Want to visit or live in the Caribbean, yet like the modern conveniences that come with living in the United States? Give Aruba a try. The capitol city, Oranjestad has high-end retail, tourist shops and just about everything else. Starbucks, banking, restaurants, retail, casinos, marina, activities and the local government offices are all there. It’s a fairly clean city, although there is not much past the main thoroughfare, a lot of renewal in process. Each time we visit, it’s further along. In the beginning of March, we noticed that the level of new buildings was the most active in the past five years.
As we were leaving the peak season for visitors was just kicking off. We had a long wait going through Aruban and US Customs for the first time ever. There were as many or more arriving as leaving. And checking in our rental car was a zoo, too. Yes, it’s a popular place to visit. Enough about getting there and leaving, this island can be your Caribbean Home. English is spoken almost everywhere on the island. The US dollar is accepted widely and the Dutch are excellent hosts. Almost all the time, the weather is in the 80’s, the Caribbean waters are in beautiful shades of blue and big sandy beaches abound. My favorite activity here is snorkeling, of course. From tour boats to right off the beach, every level of experience has an opportunity to explore the wonder beneath the surface of the Caribbean.
