DAY 4 - ARUBA, DUTCH ANTILLES - JANUARY 30, 2010

WE HAVE FINALLY REACHED OUR FIRST PORT OF CALL...ARUBA. THE ROUGH SEA AND HIGH WINDS PLAYED ITS TOLL ON OUR ARRIVAL INTO ARUBA. WE DOCKED 1 HOUR LATE, NOON, AND MOST EXCURSIONS WERE DELAYED. DEPARTURE WAS ALSO PUSHED BACK AN HOUR.

OUR EXCURSION CHOICE WAS TO GO TO THE BEACH UP THE COAST. IN AS MUCH AS WE HAVE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST, AND THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES ON THE CRUISE WE HAVE NEVER SEEN, THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY TIME WE WILL HIT THE BEACH. HOWEVER BEFORE BEING DROPPED OFF AT THE BEACH, OUR DRIVER TOOK US TO THE CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE FOR A PICTURE TAKING SESSION.

THE BEACH SITE WAS LOCATED BETWEEN THE HOLIDAY INN AND MARRIOTT PROPERTIES. THE WATER WAS A LITTLE COOLER THAN EXPECTED BUT ADJUSTED QUICKLY AND HAD A GOOD TIME. BEACH TIME LASTED ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS. SHORTLY BEFORE OUR TIME WAS UP GEORGIA AND I WALKED ALONG THE SHORE PASSED THE THREE MARRIOTT PROPERTIES.

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME RAIN CLOUDS SCATTERED ABOUT WE MANAGED TO GET LOTS OF SUN. WE DIDN’T GET BURNED BUT ARE NICELY COLORED BERRIES.

AS WE BEGAN OUR RETURN TO THE SHIP I ASKED THE DRIVER TO LET US OFF BEFORE GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY GATE TO THE SHIPS. ABOUT HALF THE FOLKS ON THE BUS GOT OFF. GEORGIA AND I WERE LOOKING FOR A QUICK STOP TYPE STORE IN ORDER TO PICKUP SOME SHAVE CREAM. MY EXCELLENT MEMORY RECALLED THAT OUR SEARCH WOULD TAKE US VERY NEAR A DUNKIN DONUT...SO GUESS WHERE WE STOPPED FIRST?

WE EVENTUALLY FOUND THE “HONG KING” STORE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM ANOTHER TOURIST IN THE DONUT SHOP. LIKE ALL TRIPS TO ANY QUICK STOP STORE, WE PURCHASED MORE THAN THE SHAVE CREAM. OUR ARRIVAL BACK TO THE SHIP WAS 30 MINUTES AFTER OUR SCHEDULED DINNER TIME AND WE THEREFORE TOOK THE TIME TO SHOWER BEFORE HEADING TO THE BUFFET.

AFTER DINNER I TOOK THE LAPTOP TO THE INTERNET CAFE TO SEE IF RICHARD COULD HELP ME THROUGH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS I WAS EXPERIENCING. WE WORKED THROUGH MOST OF THEM BUT THE SYSTEM STILL DOESN’T LOGOFF THE USERS QUICKLY AND HAS THE TENDENCY TO KEEP THE MINUTE USAGE RUNNING, AND THEREFORE DRAINING YOUR POOL OF AVAILABLE MINUTES.

I SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR IN THE CAFE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE CABIN. MUM AND I THEN WENT TO SEE THE SECOND SHOW. TONIGHT WE HAD AN IMPRESSIONIST, JOEY VAN. HE HAD HIS MOMENTS WITH A FEW GOOD ROUTINES. HE MADE GEORGIA LAUGH. AFTER THE SHOW AND BEFORE HEADING TO THE CABIN WE STOPPED AT THE CASINO...TO WHICH PEOPLE PLAY THE PENNY SLOTS. WE PLAYED FOR AN HOUR WITH A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF $15.

TOMORROW IS A DAY AT SEA. AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING THE WATERS SEEM FAIRLY CALM, WITH JUST A SLIGHT BIT OF ROCKING. IT SHOULD MAKE FOR A RELAXING NIGHT OF SLEEPING.