Aruba, Way Up Here

This is a shot of Aruba taken from a helicopter. The point of it was to show the new concrete road installed in the area known as San Fuego. I own two small lots there on which I will someday build a couple of houses. No big hurry, nor any great ambition. If you look back through my posts, you’ll find one called Day and Evening. The day shot was taken at ground level from this road.

This photo shows another thing I mentioned in that post, that from a second-floor balcony it is possible to have a view of the sea. Way up here, a place many people in Aruba think is far from everything, is only a few miles (as the crow flies) from the Caribbean. In this area, you’ll find the burrowing owls and plenty of birds. However, they’re skittish. You have to be still and never approach directly or they fly off. I leave them to their own as much as possible. Still, they’re cute as could be and fascinating to watch.

You’ll also note how much undeveloped space there is on the island. To the left of this frame is the Arikok National Park, which takes up more than 25% of the whole island. There are trails through the park on which you can drive to observe the wildlife or hike or ride your mountain bike. There won’t be any development in there, which is good news for the owls.

Now, if I could only talk the Arubans into building some big windmills on the east side of the island, they would be entering a low-emission zone and be able to add eco-tourism destination to their literature. Stay tuned, we’re working on that and more. I wouldn’t mind sitting on my second-floor balcony, looking out at the sea to the west and a row of tall windmills to the east. That’s just about perfect.

Published in: on June 23, 2008 at 8:06 pm  Comments (4)  
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A Friendly Corner

There I was in Madrid, Spain, hankering for my Coca-Cola. I could have taken one from the fridge in my room. The place where I stay knows me well and always provides a fresh stock of my favorite beverage. But that wouldn’t put me in the thrall of the city. I didn’t have to venture very far. Diagonally across the street from my door was this little market.

The people working there might have been straight from central casting. There was a husband and wife team, both about five feet tall and exhibiting that charming helpfulness that makes every visit to the store a joy. It took them two tries to peg me as American. They quickly begged forgiveness for the graffiti on the wall outside their store. I told them it meant nothing to me, that I was in search of an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Still, they were ashamed that someone had defiled their corner. They didn’t want me or any other visitors to get the impression that their neighborhood was full of bad people. I said in my shabby Spanish that this is one of the nicest neighborhoods in all of Madrid. They agreed but shook a fist at some kids who needed a lesson or two. I purchased the Coke, a few small items, and took my leave.

Those shopkeepers are a declining breed, not only in Spain but the world over. They’re the ones who will chat with you, take an interest in the neighborhood, and tell you to ask for their friend, who on their recommendation, will treat you like family at a local restaurant. Patronize them whenever you can. It’s a genuine experience that makes a trip memorable.

As always, ENJOY! Coca-Cola ICE COLD.

Published in: on June 23, 2008 at 10:16 am  Comments (3)  
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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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