Off Roading in Aruba
We had heard many good things about Aruba- both good and bad but nothing we heard prepared us for today. Like it's neighbor Bonaire, the water that surrounded the island was much darker than the other Caribbean island we have visited in the past. The water was chillier as well, but just as clear. What surprised us most about the island was the terrain. Unlike much of the rest of the Caribbean, Aruba was mostly desert, which was not at all what we expected.
Here we arranged to spend the day tearing up the dirt roads and hillside in our Land Rover Jeep Safari. Our guide, O’Neil was a young 19 year old Dutch immigrant who had a wonderful sense of humor and was one hell of a driver. He navigated turns and tossed our bodies around the truck like we were rag dolls. It was a blast!
Our caravan visited the Ayo Rock Formations, a massive grouping of rocks in the middle of the dessert. Here we were able to climb the rocks and weave in and out of caverns. One of the caverns even had some rock carvings dating back thousands of years.
Next we visited an ostrich farm where we witnessed a pair of ostriches mating. We also got to sample two local beers, Balashi and Chill.
After that, we took a wild ride to the Balashi Gold Mill Ruins. The mill was fashioned to look like a castle or a fort to keep would-be attackers away. While we were here we made a traditional stack of Wishing Rocks; seven rocks stacked upon one another.
Our tour also took us the the scenic Natural Bridge and the California Light House. Since we went off roading, we got to see parts of the island that many tourists don't get to witness. The view from the Natural Bridge was one of my absolute favorite vantage points on the whole island. The contrast of the vibrant blue water was gorgeous against the harsh terrain of the desert.
Lastly we stopped by a local beach where we had a chance to cool off and swim with an octopus. Aruba was not at all what we expected but the difference was a nice surprise!
