Otranjestad, Aruba
See the Map!Aruba was the next stop on our cruise. It is another Dutch settlement and the wharf is protected by a shallow reef of sandbar and small islands.
There was a small area of anchored boats near where the ship docked and this photo also shows part of the offshore reef.
Bill and I signed up for a “sail, snorkel, and swing” activity. We were transported by a well decorated bus to the dock where the schooner awaited us just offshore. We were transported out to the schooner on a small barge along with a group of about 20 people. The schooner upped anchor and we sailed off to the first snorkel spot.
The first snorkel spot was above a World War 2 German wreck. Bill took his first underwater photos there after having spent some time with the camera instructions ahead of time.
The second snorkel spot was over a sandy area that contained many rounded rocks. On the rocks grew several types of sea live.
After snorkeling we had a nice sail back, complete with drinks from an open bar onboard. We made one more stop for the “swing” part of the adventure. They had a halyard fixed with a handle and the passengers took turns swinging out over the water and dropping off. I gave it a shot and discovered that it takes quite strong arms to hang on for a long swing.
We returned to the ship via another highly decorated bus and showered before going to the restaurant for a late lunch.
