Hello From Aruba!

Hello to all my friends & yes I'm in Aruba on vacation this week.. I must say this is my first time & it is HUMID as hell!!! Then again a little drinking (you must be 18 or older here) & jumping in the ocean will fix that.. People here are VERY friendly.

I walked on the beach yesterday & wanted to grab our beach bag & start filling it with the white sugar sand to bring home, but I'm sure customs would have a problem with that.. I did though find some nice small pieces of live rock & bits of dead coral that I am bringing back, of course it will no longer be LR...

Anyone else, been here before? Also is there any LFS here? I'd love to score a connection here.

Going back outside to enjoy my Cuban cigar..

 

Go for the Mangroves!!!!

Have an excellent time, and let sun screen be your best friend.

I am jealous, seriously jealous.

 

On a second note, the tap water here is AMAZING, no need for bottled water!!! It is the purest in the World and they are proud of it.

Here's a little caption:

Drinking Water in Aruba

There is no need to buy bottled water in Aruba, the island's tap water is pure and refreshing, distilled in the world's second largest saltwater desalination plant. It is very delicious! In fact, Aruban drinking water has been dubbed ‘the champagne of the Caribbean’, and is even bottled and shipped to nearby Curaçao.

The Desalination Plant

In a world with an acute shortage of fresh water, turning salt water into fresh water has become an art that solves the problem of water supply to people and industries thirsty for high-quality fresh water.

The Aruba Pressed Plate Falling Film (PPFF) desalination plant, commissioned in February 2000, occupies a space equivalent to half the length of a football or soccer field. The plant consists of plate heat exchangers in titanium installed in a vessel of considerable size. This large plant was constructed in three 20-meter (67-foot) sections in Germany and shipped from Belgium direct to the refinery dock in Aruba, where it was assembled. The plant produces 11.2 million gallons of pure, distilled water per day.

The plant at Balashi can be visited, and it is a worthwhile experience for technically interested people! Very friendly guides provide safety helmets and then take you on a tour. Inquire at the tourism bureau or at the gate of water plant for tour hours.

 

Aruba is great. It's been a a bit since I've been there but it's amazing. Nothing like getting paid to travel the Caribbean! (thanks USCG) If I'm not mistaken one side of the island has volcanic rock beaches that may make some dry rock.

Enjoy your vaction and make sure to get to Carlos and Charlie's. They will put a pnacho and sambreo on you and pour you a tasty beverage. Ive even seen them pour a flaming drink trough a funnel of ice into someones mouth while the crowd cheers. It's very crazy to say the least.

Don't know of any LFS's sorry.

Be careful of the Cuban cigars. Make sure the green label is over the seam or hasn't been reglued (only matters if you buy a box). If you buy a few singles just try a couple and buy more of what you like. Lots of them are fake, but they DO have real ones and you will know the difference. Fonseca's are my personal favorite.

 

Congrats on the great vacation. Take lots of pics and post a vacation thread here. Get your diving on if you can.

 

LOL.... Thank you... I got a base tan before leaving & using a SPF 30 for now.. I'm Portuguese, so I tan fairly easily.. Any fun spots I should go with the wifey?

 

Carlos & Charlies is no longer.. It is now Senor Frogs, which we had a blast last night.. Yeah I hear you.. I have had Cubans before.. Matter of fact I had a Fonseca's last night.. Ok have to run, wife has been waiting.. Cheers..

 

Oh, man, your in Aruba and still can't get away from reefing, I guess that OCRD link in the other thread applies to you as well

J/K, I'm just jealous. Have a great time!

 

We were in Aruba last year. The kids just loved Baby Beach. It's on the far side of the island but kids will enjoy it. You can walk almost 1/4 mile in waist deep water. I actually took several bottles of fish food with me and had fish surrounding me. Fun times for sure.

 

Man with the crappy weather we are having here, I wish I could be there. Have fun, take lots of pics.