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    • Aruba Arriba!

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    We took a taxi from the Airport to the Manchebo, the same hotel we stayed in last year. The driver was very nice and didn’t charge us for our 4 bags. The trip from the airport to the low rise hotel area was $17, about the same as last year.

    Upon checking into the Manchebo we were delighted to find that they were able to reserve the room we requested, the same as last year. It has an amazing ocean view and is the most private balcony on the property. We unpacked (quickly) and then grabbed a cab and headed to Ling & Sons grocery to get some food for the week. We bought a few things to snack on and a few cases of Balashi and headed back. I was surprised at how well-stocked the grocery was, though the fruit seemed to be of a lesser quality than that which we see back home in New England.

    Over the course of the week we snorkeled, rode horseback, explored the island, swam, shopped, ate, drank, and more. We stayed during two local holidays – Queen’s Birthday and the following day was Labor Day, which wasn’t a huge inconvenience but there were some stores that were closed (including the grocers). There are a few things about the island this year worth mentioning. For one, construction seems to be going at a quick pace. The new Riu resort on Palm Beach loomed like a giant monstrosity. We heard news of plans to build a new golf resort by Baby Beach (one of the last unspoiled public beaches on the island). Things were a bit more expensive but in reality prices seemed rather reasonable. We felt safe almost everywhere (except for a few sketchier areas in downtown Oranjestad). The weather was of course perfect, it did not rain once the entire week and was warm and breezy as always. I hope you enjoy this report, I have taken careful steps to give informative details on the various places we went and activities we participated in. All in all, it was a great, relaxing week and we can’t wait until next year!${QuickSuggestions} ${BestWay}
    From journal Aruba Arriba!