Aruba, Day and Evening

There were too many requests for more Aruba photos. I admit, I’m holding out on you a little. I showed that stuff from San Nicolaas and then the beach but have yet to put in anything about the hotels, shopping, and various other attractions that many people find interesting. We’ll get there, just stay with me.

So here is another view of the interior of the island. This was taken in the area known as San Fuego, looking north, northwest.

The desert landscape is looking green thanks to the rain that has been falling more frequently in the last few years. (And yet, this year things have been more dry.) At any rate, the tall cactus among the boulders make for striking contrast. Those boulders are granite, which you might not expect to find on a Caribbean island but the vagaries of the earth’s geography put them here. On the far right you’ll see a bit of a large water tank. Aruba’s water comes from a desalinization plant and is pumped to these tanks to maintain proper pressure in the lines. Works great and the water is pure and delicious.

In this part of the island there are fewer houses than on the north end, which hosts most of the tourist activity. There are many old “cunucu” houses as they are called. (I’ll post some photos of them later, too.) When traveling through the area, you get the sense that the island is much bigger than its 17 miles in length. Between the hills, you might think you’re in the middle of New Mexico or some such place. But, after passing over a ridge or two, you’ll soon see the ocean and be reminded that this is a small rock in a big sea.

As mentioned before, my pal Bob loves to greet the sunset every evening. Here’s another one of those.

This one is looking south from Savaneta toward San Nicolaas. From those tiny piers sticking into the water you’ll often see kids swimming. We jump in there from time to time, too. Great place to splash around. They also show up in my book An Island Away as a principal location.

As you can see from these photos and the ones in previous posts. There are many places in Aruba where you can experience a part of the Caribbean that hasn’t changed much in the last seventy-five years. As small as the world is, it still has places like this, places that aren’t so much unspoiled as untarnished, places that may fit your ideal of what it could be like, if only…

Published in: on June 22, 2008 at 12:51 pm  Comments (2)  
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SS United States

The cruise liner SS United States held the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic voyage back when speed on the crossing was all the rage. Of course, her days were numbered because she was competing with airplanes and they go quite a bit faster. At any rate, this ship had a brief but proud history. Now, she is tied to a pier in Philadelphia and looks like this:

I was working on the river the day she came to Philadelphia. A flotilla of tugs escorted her under the Walt Whitman Bridge. It was quite a sight to behold. At the same time, it was depressing. We all knew she had been dragged around the world, her internals gutted, her glamour forgotten. This ship has none of the fancy atriums, or rock climbing walls, or other facilities demanded by passengers today. She has the classic look of the older liners instead of the shiny white hulls of the new ones. That said, she did set a record and that counts for something in the history books.

There was talk of refurbishing the ship and maybe a company will find a place to sail her. In the mean time, she sits at the dock, like a sad but pretty girl whose boyfriend left her at the dance all alone.

Published in: on June 21, 2008 at 11:00 am  Comments (2)  
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Kite Surfing

With the steady tradewinds blowing, Aruba is among the best places in the world to kite surf. When I first visited the island, wind surfing was all the rage. This is done with a board and a sail fixed to mast that is attached to the board. Kite surfing on the other hand is done with a kite that flies well above the surfer, who stands on the board with his feet in special loops. Here’s a photo taken near the Malmok area of Aruba.

These guys move fast, fast enough to jump waves, do stunts, and actually travel for miles if they want to. That guy in the frame is shooting a rooster tail!

Using two handles that control the lines up to the kite they’re able to maneuver the kite itself and increase or decrease the amount of power derived from the wind. I’ve seen some surfers just cruise along, while others go full blast.

The kite is actually shaped like a wing. This is what allows it to “fly” above the surfer. The lines change the shape of the wing, just like the control surfaces on an airplane. So, if you’re kite surfing, you’re sort of flying. Someday I have to give this a try. It has to be incredible fun.

 

Published in: on June 20, 2008 at 9:38 pm  Comments (3)  
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A Mission

While traveling about Spain, I invariably encounter pairs of older women out and about. Usually they give the appearance that they’re on a mission of great importance. Arm in arm, up the streets they go, toting oversized handbags and parcels to their critical destination. For all I know, they’re simply going home or to visit friends. Ah, but it’s fun to spin a little story. Maybe they’re delivering critical supplies needed for clandestine research that will save the world. Like these two in Cuenca:

I was on the easy part of this street. That is on the way down. Looking over the wall, I saw them coming up the lower part, before the corner at the right of the frame. They chugged up, one foot after the other, undeterred by the steep grade. I managed to snap this picture before they saw me, then quickly turned the camera away so as not to be offensive. But there was no foul. I touched my hat, they smiled, and went inside to complete their mission, whatever it happened to be.

Published in: on June 20, 2008 at 6:58 pm  Comments (2)  
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