One Happy Island: Aruba

Looking toward Baby Beach, Aruba

After more or less successfully resisting the temptation to join the crowd of grumblers during our three hour delay at JFK, we finally took off. Landing in Aruba four hours or so later was enough to make everyone all smiles. The Marriott Aruba Surf Club is quite new, and we spent the first evening and next morning exploring its grounds as well as the sister properties: the Ocean Club and Stellaris casino next door. Although there were a lot of people around, it didn’t seem overly crowded. American tourists dominated by far, and there were many older couples and families with children. We took the bus to downtown Oranjestad and had a quick look around. It didn’t take long to see that this was the place to be if you were looking to shop. All the big-name players were there selling high-fashion, clothing, sunglasses, jewelry and watches. Malls abound, and if you’re looking for good bargains on European imported luxury items, Cuban cigars or Dutch treats, you’re in luck.

There were several large cruise ships docked on the wharf, and the day trippers were loaded onto colorful, loud party buses for a spin around the island. We walked in the opposite direction, and hit the local supermarket to stock up for the week. Food shopping itself was a highlight. We took our time selecting Dutch cheeses, fresh bread, handmade sausage, seasoned chicken, organic eggs, coffee, fruit and pasta. Reading labels to figure out flavors and calculating how many grams of ham to ask for were challenges we greatly enjoyed. Oh, and we got a great deal on a case of Venezuelan Polar, Donny’s beer of choice on our last trip there. We made a great dinner that night including our hot and spicy kip (the chicken), pasta with cheese, and the bottle wine the front desk manager sent up after we had some issues checking in. The casino provided the after-dinner entertainment, and our winnings inspired us to rent a jeep the following day.

Click HERE to link to the photo album from Aruba.