May 13
It is almost mid-May and we can make an unofficial mini-balance as to how the flow of visitors to Aruba is currently doing. I’m going to look into the well known crystal ball, highly inaccurate but largely entertaining, and try to make sense of it all. I suspect the current situation has a lot in common with current construction efforts I see here and there.
Air carriers
The flights during the month of May are somewhat soft according to sources. For example, US Airways’ Philadelphia weekday flights have been reduced to weekends only, while JetBlue’s second daily New York flight isn’t coming weekdays. The only airline which seems to be maintaining its weekday schedule throughout this month is Aruba’s largest carrier, good ‘ol American Airlines.
Now is the perfect time to hunt for hotel deals to Aruba. I don’t think there will be good deals with the airlines however. They are cutting capacity to Aruba in order to cope with the expected down turn during the soft month of May. Without overcapacity of available seats, airlines can maintain their regular prices high and don’t offer incentives to fill the seats. Do hunt for the occasional bargain though.
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May 11
Today Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries. This annual tradition is also celebrated in Aruba. Very popular with families is taking moms out to dinner, or surprising them in bed with a big breakfast. Regardless the way you, if any, celebrate Mother’s Day, show mom something a special day.
Some people talk about the commercial nature of these kinds of days and is even referred to as such but I think this day is a way to honor the person who gave you life on one specific day of the 365.
I don’t believe in the commercial aspect of it, but I surely believe in remembering what a mother means on a special day. As a child you wouldn’t recognize or even appreciate the efforts a mother put into raising you, just like me, but now as I’m married with two young children, I’m amazed to see how much work my wife does as a mother. That is priceless.
To my wife, mother and mom-readers:
Happy Mother’s Day
May 09
Eagle Beach after a hurricane scare in 2007
As the month of June draws near, more and more people are requesting information regarding hurricane activity in and around Aruba. The hurricane season is officially 6 months long, running from June through November.
One of the things that triggered me to start this website was the lack of information regarding last year’s hurricane activities near Aruba and the amount people seeking information in the wake that. I’ve written several posts last year related to hurricanes, which paths were projected to pass near this island. I took several photographs in order to make the situation on the ground clear for my readers as well.
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May 07
Playa Linda Beach Resort
I read in local news this week that Playa Linda Beach Resort is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Playa Linda was one of the pioneers in the timeshare industry. Additionally, the architecture was considered very different. Playa Linda is shaped like stairs, and is also known as such.
The business model Playa Linda investors was one aimed at a type of tourist who was seeking a place where they could go away every year and feel right at home. Timeshare was perfect for that.
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May 05
Baby Beach
Baby Beach is located on the most south eastern point of Aruba. It is one of Aruba’s most popular beaches. Baby Beach lies in the area that is locally called ‘Colony’ but the official name of the area is Sero Colorado.
Refinery
Sero Colorado was once ‘colonized’ by Exxon’s Lago Oil Refinery, where only the refinery’s high executives used to live. There was a hospital, school and every other facility you can expect.
For the era, the architecture used for building houses was cutting edge. The rooftops, for example, were “revolutionary” shingles. The island was more used to “modern”, highly corrosive, cheap metal rooftops back then.
In the heydays of the refinery, St. Nicolas was a booming oil town, with Sero Colorado being crème de la crème in terms of being an upscale neighborhood. I remember as a little boy I had the opportunity to enter the community a few times and from what I remember we always had a great time. There was a modern community park on the central square of Sero Colorado.
With the closure of the refinery in the 80s the value of property in the whole area collapsed ferociously. In fact, Sero Colorado became a ghost town, just as St. Nicolas. It was the time that many of these houses started getting dilapidated.
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May 03
Last month I wrote a piece called Aruba’s Growing Pains, which was pretty well received. As a follow-up on that post I would like to elaborate a bit more on the subject.
I’m not the only person in Aruba thinking about the future of this island. Recently an official committee was launched with a project called ‘Nos Aruba 2025′, meaning ‘Our Aruba in 2025′. The goal of this project is to start a national debate on where we would like the direction of this island to be headed in the coming decades.
This kind of project is unprecedented in the history of this island. All the major achievements that occurred during modern history happened due to great men standing up and share their vision to the people. These great men where all well educated and understood the importance to exercise the right of self determination by the population. Especially on an island once colonized.
In the modern times and due to lack of men standing up with ideas, the best way to look ahead is to organize these debates. In all fairness, in this day and age with the individual being able to create a forum such as this one, it is difficult for any new visionary to stand up. We’re so critical to any so-called great individual, that we dismiss them all before given them a fair chance.
Aruba beaches will be there by 2025. The trick is to make sure the beaches remain clean and accessible, the island affordable for visitors everywhere.
May 01
Empty beaches waiting [Note: Photographed Eagle Beach is normally quiet]
Summer time is upon us which means that the months before are going to be traditionally soft. In May there are always great deals to be found.
A reminder for us that slow time is coming, is when we open local papers and see discount offers by resorts for locals. It is a tradition by resorts to try and fill the rooms by giving offers to locals. If they try to lure us into becoming guests, it means there are offers for visitors as well.
Contact your regular sources to find out about the hottest deals or visit my sources below.
