Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 13, 2023 Author #151 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Sushi tonight, maybe pizza after late NFL game. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 13, 2023 Author #152 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Ray is another fun guy, from Virginia. Told me a few stories and said this isn't his first time in a photoshoot for a live review. He also posed for a guy fishing from a dam once. Go Ray! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 13, 2023 Author #153 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Not sure when the towel animal army will appear on Lido deck, but basic training for my guys is going well, and we'll get a new recruit tonight... 5 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 13, 2023 Author #154 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Today is Aruba. I just got back to the ship after a full-day, 8-hour tour of the entire island except the national park with Farley of Aruba Fantasy Tours. We went north on the western roads to the tippy-top and then down the Atlantic Coast to Baby Beach at the very bottom where Atlantic meets Caribbean. Found them on TripAdvisor and after reading the stellar reviews picked them over a lesser excursion in an open air bus (we had AC 😁🏴☠️) offered by Carnival. $60 with promo for 8 full hours and Farley really packed it in with enthusiasm and knowledge. And he was funny and an excellent Andretti brother. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #155 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Our first stop was Royal Aloe farm and factory and although it was a "sales" stop I enjoyed it. Here you see the farm and a demo of how to properly remove all the aloe gel from the plant. It's alot like skinning a fish. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #156 Share Posted November 14, 2023 After that we visited the factory and saw all the steps in the process being fulfilled, from the conveyor belt where the farmhands load the aloe plants to the boxing of the refined aloe products. I didn't buy anything but the aloe gel with spf30 I sampled worked great. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #157 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Next we drove up the western coastal roads to Eagle Beach, then the most touristy part of the island at the northern tip, beautiful Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Hyat Regency, etc. We also drove past Willem Defoe's beachmansion. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #158 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Next was California Beach and Lighthouse, named after the USS California which hit a reef and sunk offshore. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #159 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Can you spot two lizards? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #160 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Parking area around the lighthouse and Atlantic Ocean. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #161 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Typical Arubian homes, according to Farley. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #162 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Saguaro and Prickly Pear cactus all over the island. Can you spot one lizard? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #163 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Next was the chapel with the Legend of the baby with cancer who was mysteriously cured when some liquid fell on her from the chapel roof even though no rain. At least I think that's what Farley was saying. For me this was the only dud stop on the tour, except for the DOGGIES! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #164 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Next was Natural Bridge, which collapsed some years ago yet they still try to make it a tourist attraction. Here you see a photo I took of it today, plus a photo of a photo I took in the gift store. If it was still a bridge I think it would be fun 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #165 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Atlantic is always angry on the mid-east side of the island, and if you go too close to the edge at the shoreline it could collapse said Farley. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #166 Share Posted November 14, 2023 A smaller natural bridge that hasn't collapsed yet. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #167 Share Posted November 14, 2023 (edited) The old gold mine. You can see coral in the foreground and lava in the distance near the gold mine. The volcano filled so thick with magma it lifted the coral from the sea floor and what was once ocean is now dry land. Edited November 14, 2023 by IntrepidFromDC 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #168 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Mango trees. You can see green mangoes on the trees to the right. and ripe ones on the tree to the left. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #169 Share Posted November 14, 2023 These pics were taken from an elevated spot that starts with the letter "c" kinda south- west part of island. See Carnival Legend in the distance, the homes and saguaro... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #170 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Citizens are told to cut the heads off any boa constrictors they see because they're decreasing the wildlife population like the wild donkeys. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #171 Share Posted November 14, 2023 Baby Beach water was chilly compared to Megan's Bay on St. Thomas. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #172 Share Posted November 14, 2023 (edited) Naked chicken wings with mango-habanero sauce were fantastic at Big Mama's on Baby Beach! Edited November 14, 2023 by IntrepidFromDC 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #173 Share Posted November 14, 2023 The restrooms cost $1 and you have to walk the boa constrictor jungle gauntlet to get there. And they really, really stunk. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #174 Share Posted November 14, 2023 The drive from Baby Beach to the ship. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare IntrepidFromDC Posted November 14, 2023 Author #175 Share Posted November 14, 2023 After those chicken wings, mdr was really disappointing. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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