Aruba

Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Sat 21 Dec 2013 16:51
We never actually managed to go paddle boarding last week after all our wonderful plans! We had decided to do our last dive on Sunday morning, so we didn't get rushed on Monday, what with a shopping trip planned and also needing to settle our bill at the dive centre and clear out at customs.
The last site we visited was 'Something Special' and it would have been lovely apart from the cruise ship which was docking while we did it. The noise underwater was deafening and so loud you could feel the vibrations through your body the whole time which rather spoilt the dive as the usual relaxing feeling was definitely missing! That said, the dive was lovely with lots of fish and beautiful coral, so not all bad!
Instead of cycling to the beach we took the easy option and loaded the bikes into a taxi. The wind was blowing from the east quite hard and, as we had to cross the island from west to east, we would have been cycling hard into it all the way, but coming back would be much easier on our now very tired legs! Even the beach did not quite live up to expectations this time though. When we arrived it was howling a gale, and just as we got our lunch it started to pour with rain, the bar owners were hastily trying to erect wind breaks out of tables and old tarpaulins to protect us. By the end of lunch, both Suzanne and I were wrapped in our beach towels to keep warm - so much for the Caribbean sunshine!
The next day, Monday, John and I decided that, as the supermarket was quite good in Bonaire, we should start the big stock up for the trip through Panama. I have been putting this to the back of my mind for ages, and basically trying to ignore it simply as there is simply so much to do and buy and organise. It made sense to start with non perishables and so, after a full boat audit, and the preparing of menus etc it was time to bite the bullet and make a start. It was like shopping for a siege, but one that only we knew was coming - you definitely get some funny looks at the checkout when you have a trolley full of tinned food, with 15 of each! Once bought, the next trick is finding the space to put it all. I had been up really early on Monday morning sorting cupboards and reorganising all the spaces, so the first batch went away nicely.
On Tuesday we set off for Curaçao, with the intention of staying there overnight on the way to Aruba. We planned to stay a few days in Aruba while the weather calmed down enough for us to proceed towards Santa Marta in Columbia in time for Christmas.
The trip to Curaçao was calm and uneventful. We decided not to stay, as checking in and out would take half a day each. So, we dropped the anchor and, after a few hours rest,we set off overnight to Aruba. That again was quite an easy run, the seas were relatively steady, with just the odd rogue wave thrown in to keep us on our toes.
In Aruba, we have been staying in the Renaissance Marina, attached to the hotel and have had a lovely time. Yes, Aruba is basically a big cruise dock, but with Christmas just around the corner it was good to have the chance to pick up a few small gifts and bits and pieces. We also managed to fit in another huge tinned food shop - the lockers under the kitchen floor are now almost entirely full and we have started using the spare cupboards in the salon area - I don't think I have ever owned as much food as we do now!
Being on the dock means that you can go ashore for a drink, have dinner out and get dressed up knowing that getting ashore won't involve a wet, salty dinghy ride ride and is definitely a treat. During the day we have spent the mornings doing job and shopping etc, and the afternoons lounging by the hotel pool, as one of the perks of being in this marina is full use of the hotel facilities. Oddly enough I have just realised as I am writing this, that I haven't taken a single photo while we are here. Before I sign off and post this I will try and get a couple.
Tomorrow we leave for Santa Marta. The trip will take about 36-40 hours, so we leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow which, as we have just had the shortest day, is about 7am, and should arrive in Santa Marta about 7-8pm on Monday night. As the marina will be closed by then, we will anchor outside and then tie up on the dock on Tuesday. We have met a lot of people who are heading that way for Christmas so there should be lots going on. The weather for the trip should be fairly reasonable, maybe a bit lumpy at times, but mostly manageable, certainly for the boat, as far as the crew are concerned it may be a different matter!

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Just to prove we actually did go to Aruba!!!!

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