April 12, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Aruba’s Natural Bridge and Ayo Rock Tour

Pounding waves, sea spray and wind dominate the north shore of Aruba. The crashing surf erodes some rock and centuries later natural bridge was formed.

Natural Bridge of Aruba area

The relentless pounding continued and natural bridge collapsed in September 2005, fortunately during the night. The pounding and force continue and Baby Bridge is forming, beautiful in its own right.

We ducks and our humans love the water and are in awe of the power and beautiful sea spray. Baby Bridge is beautiful,

Baby Bridge

but we spent much of our time watching crashing waves.

Crashing waves at Natural Bridge and more tourists

Crashing waves

There is a refreshment area and a nice gift shop. Also, a clean restroom is available for $1.00. They must pay for water to be brought here. There is no admittance fee to Natural Bridge. We liked natural bridge area.

Approaching Natural Bridge from Alto Vista Chapel, our guide showed us an inlet where local residents had fed sharks.

Former shark area

They are not allowed to do that now, so we did not see sharks here.

Continuing our tour, Ayo Rock Formations were next.

Ayo Rock Formation

The Arawak, Aruba’s early residents, considered this a sacred place.

Cave drawings at Ayo Rock

We saw these drawings in a cave. These boulders are huge and their placement a mystery.

Bars in front of cave to protect drawings

Ayo Rocks are home to several whip-tailed lizards.

Whip tail lizard at Ayo Rock

The males are cobalt blue and the females blue gray with light blue dots. Very colorful and very fast.

Continuing to Savaneta on the calmer coast, lunch was provided at La Granja Peruvian Restaurant.

Lunch here. Chicken, ribs and rice.

Chicken, ribs, rice and a drink. Very tasty and the service was fast and friendly. We would definitely go back. Soapy’s mom got a little crazy and put us here.

How small we feel

We really feel small.

Another stop was swimming at Baby Beach. Very nice, calm beach

Calm Baby Beach

but we did not swim here. We walked to another area to watch the pounding surf again.

Rugged shore near baby beach

We will swim at MooMba Beach tomorrow.

This was a great tour and our tour guide Victor was very knowledgeable and nice. Visit him in Aruba at Tour Pelican adventures or www.pelican-aruba.com Let him guide you around this diverse island.

April 11, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Aruba’s Alto Vista Chapel and Bushiribana

Touring Aruba, Zeb and Soapy Duck left the paved roads and headed toward Alto Vista Chapel. Approaching the chapel we spotted white crosses beside the road.

White crosses for Alto Vista Chapel in Aruba

These did not look like crosses honoring people who died in accidents along the roadway, and they are not. These crosses represent the Stations of the Cross. During Holy Week, the week before Easter, residents and tourists come here to live their religion and respect its meaning. The Alto Vista Chapel was rebuilt on the site of the first chapel. The original was built in 1750, abandoned in the 1800s and rebuilt about 200 years later. The original chapel was built before Aruba had a priest.

Alto Vista Chapel in Aruba

This yellow chapel is very peaceful, situated amid cacti and near the pounding Caribbean coast. The northern shore of Aruba has rocks, granite and lava and is shaped by the fierceness of the water. The Spanish cross of the Alto Vista Chapel is one of the oldest European works of art in Aruba. The small chapel, with its beautiful altar, has a loyal following of worshippers. We ducks thought the location was very serene.

Inside Alto Vista Chapel, Aruba

The humans were subdued and reverent here. We felt good at this chapel. Continuing on the dirt road we viewed something else. This was the Bushiribana Ruins.

Bushiribana Ruins

A 12-year-old boy found the first gold on the island in 1824. This started a gold frenzy in Aruba. For about 30 years local people found gold and sold it at a fixed price. A nice second source of income for them. In 1854 the gold mining concession went to Aruba Island Goldmining Company. A smelter was built and operated for 10 years.

From Bushiribana Ruins to the Caribbean

The gold ran out, the smelter ceased operation and is now in ruins. Our guide said that now we, ducks and tourists, are the gold of Aruba. We like our tour of Aruba. Next we are heading to the rugged north shore of Aruba. Pounding waves, here come the ducks.

April 9, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Aruba has Beaches

Palm Beach and MooMba Beach had our attention most days. Our moms and we ducks love the beach. The sand here is so white and so soft. It is like walking in soft powdered sugar.

White sugar sand

There is so much to do here. We did not do it all, but we want to show some options.

Our favorite is to relax on a beach lounge chair and watch the water.

Just perfect

Moms did some reading on the beach also. Zeb and Soapy watched everything and everybody. Fascinating place!

This was a new beach activity to us.

Something new

As the day progressed, she seemed to get better and get higher out of the water. Earlier in the morning there was more falling. Maybe this is new and she is learning and will teach tourists in a few days.

Stand Up Paddle boarding was rather popular.

Stand Up Paddleboard

We talked to ladies from Long Beach, California and they paddleboard in California and love it. It is a great core workout.

Here is Great Big Mable. Sit here and a boat pulls you in the water.

Great Big Mable with Small Ducks

Looked fun and humans were laughing and sliding all over this chair. Also available were jet skis, the banana (pulled behind a boat), parasailing, and many boat trips. Many scuba and snorkeling trips are offered. Our moms did those when they were here before.

We found this slide.

We love slides

It was fun. We also saw these animals on the beach,

What a ride

near shopping and beach bars. This mask was cool.

