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Tuesday we decided to go into “the city” (Willemstad). It is the only large population center on the island and has UNESCO designation for its commitment to Dutch traditional architecture and design. From one end of the island to the other is only a 30 - 45 minute drive. We came. We walked the streets and were fairly unimpressed with one tourist trap after another hawking the same souvenir trinkets. 

We have a wall of original paintings from places we have visited in the world. While on Aruba we went to a local open air market in search of an island print. No dice. Struck out in Willemstad as well. We started in the Punda area where most businesses are located. Then drove over the bridge to Otrobanda, the residential area. Stopped for lunch where these two fish snobs ate fresh caught red snapper (G) and dondou (M). Preparations were well under way for a Carnival parade and we barely made it out of town before getting caught up in all that hoopla!

It was early enough upon our return to don our snorkeling gear and enjoy Playa Jeremi, the closest beach to our apartment. How do I convey the sense of peace of dropping your head in the water and gently kicking your way across the surface of aquamarine water? The only sound is your steady breathing. And what you see! Healthy brain, tubular, sea fan, branch/finger, sea whip, salad/leaf corals. Orange fish. Blue fish. Striped fish. Yellow fish. Spotted fish. Little fish. LOVE getting in a school of hundreds of guppie sized fish & just floating among them. Big fish. Barracudas. Turtles. Fishies just doing their fishie thing—eat, swim, avoid being eaten.

Wednesday was our last full day; Thursday will be our day of travel. We started at Playa Lagun. Lots of fish, some we haven’t seen before. Favorite moment happened as I was swimming back to shore. A spotted puffer fish swam right at me. I think it might’ve confused my tropical patterned swimsuit for who knows what? I stopped & just floated. It came right up to my mask before looking a little startled and darting back to the safety of the corals below. 

Last stop was the most crowded beach we visited, Playa Knip. It had an actual paved parking lot, potties, and chairs for rent. Our internet sleuthing said to snorkel to the left, so we did. Prettiest, best, most variety of corals. Great way to end a snorkeling vacay. Have to admit that I pulled the plug around 1. My back & arms were done. So we packed up. Pulled into Cactus Cafe for a late lunch and called it good. Time to clean our bods, pack our stuff, and read/relax for the evening. 6 a.m. comes early especially when we’ve been sleeping in every morning!

Greg’s observation: there are two types of people at the beach. Those who dive head first into the cold water and those who wade out, ankles, knees, thighs, waists to get acclimated to the water temp…maybe squealing as they go. Wanna guess which Mary & Greg are?

Few more pics here.