20.12.2021 - 04.01.2022: Aruba (3)

Calendar:

20.12.2021 – 04.01.2022
Aruba beach villas, island trips, birthday, Christmas, New Year's Eve

Noteworthy:

Sylvia organized the perfect birthday surprise: for this day, she chartered the motor yacht "Melina" for deep-sea fishing. So we got up at 6 a.m. on December 22, 2021, and at 7 a.m. we met Captain Rocky and Junior, the crew of the Melina, at the fisherman's pier Hadicurari. Junior is a small wiry and taciturn seafarer. Junior and I, as a senior, fit together perfectly, I thought to myself. However, Junior already has 63 years under his belt, so I could pass on the senior role for once...

Altogether, we set up 4 fishing rods with huge baits: the ambitious Junior clapped his hands more and more nervously after an hour without a catch and whistled as if he wanted to invoke Poseidon himself and ask for a catch. At the same time, he incessantly tapped on the edge of the Melina. Apparently, it worked: After a little over an hour, there was a commotion on the Melina: The first Barracuda bit, I turned and turned the never-ending fishing line and already got a slight cramp in my upper arm. (Manolin) Junior then helped me to take the catch on board (he even had space on the Melina); so there was still some Hemingway feeling. The second Barracuda followed shortly after another hour, and after that, Junior also became more relaxed, especially since the day could now be counted as successful for him.

In total, we cruised for 4 hours at the California Lighthouse in the increasingly rough sea. The thudding sonorous diesel engines of the Melina and the strong waves tired us more and more. We also crossed other fishing boats. Junior communicated with the other skippers by hand signals, where the spots with the best fishing prospects were and how many fish had already been caught. With us, it remained at the two caught Barracudas.

At around 11 a.m., we docked again at the Fisherman Pier. Junior expertly dissected one of the two Barracudas and handed us the tender fillets, the rest was taken over by the already eagerly waiting pelicans. We took the fillets directly to the restaurant next to the pier, where the catch was prepared deliciously on the same day. An unforgettable experience for our 60th birthday!

During the holidays, some more guests arrived at the Aruba beach villas, but even now, the apartments are only occupied to a maximum of 50 percent. Here we met Ken and Mary, a very sympathetic American couple from Cincinnati, Ohio. Sylvia and I already toasted to the new year by Swiss time. However, we stayed up later and welcomed the new year together with Mary and Ken on their terrace. On New Year's Day, the four of us chilled on the beach in front of the apartments and watched the few fit kitesurfers.

On December 29, 2021, we rented an ATV. We planned to explore the Arikok National Park with it. However, for 2 years, scooters, ATVs, or quads have not been allowed in the park anymore, only cars are still allowed. We found a great alternative: From the California Lighthouse, there is a sandy road that runs along the entire coast to the natural bridge. From there, heading south becomes very steep: we bounced over uneven mountain slopes and were afraid several times that our ATV would tip over. A terrain KTM gave up and turned back, a big Jeep also got stuck.

In any case, we were extremely relieved when we arrived in the south of Aruba again after a good hour on better drivable roads. Our lunch at Zeerover in Savaneta was delicious. Here, the only menu prepared is the catch of the day, with added shrimp. When the catch of the day is used up, the restaurant closes...

San Nicolas is Aruba's second-largest city. A huge refinery plant that has been shut down since 2012 dominates the cityscape. During World War II, the Axis powers fired the first shots on America here on February 16, 1942. The mission was to interrupt fuel production. The German and Italian submarines apparently successfully sank several merchant freighters with torpedoes, but the air projectiles were too weak for the onshore tank depots.

By the entrance to Seroe Colorado, an unmistakable giant red anchor stands, one of the most photographed subjects in Aruba. The anchor impressively weighs 22 tons and was apparently manufactured in Germany. The memorial plaque dedicates the anchor to all seafarers.

We deliberately booked our stay in Aruba beyond the holidays to avoid unnecessary travel during these days, as so many people are on the road and the prices for accommodations inevitably become more expensive. The right decision, also in light of the current flight cancellations due to Omicron. As feared, the number of COVID cases is exploding here in Aruba, the 7-day incidence is currently (December 31st) at a frightening 2,383 cases. The Aruban government has therefore taken measures: Several of the floating breeding tanks were denied entry, and apparently, the beaches are no longer allowed to be used after 7 p.m.

For our onward journey, we found out which direct flights depart from Aruba. Unfortunately, the offer is not huge: in addition to Curaçao and Bonaire, destinations in the United States and Colombia (Bogota) are mainly served, but we were not so interested in that. Finally, we found something: From Aruba, there is a flight (with a layover in Curaçao) to Sint Maarten (or the French part: St. Martin). Our apartment directly on the beach (of course booked on Airbnb...) looks promising, we are excited; we leave on January 5th, 2022.