Janet at Eagle Beach

It is good to have friends. It is really good to have friends when they invite you to be part of their vacation.  My friend Diane who I have known for years, lives in northern Vermont with her husband Tom. They have had a wicked winter. Like many New Englanders they abandoned ship and went to Aruba for a month. No snow there. Tom could only stay for two weeks so Diane invited me to join her for the last two weeks.

Shortly after Jim died I was told that after about three months all the concerning friends and acquaintances would slowly disappear. I have discovered, for me, this is not true. Many of my friendships have strengthened both with long time friends as well as newer friends. And, I am glad for it. Married or single my friends are willing to include me in their adventures. So, here I am in Aruba.

I like going places I have never been before. So far, this has been a very easy adventure. I don’t think I have ever made it through customs so fast. It was a very easy entrance into a very pretty island.

Cactus & Carribbean Sea

Aruba reminds me a bit, ecology wise, of San Diego, my home town, except it is more humid, the wind never stops blowing (tradewinds) and the ocean is warm enough to swim and snorkel in. How then, you may ask does it remind me of San Diego? Well the island is semi-arid. There are cactus and lizards and snakes. Oh my!!!

Here is what I’ve been up to since I have been here.

• Walking early in the mornings. The trade winds make it very comfortable to exercise despite the heat and humidity.
• Snorkeling. There are so many pretty fish here. My personal highlights, as of now, are seeing an octopus and a flounder. Cool.
• Visiting Arikok National Park. This park gives you a very good ecological perspective on the geological history of the island.We hiked, explored caves and watched the body boarders surf at Dos Playas Beach.
• Snorkeling
• Eating both at Sunset Beach Studios, where we are staying and eating out at delicious restaurants.
• Snorkeling
• Bird watching. A new fun past time for me.
• Snorkeling.
• Spending time talking with Diane and catching up since her last trip to San Diego. One thing I love about my friends is that we never seem to run out of things to discuss.
• Snorkeling.
• Reading good summer fiction. If you are into light science fiction about magic and such try Lev Grossman’s triology The Magician. It is a very captivating read and I am almost sorry that I just finished the third book of the Trilogy. I hope he writes more.
• Oh, Have I mentioned snorkeling?

Body Boarder at Dos Playas

Terns

Janet & Diane in one of the caves at Arikok National Park

I am here for another week and despite the fact that everyone asks me why I am here, since I live in San Diego, I am having a wonderful and relaxing time. I am so glad Diane thought to invite me on her vacation. Would I come back? I don’t know. There are a lot of other islands here to explore. If Diane invited me back to Aruba again, would I come? In an instant.