Here in Aruba, windmills will soon be turning. A friend and I headed to the south east side of the island where the foundations are now going in for some very large turbines that will soon capture the energy of the trade winds and turn it into electricity for the island. Here’s a look at how the foundations are built.
First, a site is excavated and a pad of concrete is poured with large rebar to tie it together with the next level of the foundation.
Then a cage of rebar is set up like this:
With the man standing on the left in the photo above, you get a sense of the scale of this structure. Finally, the concrete is poured around the rebar to complete the base, which looks like this:
Soon there will be towers standing atop these bases. Then will come the turbines themselves with their massive blades turning in the wind.
I can’t wait to see this project delivering power to the grid in Aruba. It will be a giant leap forward for the island.
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.
Yes, I had this one at Charlie’s Bar in San Nicolaas, Aruba. But back to Cocktail Hour as a concept. The idea, for me, is to sit back, relax, reflect on the day, ponder what remains, and consider the future. Now, this is not an extreme effort, but a natural, organic unfolding. Call it a chance to let the mind roam without the usual boundaries of work or organized play. Often times, people jump from work, to home, to other activities without a bit of decompression. That’s a shame. An hour of calm is a good way to prepare for the storm.
The Bent Page 
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