Aruba Eats

Yup, that's me. Me on the beach in ARUBA!!!!!

A great way to spend a birthday.
I highly recommend it.

That being said, I'll bet you're wondering what the folks in Aruba eat. Actually, you're probably wondering what swimming in warm turquoise waters was like, and how it felt to snorkel with the tropical fishes. It felt GREAT!!! Aruba was much windier than I imagined though. Tradewinds will be windy tradewinds.

What I did not expect was that everything, and I mean everything, would be priced in US Dollars at US prices. In Aruba, the national currency is the Florin. Well, no one seems to use the Florin, at least not anywhere near the resorts. At the time of my trip, the exchange rate was 1 USD : 1.79 Florin. Based on this, you'd think that there'd be some deals to be had. Nope. Because everything was priced in USD, we paid the same as if we were in the US. Truth be told, I didn't ever see any paper Florins, just a few coins.

Believe me, I asked for Florins. Nobody seemed to have any. Not the hotels, not the stores, not even the casinos. This indicates to me that nobody wants Florins. If nobody wants Florins, I'm thinking that the currency is actually over-valued in comparison to the Dollar and that the exchange rate is either pegged to another currency or artificially set by the government. Well, according to one website, I was right. As it turns out, the exchange rate has been set as we see it today since 1986. Interestingly, 1986 is also the year that the first moves toward Aruban independence were made...yet, it is still not a fully independent country. Regardless, I enjoyed my mini vacation greatly, increased my foreign coin collection, and came home with one hell of a sunburn!

 9/21/12

potatoes and omelet at the airport

 airplane snack and homework

Best Greek salad ever at the Westin

 chicken tenders

Real Dutch Chocolate Bar. YUM!!!!

 9/22/12

breakfast buffet

 we went back for more of that Greek salad!

 OK, these puppies are kinda like nachos...fried plantains with beef, cheese and guacamole. You know I love nachos, and this treat was better!!!

 a little side salad

 wahoo fish with rice and veggies

free dessert because it was my birthday trip!!!!

 9/23/12
waffle, sausage and fruit at the Westin

 lunch on the snorkeling boat...loads of veggies, potato salad and jerk chicken

 little caesar

 grouper with broccoli and rice

Birthday Flan!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

 9/24/12

Breakfast buffet...I have to admit, I've added papaya to my list of foods that I'm not fond of. I'll eat it, but I'd prefer not to.

 juevos con queso y ham.

Como se dice 'ham' en Espagnol??

OK, so when they tell you to be to the airport 3 hours early, they mean it. You should be 4 hours early if you think you might want to eat something more than a snack box on the plane...

Thank you to the people of Aruba who made me feel welcome, 

who took wonderful care of me,

and who make me want to visit them again!