After This Is Over, Mel Never Wants to See Another F’ing Filter Again

posted in: Aruba, Cruising Life, Highlights 0

We’ve spent several “normal” days here in Aruba so that things like school and laundry can happen.  The “normal” days also involve routine boat maintenance.  Usually, this involves changing or cleaning out one of the many filters on the boat.  Water filters, shower drain filters, watermaker filters, A/C filters, fuel filters, oil filters.  You see, when one is not “outdoorsy,” one needs a lot of filters to keep nature in its place.  That is, out of the boat, and out of our guts!  Sometimes at night, though, Mel secretly dreams of the time when the only filter she knew existed was the icemaker filter on her fridge in Minnesota.  And that was because that annoying little red light would come on.  Egad!

When the sun sets in Aruba, it sucks the air down with it.  That must be the explanation for why the wind kicks up so much at night.

I have to say (generalizing, sorry, sooo not PC,) the young Arubans are attractive, smart, kind, and mentally flexible people.  We met a native Aruban at the aloe factory that excitedly told us the key points about the book he just read on cacti.  One wonders if their multi-lingualism protects them from dementia.

Mel saw a metallic, teal-blue iguana the other day that shimmered in the sun.  Really.  Those exist here.

We bought a $10 cheap plastic chair from PriceSmart yesterday for $35.  You want to cruise the Caribbean? PLAN AHEAD.

The tortuous thing about PriceSmart (a relative of Costco) is that you see tantalizing things from America you haven’t seen in months, but there is no way you are going to fit 10 pounds of Pepperidge Farm stuffing on the boat.

Greg & Mel took a scuba refresher course the other day, and Mel was immediately identified as “the clumsy one” by their scuba instructor.  Thanks a lot, Jeffrey.

Sunsets at the Renaissance Marina are so beautiful.  The 15 Venezuelans in the Sundancer next to us appreciate it so much they pass a silver chalice around to celebrate.  WHAT IS IN THAT CHALICE???

Oooh, there is a bit of a chill in the air tonight.  What is the temperature?  Oh. 83.  Brrrr!

Okay, every 15 feet in the bushes along the marina there are large, fake, plastic rocks with wiring inside of them.  No cameras, no lights, just wiring.  Weird.

Mel took Allie to Eagle Beach today while the boys geeked out and gamed.  We played, “Spot the Dutch people.”  It is a very easy game.

Okay, Mel just realized that she put too much Anejo in her sundowner.  So that means there is no “theme” to this post.  Hope you enjoyed experiencing a sunset in Aruba in Mel’s mind!  Cheers!

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