The days start blending together as we sit here in Aruba waiting for Brian to come back again so we can finally set sail to Colombia. We rise early and piddle around the boat working on various projects until the sun slowly starts to creep in and bake us. The wild breeze that sweetly cooled us through previous days has disappeared and we get our first real taste of the heat we’ve been seeking since we arrived. The white capped waves vanish with the winds thus exposing an aqua-green glassy sheen that allows our eyes to meet the sandy bottom underneath our hull. Armed with our snorkel masks and fins, we finally venture into the water excited not to fight the current. We are quickly disappointed, however, by the dull seabed below us aside from a beautiful starfish hidden amongst the sea grass. The monotony of the days begs us to seek new forms of entertainment.
We find ourselves shivering in the overly air conditioned Alahambra Casino, where my Great Uncle Ray spends the majority of his days. He’s been living in Aruba for 18 years now and visiting for about 40. I remember him telling me about Aruba as a child when he would visit us on his trips back to the states, so it has been neat to finally see the place that he calls home. We took many long walks to visit Uncle Ray at the casino and were constantly entertained by his great stories and his funny buddies. Additionally, Uncle Ray was gracious enough to take us around the island a bit, even though his car was in a very unfortunate state. Little did we know how dangerous Aruban driving could be; a simple trip to the auto part store quickly turned into a hair-raising adventure thanks to the unique driving style of Uncle Ray. Amidst the squealing transmission, the frequent slamming on the brakes, and the inability to shift out of first gear, he tried to assure us not to worry about him, but rather “those yahoo cabbies are the ones you need to watch out for…they really don’t know how to drive!” Needless to say, we made out just fine, but decided that we were better off taking our long walks to meet him. We enjoyed our visits with Uncle Ray; he presented me with his cherished 1950s Navy Bluejacket manual (that he signed) as he entertained us with stories from when he was in the service. His longing to be on a boat again inspired us to make plans for a day sail where he could come along. We were also extremely appreciative of his pal, Ricky, who educated us on the hassles of Aruban Customs as he helped us through the process of obtaining our new Lewmar traveler car for the catamaran (a part that we were supposed to receive in the states, but didn’t due to the horrendous weather on the East Coast).
Between our visits with my Uncle and our daily tasks ashore, Mike and I started hanging out with our fellow boat neighbors, which is one of our favorite things to do. We met some amazing people who shared so much with us and really helped us get into the cruising groove. We befriended an amazing family from Yellowknife, Canada (far NW territories) living aboard their 50’ ketch called Dutch Dreamer. They bought their boat in South Carolina and sailed down through the Caribbean for the past 14 months. Greg and Carol along with their two teenage sons Brett and Dylan instantly welcomed us with open arms as they shared their stories about the frigid environment they left behind in Canada to the adventures they’ve had living at sea.
Additionally, we met a few couples who have been cruising around the Caribbean for years. Nadine and Murray, also from Canada, were on their sixth year aboard their boat Squiz and were full of wisdom when it came to these waters. Jim and Lara from the m/v Antipodes told us their stories of coming from the opposite direction and provided many useful suggestions for the trip to Colombia and beyond. Eddy and Glenda aboard s/v Helena tapped into our electronic side as they impressed us with their many years at sea while helping us with navigation programs and topping up our entertainment hard drive. Surrounded by such amiable people, we’ve had many nights of fun and full bellies (thanks to all the amazing galley wenches) as we all gather together on one boat or another at anchor. And let us not forget about the one staple that never tires, especially on a boat in the Caribbean: RUM! Ask anyone their drink of choice down here and they will answer “RUM” with a slanted smile from the night before on their face. Herein lays the irony as I (Kelly), am allergic to rum (I guess boarding a boat called RUMBOOGIE wasn’t the best idea). Lucky for me there is always, with a little care from our twelve year old bartender (Dylan), whiskey. I just need to watch my glass like a hawk, especially as the night progresses.
Enjoying the camaraderie with our new friends and delighting in the arrival of our new traveler car, we decided to take the boat out for a few day sails to get ourselves better acquainted with how she handles. We brought along our neighbors and were even successful at getting my Uncle Ray aboard one day. We all enjoyed the cool breeze and the sunshine as we sailed up the coast of Aruba joking about how we had spent too much time at anchor and had to get our sea legs back. Our resident fisherman, twelve year old Dylan from Dutch Dreamer, accompanied by his fifteen year old brother, Brett, would cast the lines while underway in hopes to catch dinner. We were fortunate on both trips as they caught an 8 lb Tuna the one day and an 11 lb Wahoo the next. Nothing finishes up a day of sailing better than a fish barbeque with cruising friends! At last, the days of monotony were long gone as we balanced entertainment with boat chores. Boat life truly is a unique paradise.
