Monday, March 9, 2020
Well a new day in Aruba and the CDC and United States State department are now advising people to not go on cruise ships due to the coronavirus. Oh boy and this is our home for four more days.
Took a packed elevator to get off the ship to go on our tour. Don’t people understand there is a deadly virus going on now.
Well this makes me feel a little better. Getting fairly paranoid and just want to get home. Four more days to go, but the tour bus is empty. There is only our tour being done with twelve people today. Normally there are 44 people on a tour and two tours a day.
What a nice clean island. Very little trash on the roadsides. A big difference from where we have been lately.
This is a desert volcanic based island that is 16 miles from Venezuela, part of the ABC islands (formally known as the Netherland Antilles), and has a population of 112,000 in its 19.6 miles by 6 miles area.
We started our tour in the South end of the Island
Moved onto the north and the Natural Bridge
North end is very desolate
and swimming is not recommended at this end of the Island
Headed to the light house for a brief stop. We didn’t go in and climb it today. Have been here before.
Land of the iguanas
Guide told us that houses on the island start around 110,000, but in the west end near the hotels this house is about one million. Almost all land is owned by the government and leased to the homeowner. A very small percentage of the property that was owned along time ago is still actually owned by the homeowner.
Beaches are all public. The white sand is created from parrot fish droppings.
Aruba’s economy is based on tourism. Coronavirus is really taking it’s toll already. Everywhere we went today was pretty quiet and empty from the beaches, to the lighthouse and the natural bridge stop. There are 33 hotels and 15 casinos in Aruba and it can dock 6 large ships.
Took a fifteen minute boat ride from Palm Beach to the sea observatory boat
We were fortunate that we could jump from side to side and look out at the fish due to no one being on board. The water was not clear. It was very murky. Cozumel water was much clearer. Our guide was really good, but was very nervous and concerned about the virus. There it is again in my face – Coronavirus.
Went back to ship and watched people refilling their water bottle here — How disgusting
Even with this sign right there. I completely lost it and yelled at a lady. “We do not need to be sharing germs”
We got off the ship again and did some souvenir shopping near the pier and took the free trolley through town. All were talking about being nervous about the Coronavirus.
Oh the places we have been. Tomorrow is Curacao.
1) To view more about Serenade of the Seas click here: https://deestimes.com/serenade-of-the-seas/
2) To view more about Aruba click here: https://deestimes.com/ports/