Sailing down to Aruba from Grand Turk we enjoyed seeing all the birds that flew alongside the Queen Elizabeth. We both love birds and are always up for identifying them when we can. There was a Naturalist onboard that held lectures that helped me to identify our views of different sights.
The Brown Booby was accompanying us for many miles soaring above the beautiful blue Caribbean. Growing up going to the ocean, all seabirds were called "seagulls". So in my old age it's nice to identify the many, many birds that cross our paths. I have learned that the Brown Booby never sits on the water, but only roosts on solid surfaces. They only nest on the ground. They dive into the water and scoop up small fish. Grayden and I saw many of them do this and they left a blue tube in the water as they fished.
When onboard every passenger must get tested in order to keep the ship healthy from Covid. Grayden and I were tested four days after boarding and we were thankful to learn we were negative.
We have visited Aruba several times. It is quite a varied island filled with diversity of flora and fauna and gorgeous beaches. We didn't take an excursion this time, but decided to walk around town and enjoy the local shops and local sights.
As we wondered around town we looked at the varied architecture and pretty tropical plants. Pink is the color of choice on buildings everywhere on the island and looks so lovely with handmade tiles all around.
The Queen Elizabeth pulled into Oranjestad, Aruba early in the morning. Oranjestad is the capital city and is the largest city on the island that is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
We have visited Aruba several times. It is quite a varied island filled with diversity of flora and fauna and gorgeous beaches. We didn't take an excursion this time, but decided to walk around town and enjoy the local shops and local sights.
As we wondered around town we looked at the varied architecture and pretty tropical plants. Pink is the color of choice on buildings everywhere on the island and looks so lovely with handmade tiles all around.
The sky was quite threatening, but we were happy that rain waited until later.
In the shopping district and all throughout town there are statues of blue horses. Each one has a name and a post with its name.
There are eight blue horse statues throughout the city. The project began in 2015 as a tribute to Paardenbaai (Horse Bay). This was the original name of the city in the 17th century when horses were sold to Europeans.
It was fun taking in the sights of Oranjestad, Aruba and so nice for us to learn more about this amazing island.
Next we transit the amazing Panama Canal! Join us as we go from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.
I can feel the warmth of Aruba! Pink is such a friendly, happy colour. It's very pretty indeed with the turquoise awnings. Now, did you know there's no such bird as a seagull? Neither did I until I was told they are Gulls! Many different types, such as Herring, Lesser and Greater Black Back, and more, but not one called Seagull. It's very hard to break the habit of decades and not call them Seagulls.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I have heard there are no "seagulls"---didn't learn about that until I was way too old to be wrong on that one! My Mama would find this very interesting. I always think of her when I hear that term. You are so right about breaking a childhood habit!
DeleteA lovely post and photographs.
ReplyDeleteI do like the colour pink on the buildings on the island and the handmade tiles are very nice.
Looking forward to reading more ...
Take care.
All the best Jan
Jan, pink is just the right color to go along with the Caribbean water. Thank you for your comments as always. Have a lovely evening.
DeleteOh Martha Ellen! What a beautiful place. Adore that pink building but all that water and blue is pretty spectacular too! Keep having fun-- can't wait for the next installment of your journey!
ReplyDeleteJeanie, we enjoyed seeing Aruba from a different view this time. We sure do live in a spectacular world. Thank you for coming along with us!
DeleteThose pink buildings with the aqua trim are gorgeous. They're just so happy looking. The blue horses around town are interesting. Thanks for sharing the story. You look lovely in your hat in the shopping district, Martha Ellen. It's nice that you are getting to know about the birds. I love them as well, and am learning day by day about them. What a fantastic trip you had.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Sheri, it's always good to learn something new, isn't it? Seabirds are hard for me to identify. You are so right about pink lending a happy feeling to the surroundings in Aruba. Have a good day!
DeleteFun to see those pink buildings. I always enjoy seeing Sea birds, especially the Pelicans.
ReplyDeletePelicans are some of my favorite, too Ellen.
DeleteMartha, thanks for taking us to Aruba with your beautiful photos! You two looked great and very relaxed. Someone mentioned something I only learned this year, that what I've always called seagulls are simply gulls. Who knew?!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed Aruba, Jean. Grayden and I both love it when we can travel and find it quite relaxing.
DeleteI, too, have always known "seagulls." It would be interesting to learn more about the different species and their habits. Aruba looks like a colorful place . . . from the buildings to the horses! Looking forward to traveling with you through the Panama Canal. That sounds quite exciting!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, it is nice to learn more about our amazing planet. The different birds that are home to each area is so interesting. The Panama Canal is waiting for us to transit. So glad you will be joining us!
DeleteLovely to see you both in these photos. What a fantastic stopover. Those pastel buildings are charming. I love learning about the various birds on our travels. I remember attending a talk given by the local naturalist. So much to learn and to enjoy. Thank you Martha Ellen, I am looking forward to your travel posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are enjoying our travels, Denise. The Caribbean is a wonderful place to see different birds. It was so nice to have a knowelgeble naturalist onboard Queen Elizabeth to hopefully learn something. Thank you for your kind comments.
DeleteLove all the pink! Interesting about the Brown Booby. Fishing by sea but likes to stay on solid surfaces!
ReplyDeleteLiz, Brown Boobies have webbed feet kind of like a duck. Quite interesting birds and fantastic fishers!
DeleteThe horse statues are a fun way to learn a bit of the history of the area.
ReplyDeleteYes, Cathy, I agree.
DeletePink suits the area. Thank you for showing us around. I would love to see inside the shops and what they had for sale.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, I didn't take any photos inside of the shops. Since I love handmade linens we went into a lovely shop that had beautiful table linens. I didn't buy any as I have a cabinet full of linens. They also had the usual shops full of tee shirts and women's clothing. The usual jewelry shops seem to dot every island in the Caribbean and ports of call were everywhere!
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