“Dutch influence still lingers on this balmy Caribbean island, part of the former Netherlands Antilles until its independence in 1986. Aruba is a contrast: the island’s arid interior is dotted with cactus and windswept divi-divi trees while secluded coves and sandy beaches make up its coast. Aruba’s long and colorful heritage is reflected in its dialect. Called Papiamento, it is a tongue that combines elements of Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, African and English.” – Princess Patter
Frances and I visited Aruba twenty years ago on our first transit of the Panama Canal. We thought it was a desert and boring. We did not have very high expectations for this visit. We were pleasantly surprised!
As you can see from the picture below, the port city of Oranjestad has be been built up a bit in the past twenty years …
We began our tour with a bus ride to a rock garden (Casibari Rock Gardens).
Next we went to an ostrich farm where we saw ostriches and emus and I was induced to feed some ostriches …
Further on we saw the remains of the Natural Rock Bridge which collapsed in 2005 and the ‘Baby Bridge’ that still survives …
Our final stop was the California Lighthouse. So named because it was built in response to the sinking of an English ship en route to California …
After our tour was over, Frances and I spent some time wandering main street in downtown Oranjestad and, then we returned to the ship.
