On Sunday the 15th October 2017 we docked early in Oranjestad in Aruba.
Our cruise through the Panama Canal started in Fort Lauderdale and would take us to to Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and finally San Francisco and then onto Monterey.
Breakfast in the Bordeaux Restaurant
When I threw back the curtains the ship was already docked at Oranjestad. When we had booked the cruise we mistakenly thought that the ship would be in Aruba for a full day. Once we had the itinerary when boarding we had discovered that the visit would be just for a half day. Our plans to go and find a beach had to be put on hold for another time.
Our breakfast was in the Bordeaux restaurant where we were joined by 4 residents of California. I stuck with tea, toast, orange segments and a ham and cheese omelette with a little bacon.
We heard about flights being delayed out of San Francisco because of the smoke from the fires burning away from the city. Each of our table companions had stories to tell about the 1989 earthquake and the aftershocks.
One of the couples lived in Sunnyvale and told us about the troubles that companies such as Google and Apple were causing in the area. Traffic delays and the hiking up of house prices being the worse of it all. The companies were now building apartment blocks for their staff in order to get planning permission to build even more offices!
The housing inflation is such that a $20,000 house 30 years ago was now worth $1.2 million!
Back in our cabin we looked out and watched passing yachts as we changed for our short time ashore.
Back out on deck we had a look at Orangestaed and there was one other ship docked behind the Coral Princess.
Oranjestad
We left our ship and headed out through the cruise terminal and onto Main Street. It was only 8.30 am and most of the stalls leading up to the gates were not yet open. Diamonds International just past the gate, however, was open and was already busy. Traffic down the street was light but the it was early on a Sunday.
We walked to the Renaissance Mall and had no luck finding any working free wi-fi. The mall’s security guards seemed determined to move anyone on using a laptop to connect. We watched this repeated a few times while I tried to connect with my phone.
Past the hotel and mall is the Aruba sign and we took pictures there to use on our postcards via the Internet. We then walked back up the street to the bus station and there we could see that the Oranjestad battery operated trams were all locked up and not running.
I did find some graffiti art in an empty lot as we walked along the back street to the large supermarket. But that too was closed all day Sunday.
Just past the supermarket was a small square and there were people huddled around there all using their phones.
We both managed to get connected, download emails and new Kindle e-books and catch up with out WhatsApp messages.
It was definitely time for a break and cut back through the empty mall to the bar opposite and it was Balashi time.
From our table outside the bar we had views of Coral Princess and some of the boats at anchor in the small harbour.
By now more shops were open and even the Hard Rock shop was now unlocked. After my previous experience there we walked by and went into the ‘One Aruba’ souvenir shop. Traffic was picking up on the street
Inside the staff at the counter were being pressed by a tourist that someone had stolen his camera bag. It seems that it had been left on top of a T-shirt display. When he went back someone had taken it. Buying my Balashi T-shirt provided them with some light relief and at $19 wasn’t too bad a bargain.
I went around the empty block of shops and the more interesting street art from my last visit to Oranjestad had been painted over. This was all that remained.
The port authority were not searching everyone at the gates as we had encountered on previous visits, so we were quickly back on board.
Leaving Oranjestad
On our bed we found health declaration forms for our visit to Nicaragua. These had to be ready in the next 24 hours. I skipped all the irrelevant phone numbers, hotel addresses and contact numbers where we would be staying as this did seem pointless for a day’s visit off a ship.
Out on Deck 15 we watched the final passengers returning to the ship at around noon. Being late they missed out on the ice cold face cloths and water that we received by the gangplank as we boarded.
At about 12.20 pm the Captain announced that once the lines were being let go we would be leaving. I took my last pictures of the quayside.
We passed the resorts at the end of the main streets.
As we passed the end of the runway an American Airlines plane came past to land.
I was hoping for some sea life as we left port but we saw none. Our lunch was in the ‘English Pub’ set up in the Bayou Restaurant.
The place was packed and we had to sit outside an wait our turn. Lunches were being served on every available table including the ones in the bar area. There was a Happy Hour Special on Alaskan beer and here’s mine.
We both ordered fish and chips. Once the meals arrived there wasn’t any space on the little table for even the salt and pepper! The beer was excellent and after the fish and chips I added bread and butter pudding to my calorie intake of the day so far. I didn’t feel too bad as the lady on the next table to us ordered a second fish and chips