It's been over a year now since we sold our home, gave away most of our belongings and started living a "gypsy lifestyle". Events have not gone as originally planned, but we are actually grateful they have not. We have visited beautiful islands we most likely would not have, met some very warm and...
Another day another dive. Today we are with Rebel Diving Curacao at Playa Porto Mari which is known for it's the beach facilities (restaurant, showers, area for divers to suit up and rinse equipment) as well as for it's 2 local residents, Willy and Wood. We were lucky to see both Willy and Wood...
Who knows where David is right now or what he is doing. He could be killing zombies or destroying beats with his beat saber or doing any other unique activities set in an amazing backdrop. While we do get plenty of exercise diving (including hauling our gear all over the place), David likes to get...
David and I are back in Willemstad and couldn't be happier. Staying in the West part of Curacao was an "adventure" and we will say the diving was phenomenal, however our stay in the West did lack some of the luxuries we have become accustomed to like hot water, TV channels (YouTube and Netflix...
We spent our last dive day in the Westpunt area at Go West Diving. Their house reef, aka "Playa Kalke" and "Alice in Wonderland", is quite lovely, with loads of sponges and "mushroom like" coral formations. The Go West dive center is one of the best we've encountered in the Caribbean. It is very...
We have quite a few iguanas as neighbors while staying at Playa Laguna. Like many fish that we encounter underwater, the iguanas display different personalities. Some are very timid and retreat as we approach while others you can hand feed. The iguanas also enjoy lounging in the prickly trees...
When asked what type of meal David wanted for his birthday, he said he just wanted a good hamburger. What makes a good hamburger for David? One that is rare, thick and juicy. Very pink in the center and dripping with goodness. On Thursday night, David's birthday, we went to a restaurant in Aruba...
Whenever we visit a new island, we make a point of pairing with a few local dive shops because they know the best sites, secret locations, currents, hazards, etc. Rebel Diving Curaçao was recommended when we were on Aruba and Daan (owner/operator) has not disappointed with several spectacular and...
We successfully made the trek form Aruba to Curaçao...albeit in two trips. The Divi Divi Airlines small prop plane only carried 30 or so passengers and had a very small space for luggage. They even reserved the first row for additional luggage! Two of our bags made it with us and the other two...
Today was a sad day as we had to say goodbye to Pure Diving Aruba. Well, all of Aruba really, but Pure made our stay supper enjoyable. Steve, Marcel and Marjolijn set us up from the beginning (in July) and guided us on months of boat and shore dives. Together, we saw lots of things none of us had...
David and I enjoyed dinner under the stars at Barefoot Restaurant. It was a perfect night with a great selection of both appetizers and main course options. We are noticing the increase in tourists over the last couple of weeks - which is great news for Aruba. While David and I enjoyed the less...
This morning we went over Eduardo's Beach Shack for a couple of their Smoothie Bowl creations. Leslie went with the Acai Bowl with berries, kiwi, pineapple, orange and granola. I went with a somewhat less healthier peanut butter and Nutella, but it also had some bananas and granola...so a little...
One of the great things about Aruba is there are so many restaurants to choose from. David and I like to pick a nice restaurant about once a week so in late October, after scouring nearly a hundred online reviews, we decided to try Taste My Aruba. Like so many restaurants during the Covid...
Curacao is now open to visitors from Aruba (finally)!! We are keeping our fingers crossed that the Covid 19 positive numbers remain low in Aruba so that Curacao remains open until December 1 - our scheduled departure date. We stopped by the airport to speak with "Fly Divi" airlines to find out...
Given the importance of this year's election and the unique circumstances of our retirement amidst the global pandemic, we voted by mail this year. It took almost three weeks to get the ballots, so we are using DHL express service to get those back in time. $70 in shipping costs is our small...
Unfortunately, I will be out a week as both my ears are infected. I got water in my left ear last week that would not clear. Taking a few days off seemed to do the trick, but a Saturday boat dive proved too much and minor pain started on Sunday. I visited Aruba Urgent Care on Monday and the doctor...
After breakfast, Leslie and I took a meandering scenic route back to the car winding our way along the piers and stores at the Renaissance Marketplace. The rear of the plaza ends near the water. Along the brick path sits a large swath of grass. Typically we see a few iguana there, but this morning...
Breakfast at Linda's Dutch Pancakes in Palm Beach, Aruba. The angle is misleading as both Dutch pancakes were the same size. 🙂 Leslie (top) ordered a Gouda & Mushroom and rolled it up like wrap. Mine was pineapple and coconut, which I eventually rolled up as well since cutting up bite...
Just off the coast of Noord, Aruba is a very shallow shore dive called Tres Trapi. We never went below 20 feet despite making a big loop to the south for over an hour. The sea floor transitions between sand and grassy sea beds which is where we spotted this Bandtail Puffer. It wasn't too excited...
On one of our recent dive trips, a fellow diver said he had "the best Wendy's burger" he ever had. Not one to turn down a burger recommendation, we drove to one near where we are staying. Despite the challenge of a small parking lot supporting a number of apparently very popular stores and...
After passing our Covid-19 test upon arrival to Aruba, we have settled in. Luggage is unpacked, fridge is stocked, first dive scheduled and local mobile service has been set up. After a sushi dinner at Omakase, we walked the magnificent beach at sunset. We are home...for the next three months at...
The weather was terrific on the surface but, unfortunately, the visibility was only about 30 - 35 feet. There have been a few storms coming through Key West in the last few weeks. Luckily, no hurricanes, but the runoff and general churn requires a bit closer dive buddy contact under the...
This morning we walked over the the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. We found that hitting just about anyplace first thing in the morning gives us the best experience in terms of crowds and social distancing. Not sure if it is the overall laid back nature of the island or vacationers preferring...
After settling in for a week, checking out local dive shops and navigating boat loads for social distancing, we booked a two reef dive from Lost Reef Adventures. The 9am departure from its mooring behind the Perry Hotel on Stock Island was picturesque. Thirty-five minutes later we arrived at "Nine...
Tonight we took a trip downtown to participate in a long standing Key West tradition - enjoying the sunset at Mallory Square. David wanted to try out a new GoPro toy and I wanted to try out my new camera lens, so it was the perfect opportunity for both of us. I opted for driving because, even in...
We took some time out yesterday to drive up to Looe Key to check out a dive shop off the beaten path. Since we arrived a week ago, we've observed that many people are not observing the recommendation to wear a mask in public. As a result, the Covid cases have been spiking throughout Florida,...
This is a beautiful cemetery that has seen its share of storms. Weathered stone, cement monuments and makeshift metal structures stand (sometimes precariously) decorated with a variety of floral arrangements, personal mementos and dedications celebrating life going back 170+ years.
WE MADE IT!!! The drive from Miami yesterday took a bit longer than anticipated as a result of both construction and a large gapers delay that lasted for miles, but we arrived before dark and were able to settle into our new home (which is deliciously cozy!!). Sunday morning, we...
After 4 weeks of staying in a 2 room Marriott Residence Inn, David and I decided to wait out the opening of Bonaire in Key West Florida. We thought a change of scenery would do us some good. The Residence Inn was very clean and quiet, but the room seemed to get smaller every day. It was...
[Chicago, IL | USA] Four weeks living out of a hotel room with few distractions and a series of Bonaire flight restrictions gave us an opportunity to go through our gear. Leslie found a gap and we drove to Dodd Camera in Chicago to pick up a 24mm - 300mm lens flexible enough to handle moderate...