Aruba, Part I

I am back from the holidays. Hope everyone had a happy & safe Holiday Season.
My younger daughter recently came back from Aruba. Below you will find the first part of her story...

Ever wanted to visit a country with perfect beach weather? Go to Aruba! This tiny island in the Caribbean Sea is a mere 20 miles long. We were there for nine days – the ideal length for a Caribbean vacation, if you ask me. The main activities on the island are water-related, hiking/ATV tour, and, of course, dining.

The weather is perfect year-round. Their record low was 69F. Beat that! Even when it gets really hot around noon, there is always a trade wind blowing so we didn’t feel the heat as much as we would in , say, New York. Humidity is pretty high, though, so, ladies, bring your anti-frizz products. We tried leaving the balcony door open so we could sleep in the fresh air, but even with the AC on that made it too humid. Even our money was soggy by the morning!
We stayed at the Hyatt. This is not an all-inclusive hotel; it is, however, considered the best on the island by many visitors, locals, and travel sites. All the high-rise hotels are located on an approximately 5-mile strip, called Palm/Eagle beach. You can do what we did and book your activities in advance, or chance it and book everything on the spot. You will find a kiosk offering water activities such as parasailing, banana-boat rides, snorkeling trips, etc. in front of every high-rise hotel. The staff is very pleasant, the atmosphere is very relaxed. Do not expect fast service, though. Everyone is on what the locals call “Aruba time”. You will get exceptional service, just be patient.
This was true for every place we went. Once seated, our waiters/waitresses did not rush right over as they do in the US. This is just fine when you’re on vacation, just takes some getting used to. More on restaurants next time…