Parliamentary elections are coming soon to the island of Aruba. The date is 25 September and it looks like it will be a slugfest. I consider myself a visitor to the island and therefore do not comment on the issues. However, the electioneering here is quite dramatic. In the first place, each of the political parties sets up an HQ in various neighborhoods. Out come the paint brushes and the entire building is painted with the party colors. As you can see below, the MEP party sports red and yellow.
Then there is the AVP party which is green and white as seen here.
The Democracia Real likes red and white.
They’re also big into symbolism as is evidence by the scales of justice there. The MPA party colors are featured next.
Flags are very popular. They fly from probably 20-30% of the homes and businesses on the island, proclaiming allegiance to one group or another. It’s sort of like a medieval battlefield, with each band of knights or clan marking their turf before the fighting begins. Some attach multiple flags to their vehicles and galavant about the island with them snapping in the breeze. Here are some flags you’ll see.
Plenty there in that photo to get the message across. There’s only two in the next one, but they threw in a billboard for effect.
There are also rolling billboards which decorate cars, trucks, buses, and vans, such as this one for AVP.
Well, plenty of money has been spent on all this. I hope it works for the betterment of the island. I live here much of the year and only want the best for the people. The problem is not making a choice; it is living with it afterward. All the best, Aruba!
As you can see, it’s a full suspension mountain bike. This is more of a down hill rider than an all-purpose mountain bike. That rear suspension makes it heavy, which is good for my cardio workout. Plus, it takes all the abuse of riding on some of the rougher trails. Then there are the disc brakes.
I prefer the disc brakes. They’ll stop you on a dime and in my experience work better in wet conditions. My bike in the States has your standard friction brakes on the rims. They do the job, but if I ever upgrade that unit, I’ll go with the discs.
Hard to beat that view here in Aruba. I take it easy going down. There is a herd of goats that grazes the area, a bunch of lizards, and various other creatures that have a habit of darting out at the last second. Plus, if you blow a tire or experience some other mechanical failure the tumble will not be pleasant.
Just one look at Grumpy and you can see he’s trouble. At the same time, I’ve seen these two napping in the afternoon, minding their own business. You have to feel sorry for any small creature in their theater of operations. These two can be vicious when it comes to small birds, lizards, and such. Of course, they’re cats: lovable one minute, killers the next.
The Bent Page 
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