Legend 14-day to Aruba, Curacao, St. Martin, St. Kitts live Nov. 5

[IntrepidFromDC]

Sushi tonight,  maybe pizza after late NFL game. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Ray is another fun guy, from Virginia.  Told me a few stories and said this isn't his first time in a photoshoot for a live review.  He also posed for a guy fishing from a dam once. Go Ray!

[IntrepidFromDC]

Not sure when the towel animal army will appear on Lido deck,  but basic training for my guys is going well, and we'll get a new recruit tonight...

[IntrepidFromDC]

Today is Aruba. I just got back to the ship after a full-day, 8-hour tour of the entire island except the national park with Farley of Aruba Fantasy Tours. We went north on the western roads to the tippy-top and then down the Atlantic Coast to Baby Beach at the very bottom where Atlantic meets Caribbean. Found them on TripAdvisor and after reading the stellar reviews picked them over a lesser excursion in an open air bus (we had AC 😁🏴‍☠️) offered by Carnival.  $60 with promo for 8 full hours and Farley really packed it in with enthusiasm and knowledge. And he was funny and an excellent Andretti brother. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Our first stop was Royal Aloe farm and factory and although it was a "sales" stop I enjoyed it.  Here you see the farm and a demo of how to properly remove all the aloe gel from the plant.  It's alot like skinning a fish. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

After that we visited the factory and saw all the steps in the process being fulfilled,  from the conveyor belt where the farmhands load the aloe plants to the boxing of the refined aloe products.  I didn't buy anything but the aloe gel with spf30 I sampled worked great. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Next we drove up the western coastal roads to Eagle Beach,  then the most touristy part of the island at the northern tip, beautiful Marriott,  Ritz Carlton,  Hyat Regency,  etc. We also drove past Willem Defoe's beachmansion.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Next was California Beach and Lighthouse,  named after the USS California which hit a reef and sunk offshore.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Can you spot two lizards? 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Parking area around the lighthouse and Atlantic Ocean. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Typical Arubian homes,  according to Farley.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Saguaro and Prickly Pear cactus all over the island.   Can you spot one lizard? 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Next was the chapel with the Legend of the baby with cancer who was mysteriously cured when some liquid fell on her from the chapel roof even though no rain. At least I think that's what Farley was saying.  For me this was the only dud stop on the tour, except for the DOGGIES!

[IntrepidFromDC]

Next was Natural Bridge,  which collapsed some years ago yet they still try to make it a tourist attraction.  Here you see a photo I took of it today,  plus a photo of a photo I took in the gift store.  If it was still a bridge I think it would be fun

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Atlantic is always angry on the mid-east side of the island,  and if you go too close to the edge at the shoreline it could collapse said Farley.

[IntrepidFromDC]

A smaller natural bridge that hasn't collapsed yet.

[IntrepidFromDC]

The old gold mine. You can see coral in the foreground and lava in the distance near the gold mine.  The volcano filled so thick with magma it lifted the coral from the sea floor and what was once ocean is now dry land. 

Edited November 14, 2023 by IntrepidFromDC

[IntrepidFromDC]

Mango trees.  You can see green mangoes on the trees to the right. and ripe ones on the tree to the left. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

These pics were taken from an elevated spot that starts with the letter "c" kinda south- west part of island.  See Carnival Legend in the distance,  the homes and saguaro...

[IntrepidFromDC]

Citizens are told to cut the heads off any boa constrictors they see because they're decreasing the wildlife population like the wild donkeys.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Baby Beach water was chilly compared to Megan's Bay on St. Thomas. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Naked chicken wings with mango-habanero sauce were fantastic at Big Mama's on Baby Beach! 

Edited November 14, 2023 by IntrepidFromDC

[IntrepidFromDC]

The restrooms cost $1 and you have to walk the boa constrictor jungle gauntlet to get there.  And they really,  really stunk.

[IntrepidFromDC]

The drive from Baby Beach to the ship.

[IntrepidFromDC]

After those chicken wings,  mdr was really disappointing.