Day 5 - Here fishy, fishy, fishy...

    Again the day started as usual Kim getting up early, going to her conference and me sleeping in...except this was the last day of the conference and it only lasted until 9:30am. Kim was back at the Airbnb by 10 am which worked out since the only English mass on the island was at 11 am at St. Ann's Catholic Church. The church was only 4 miles away but still took 15 minutes to get there. I found out the current church was built between 1914 and 1919 with the first church on the site was built in 1776. Also, on the grounds was a beautifully maintained above ground cemetery and full school. Inside the church was a retable (statues and crucifix on alter) that was originally carved for a Dutch church in 1870 and later given to St. Ann's in 1928. Each side of church had closing shutters and louvers but no window glass.  It never gets cold here...

    Following mass the mousetrap got us back to the Airbnb to have lunch and change for our tour of the Arikok National park, Aruba's only national park. We picked up the tour group at there office just outside Oranjestad. Three other couples joined us and come to find out there were also there for the medical conference. Our chariot for the tour was a newly converted Chinese four door pickup truck with bench seating and a canopy in the back. For a Chinese truck I was very impressed with how well it handled the “trail” conditions. Especially since our tour guide drove it “like he stole it”. I would have been crawling at 5 mph on the trails that he would be doing at 25mph. Our first stop in the park was at the “Conchi natural pool”. It was a neat swimming area right on the ocean but protected on three sides from the large waves. We swam there for a few minutes before stopping at the “Fontein Cave”. The cave is unique in that there are Indian drawings on the ceiling dating back a 1000 years. There was also graffiti carved in the ceiling near the entrance. Some if it I noticed was from the 1800's. At the same stop was the island's only fresh water pool. The water in the pool is sea water that has been filtered through lime stone cave. The small fish in pool are also unique...they clean your feet. When your feet are placed in the water they little swam around and nibble at your skin. This was a weird feeling. The last stop on the tour was “Baby Beach” an reef protected pool on the Southern most tip of the island. The beach was about a ½ mile long and the reef created a ¼ mile wide pool no more then 5 foot deep. It was great. It was conveniently located only about 1 mile from the island's oil refinery. After this stop our driver took us back to the mousetrap which returned us back to the Airbnb where yet another gourmet meal was made and eaten.

    Tomorrow will be our last full day on the island and we will be renting E-mountain bikes for the whole day.

The newly repainted St. Ann's Church.

The above ground cemetery right next to the church.

The finely carved alter and pulpit stand.

A closer view.

Lunch was fried rice and tacos.

This was the "paved road" section of the trail in the park.

The happy couple with the coast in the background.

Our chariot.

The "natural pool"

Recent graffiti in cave.

1000 year old Indian painting.

My protector....

Little fishies nibbl'n on the feet.

A mile long pet cemetery along the Southern coast.

Beautiful "Baby Beach"...note the oil refinery in the background..

The home of the only island brews.

Chicken stir-fry and fried rice.