We continue our escape from Wisconsin’s winter with two weeks in Aruba. Although the temps at home haven’t been nearly as brutal as last year, we are enjoying way more sunshine… while walking on the beach in a swimsuit… than we would be at home in February. I think these road trips are the best idea we’ve had in quite some time.

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Dodging the Deep Freeze 2020.

Welcome to Paradise

While Florida temperatures are an upgrade from Wisconsin’s, Aruba’s are paradise. It was well worth the very reasonable flights from our last stop in Fort Lauderdale to enjoy them. Every day is in the 80s and although it was definitely more windy on this trip than our last, the wind actually increases the temperature and humidity. No wind chill like at home.

The two cruise ships on the left side of this map are heading to the island’s capital city of Oranjestad (O rang estat). The airport is located here and this bustling harbor city has a charm that shouldn’t be missed. Its blend of old and new come together beautifully for great shopping, dining and exploring.

The bus ride to the city takes a while with many stops to pick up and drop off passengers along the way. Its air conditioning feels pretty good – especially after a day of walking in the hot sun. Since we didn’t have a pool or a sea to plop into whenever we overheated like we did at La Cabana, several times during our visits to Oranjestad we had to seek out shade and hydration – either by enjoying a great meal or just a beverage under cover in a cross breeze of the trade winds.

On our first trip to the city we decided to get the lay of the land with an Aruba Downtown Walking Tour. Transportation to the meeting point was provided and our “local expert” made the tour both fun and educational.

The first landmark we walked by was Aruba’s oldest house of worship – a protestant church that was built in 1846. The square bell tower and its “wings” look almost like a space shuttle ready for blastoff.

I Heart Aruba

On the evening we went to Carnival in It’s Party Time!, we stood by the street in front of the “I Heart Aruba” sign (below) to watch the parade. That night it looked pretty awesome all lit up, but it was covered with people posing for pictures or taking selfies. I like it better today without people crawling all over it! Just to the right of this sign is the Aruba Parliament Building. For some history about Aruba, please click on the link.

Just past the Parliament Building is a statue of Jan Hendrik Albert Eman (below). “Henny” was pivotal in the 1986 event where Aruba obtained its separation status within the Dutch Kingdom. With that event, the Island Territory of Aruba changed to the Country of Aruba, and Henny became its first Prime Minister. Fort Zoutman can be seen in the background, just to the right of his statue.

Queen Wilhelmina Park

We continue our walk and cross the street to a park with two statues of historic women and the Caribbean Sea as its backdrop.

Queen Wilhelmina Park is named after the leader of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. Wilhelmina was only ten years old when she inherited the throne after her father’s death. She was still a minor and under her mother’s regency, which is probably why the dates on the stone in front of her life-size marble statue (below) read 1898 to 1948. Including those first eight years her reign lasted nearly 58 years later – longer than any other Dutch monarch. She ruled through some very tumultuous times. Visit the link to read more about her.

Just a few feet from Wilhelmina is a statue of Anne Frank. The statue shows Anne looking up at the sky with her wrists bound. Dedicated in 2011, it symbolizes tolerance of all religions, colors and creeds. On one of the four sides of its square base are her words in English: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world!

“Make sure to take a stroll along the pedestrian pathway that meanders along the Caribbean Sea. It runs from Queen Wilhelmina Park, to Renaissance Beach and up to the boat harbor.” – READ MORE

Fort Zoutman

Built in 1796 for coastline protection, Fort Zoutman is the oldest building still standing in Oranjestad. The Willem III Tower was built in 1868 and served as a lighthouse and public clock tower. The light was extinguished in 1963.

On our tour we were able to walk to the top of the tower and also catch a glimpse of what life might have been like by peering into some of the small rooms in the courtyard. Each Tuesday night in the courtyard, Fort Zoutman puts on a Bon Bini Festival (Welcome Party) where you can “enjoy the island’s history, traditionally-costumed folkloric dancers, local music, culinary specialties and local art”. We have yet to try the celebration, but it sounds like fun! Although the “Museo Historico” was closed today during our tour, we returned on another visit to give it a look.