Mask with ducks on ears

Later in the day, after the sun goes down, many humans gather here to play beach tennis.

Beach tennis

One evening we enjoyed dinner on this pier and watched the sunset.

Last night we enjoyed dinner here as the sun set

Later we listened to the band play. Zeb and Soapy really liked the cute lady singer. Our moms thought she was good also.

Palm Beach and MooMba beach have so many activities. If you like things quieter, perhaps Eagle Beach would be for you.

Beautiful Eagle Beach in Aruba

Some activities and beautiful white sugar sand with palm trees, but less people. We like them all.

April 7, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Colorado Traveling Ducks Visit Aruba

I, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Duck are in Aruba with our moms for a week. This is so exciting for us. Zeb and Soapy have not visited a Caribbean island together before. This is a Mother, Daughter, Duck week. So much fun!

These parrots greeted us as we arrived at our condo.

Official greeters

They are friendly, loud and colorful. This tree is growing through a fence by one of our gates.

Perfect tree for ColoradoTraveling Ducks

Maybe just for us?? These people are going on a tour in Arikok National Park.

Heading for Arikok National Park

Guides say that these divi divi trees grow only in Aruba.

Ducks in a divi divi tree

Divi divi tree of Aruba with Zeb and Soapy in trunk

There are lots of familiar restaurants here

Hard Rock Cafe in Aruba

and some new ones.

For Gianni’s restaurant

Today we will eat on the beach at Gilligan’s.

Gilligan’s restaurant on the beach

Our moms told us about the old TV show Gilligan’s Island and his boat, the Minnow.

The Minnow

The food here is good and we love the water so close.

After eating we walked along the beach and then back to the street.

Gianni’s restaurant

We stopped at the mall and had beverages at this lounge.

The lights and entertainment were real nice.

So festive here

Seems so warm and tropical.

It was a long traveling day, but tomorrow we will experience more of Aruba. We might go the beach tomorrow. Moms say the white sand is great.

April 5, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Tropical Discovery at the Denver Zoo

It’s Zeb the Duck here again. Mom and I went back to the Denver Zoo.

Zeb the Duck goes to the zoo

This time we visited Tropical Discovery. This building within the zoo has fish, snakes, frogs, lizards and the huge Komodo Dragons. It is warm inside, like a tropical forest, so it is perfect for those less than perfect days outside.

I like the frogs. Here is a Mexican Leaf Frog.

More information

Mexican Leaf Frog

These frogs only live in Mexico. The yellow banded dart frog lives in northeast South America.

The snakes were very colorful and not slimy. This McGregor’s Viper lived in the rainforest of the Philippine Islands.

Zoo information

McGregor’s Viper

Cobras have hoods on their heads and this suphan cobra thrives in the forests of Thailand.

Cobra information

Thailand’ Suphan Cobra

Be careful if you hike in the forest of West Africa. This green mamba lives there and is deadly.

Be careful around this snake

West African Green Mamba

Lion fish are graceful while swimming.

Lionfish

They appear to have fancy costumes that sway in the water; they are stunning fish.

Before leaving Tropical Discovery, we visited the Komodo dragons, lizards and crocodiles.

Komodo Dragon

The Komodo dragons often grow 10 feet long. When they are hungry, they are capable of killing and eating just about anything.

Tropical Discovery at the Denver Zoo is a fascinating place. I am glad the glass enclosures are strong. Visit www.denverzoo.org for more information.

April 4, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

We Love Colorado

It is crazy but we love Colorado. Earlier this week we were sitting outside eating ice cream and today we are inside drinking hot chocolate looking at the new snow.

This is what we saw when we got up Thursday morning.

Tree with spring snow

This snow is beautiful.

Spring snow on our bushes

These evergreen bushes are in our back yard.

Here are some trees with a new white coating of snow.

April morning with fresh snow

This golf course does not have golfers this morning, but they will be there soon..

Snow covered golf course

This is about 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Not much snow this afternoon

The snow is almost completely gone. Some times we have all four seasons in a week or sometimes in a day. We love it here!

April 2, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Oatman Arizona with Eider Duck

Eider and the humans left Las Vegas and arrived in Oatman, Arizona.

Eider and Cindy entering Oatman

This is an old west ghost mining town on the famous Route 66. Gold was discovered in 1863 and a large gold rush started in 1915.

Oatman

Now the population of Oatman, according to their post cards, is 150.

Oatman attracts tourists that travel Route 66. The turtle ranch has big turtles.

Turtle Ranch in Oatman, Arizona

Eider is on a post and

Large live turtle approaching building

there is a large turtle behind him heading for the building.

A main attraction is the group of wild burros that roam freely through town.

Burro patrol

Tourists often feed them carrots and burro chow, available in several stores.

Some tourist attractions include Wild West shootouts and on July 4 they cook eggs on the sidewalk, using some solar devices. This really is an old western town.

Oatman has several photo opportunities.

Oatman photo opportunity

There are also many signs

In Oatman

expressing the independent spirit

Be aware

of the early residents.

This souvenir store tries to capitalize on the wild burro residents.

Eider is riding a burro!

Oatman, Arizona is located in the

Black Mountains of Oatman, Arizona

Black Mountains of Arizona.

This is certainly a different type of town.

Street in Oatman

So glad you sent the pictures Eider. Thanks again for sharing with us.

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