that it has on the grounds.

Then it was on to a local shopping strip where we shopped and then we split a sandwich for dinner at a cute bar on the beach.

The evening finished with a trip to the casino where we played blackjack with some people we met yesterday – the table was fun but the results were not. Oh well, we have started down before, but it is never fun.

Tomorrow we start it all over again.

Night for now – miss everyone.

Day 2

The Pictures are:

. . . Our room is the second floor corner.

. . . Two pictures from our room, 1 from each of the balconies

. . . Downtown

This was the first real day of the trip and we totally relaxed. Barb is close to getting over her bronchitis and Ed is about 75% over his – whatever it was. But there is nothing like the sun and sand to help recover.

Anyway – Ed reserved our chairs by the pool when he went to breakfast and we stayed by the pool until 1pm. Then we cleaned up and set up everything with the casino. It is a nice size one. Then we hopped the public bus and rode about 15 minutes into the town.

Nothing is very far away as the island is only 5 miles wide and 19 miles long. We shopped in the stores for a while and then at 5 headed back on the bus, stopping along the way at a shopping center area down the beach from the hotel where we walked around and ate dinner and walked along the beach till we came to our hotel.

Then it was back to the hotel to relax for a little bit and onto the casino.

The casino doesn’t start to get busy until 9 so we will be up late but we can sleep late.

The casino didn’t give either of us a win tonight, but we didn’t lose much. After a walk on the beach it is now time to say goodnight.

Aruba – Day 0ne

Just a friend by the pool - 18 inches!!

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The beach - day 1

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The bedroom

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The sitting area

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Getting up at 4am is no fun but when you are on the beach in Aruba at 4:30pm the same day it isn’t all that bad.

The weather was perfect and 87 when we landed at 3:05 and we were actually checked in and on the beach at 4:30. The water is really, really warm and sand is easy to walk in.

They upgraded us to a huge room with a double wrap-around balcony. The room is 500 square feet. We will take pictures tomorrow outside to show you the room.

We went to a sports bar next door to split a sandwich and sat in the Michael Jordan booth and had a great chicken blt.

We never gamble the first night so it is early to bed and up and out to the beach in the morning.

We already miss everyone back home!!

Spring trip to Aruba

We are getting ready to go to Aruba.

Our schedule is:
Leave Bloomington on Thursday, February 26 at 6:05 am on Delta flight 5090 for Atlanta
Leave Atlanta on Delta flight 305 at 10:20 am arriving in Aruba at 3:33 pm - a 4 hour flight!!

We are staying at the Aurba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino - ph 297-586-9000.

Returning to Bloomington On Wednesday, March 4, leaving Aurba at 4:13 pm on Delta flight 304 for Atlanta.
We leave Atlanta for Bloomington on Delta flight 564 arriving home at 10:32 pm.

The best picture!!

This is one of the best pictures that we have ever had taken on a cruise!!