Fabulous Restorations

Due to increased government interest in maintaining the island’s cultural heritage, a number of old buildings and houses have been fabulously restored. We saw many along the way, such as the Historic Town Hall – where city business is taken care of and legal marriages are performed. We were told that the inside is gorgeous, so why not schedule your dream wedding here!

Across the street from this gorgeous building is an extremely run-down building that was for sale during our first visit. The price of that money pit was staggering, given the fact that there are no windows and the inside was basically gutted. Our local expert reminded of the three most important things when considering a home or business purchase: location, location, location. The beautiful buildings surrounding this fixer-upper may just make it worth all that money.

A Taste of Pan Bati

As we continued our walk, we stopped by CocoPlum Restaurant for a taste of Pan Bati. This staple of the Aruban diet is a simple, slightly sweet pancake-like bread that pairs well with many soups and stews. We thought about stopping back for dinner on their glorious patio, but they close at 4pm, so maybe next time we’ll get here earlier and have lunch (and Pan Bati).

Hop-on Hop-off Trolley

Between the colorfully restored landmarks and other artwork along the way, Oranjestad is really a beautiful town to explore on foot. The National Archaeological Museum of Aruba is one of many museums, and is located in the green portion of the building behind the blue horse.

“Hop-on hop-off explore and shop in Oranjestad. Getting around the city has never been easier or more fun due to the addition of a state-of-the-art trolley. Connecting the cruise ship terminal with the center of town, the tram passes through the Main Street, now totally remodeled and an attractive pedestrian mall. The tram makes six stops at monuments and museums along the way, as well as at the key shopping areas.” – READ MORE

Blue Horse Exhibit

Speaking of blue horses – I have photos of seven of the eight blue horse sculptures around town. Oranjestad was originally named Paarden Baai (Horses Bay) in the 17th century when selling horses to Europeans was a major source of income. In 2015, this Blue Horse exhibit was created and represents an important historical moment where the horses jumped from the ship deck into the Caribbean Sea and swam to the Aruban Bay. Each horse represents a different strength and are shiny and blue as if they are still wet from the waters of the Caribbean.

If you’d like to see photos of each of the eight, along with their names and a description of each, visit this link. They really are beautiful!

Our Tour is Over

We said goodbye to our local expert and decided it was time for lunch. Iguana Joe’s Caribbean Bar and Grill had a beautiful and inviting exterior, so we decided to give it a try. We were certainly not disappointed with the food OR the views!

The elevation gave us a great view of the cruise ship port that can hold up to five cruise ships at one time. I’m not sure how often it’s full-up, but I can imagine what a zoo this city turns into if it happens often. I’m glad on this day there was only one, which had little impact on the madness of the city. With so many wonderful excursions available on the island – from snorkeling and horseback riding to four-wheeling and sight-seeing, I’m sure the crowds disperse pretty quickly.

West Deck

On another visit we walked in from the east to the West Deck, where just walking up to the place is a treat! But the food and drinks were also very tasty! From old, rusty boats to fabulous bird houses, we loved this place and returned both times we were here.

Just Snooping Around

After lunch we took a stroll along Queen’s Park to visit Wilhelmina and Anne again and walk further out to the beach of the beautiful Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. I wasn’t sure that I should be walking out on what seemed like a private beach, but according to the link about Queen’s Park (above) a public walkway continues all along the Caribbean to the boat harbor. Looks like we’ll be coming back (at least) one more time!

It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere!

We had thought about taking in a movie this afternoon at the Renaissance Mall which was very near to the Park, but the one we wanted to see wasn’t showing for another couple of hours. So as we usually do, we opted for a cool beverage at the 5 o’clock Somewhere Bar & Grill at the intersection of a four-way wind tunnel to cool off.

Fabulous Tans!

This two-week portion of our winter road trip turned out to be fantastic, and we flew back to Florida with some fabulous tans!

Ayo, te aworo! Goodbye, See you later!

Next up: Back to the Sunshine State

Happy trails,
Barb