The days start blending together as we sit here in Aruba waiting for Brian to come back again so we can finally set sail to Colombia. We rise early and piddle around the boat working on various projects until the sun slowly starts to creep in and bake us. The wild breeze that sweetly cooled us through previous days has disappeared and we get our first real taste of the heat we’ve been seeking since we arrived. The white capped waves vanish with the winds thus exposing an aqua-green glassy sheen that allows our eyes to meet the sandy bottom underneath our hull. Armed with our snorkel masks and fins, we finally venture into the water excited not to fight the current. We are quickly disappointed, however, by the dull seabed below us aside from a beautiful starfish hidden amongst the sea grass. The monotony of the days begs us to seek new forms of entertainment. 
We find ourselves shivering in the overly air conditioned Alahambra Casino, where my Great Uncle Ray spends the majority of his days. He’s been living in Aruba for 18 years now and visiting for about 40. I remember him telling me about Aruba as a child when he would visit us on his trips back to the states, so it has been neat to finally see the place that he calls home. We took many long walks to visit Uncle Ray at the casino and were constantly entertained by his great stories and his funny buddies. Additionally, Uncle Ray was gracious enough to take us around the island a bit, even though his car was in a very unfortunate state. Little did we know how dangerous Aruban driving could be; a simple trip to the auto part store quickly turned into a hair-raising adventure thanks to the unique driving style of Uncle Ray. Amidst the squealing transmission, the frequent slamming on the brakes, and the inability to shift out of first gear, he tried to assure us not to worry about him, but rather “those yahoo cabbies are the ones you need to watch out for…they really don’t know how to drive!” Needless to say, we made out just fine, but decided that we were better off taking our long walks to meet him. We enjoyed our visits with Uncle Ray; he presented me with his cherished 1950s Navy Bluejacket manual (that he signed) as he entertained us with stories from when he was in the service. His longing to be on a boat again inspired us to make plans for a day sail where he could come along. We were also extremely appreciative of his pal, Ricky, who educated us on the hassles of Aruban Customs as he helped us through the process of obtaining our new Lewmar traveler car for the catamaran (a part that we were supposed to receive in the states, but didn’t due to the horrendous weather on the East Coast).
Between our visits with my Uncle and our daily tasks ashore, Mike and I started hanging out with our fellow boat neighbors, which is one of our favorite things to do. We met some amazing people who shared so much with us and really helped us get into the cruising groove. We befriended an amazing family from Yellowknife, Canada (far NW territories) living aboard their 50’ ketch called Dutch Dreamer. They bought their boat in South Carolina and sailed down through the Caribbean for the past 14 months. Greg and Carol along with their two teenage sons Brett and Dylan instantly welcomed us with open arms as they shared their stories about the frigid environment they left behind in Canada to the adventures they’ve had living at sea.
Additionally, we met a few couples who have been cruising around the Caribbean for years. Nadine and Murray, also from Canada, were on their sixth year aboard their boat Squiz and were full of wisdom when it came to these waters. Jim and Lara from the m/v Antipodes told us their stories of coming from the opposite direction and provided many useful suggestions for the trip to Colombia and beyond. Eddy and Glenda aboard s/v Helena tapped into our electronic side as they impressed us with their many years at sea while helping us with navigation programs and topping up our entertainment hard drive. Surrounded by such amiable people, we’ve had many nights of fun and full bellies (thanks to all the amazing galley wenches) as we all gather together on one boat or another at anchor. And let us not forget about the one staple that never tires, especially on a boat in the Caribbean: RUM! Ask anyone their drink of choice down here and they will answer “RUM” with a slanted smile from the night before on their face. Herein lays the irony as I (Kelly), am allergic to rum (I guess boarding a boat called RUMBOOGIE wasn’t the best idea). Lucky for me there is always, with a little care from our twelve year old bartender (Dylan), whiskey. I just need to watch my glass like a hawk, especially as the night progresses. 
Enjoying the camaraderie with our new friends and delighting in the arrival of our new traveler car, we decided to take the boat out for a few day sails to get ourselves better acquainted with how she handles. We brought along our neighbors and were even successful at getting my Uncle Ray aboard one day. We all enjoyed the cool breeze and the sunshine as we sailed up the coast of Aruba joking about how we had spent too much time at anchor and had to get our sea legs back. Our resident fisherman, twelve year old Dylan from Dutch Dreamer, accompanied by his fifteen year old brother, Brett, would cast the lines while underway in hopes to catch dinner. We were fortunate on both trips as they caught an 8 lb Tuna the one day and an 11 lb Wahoo the next. Nothing finishes up a day of sailing better than a fish barbeque with cruising friends! At last, the days of monotony were long gone as we balanced entertainment with boat chores. Boat life truly is a unique paradise. 
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