My trip to Aruba

So it is my first trip to Aruba and I must say I am thoroughly impressed.  From the moment I arrived I was greeted with an aura of love and warmth.  Their license plates read "One Happy Place" and I would have to agree.  Everyone here has a a warm attitude and a strong sense of gratitude.  The t-shirts here say "I  (heart) Aruba" 

So the island is pretty small and can be explored in about a day.  Its about 20 miles long and is 17 miles off the north coast of Venezuela.  It is the southern most island in the Lesser Antilles and the citizens here share Dutch Nationality.  Oranjestad is the capital and it is a great destination because it is outside of the hurricane belt.

One of the things that I found to be fascinating is the language here.  It has predominantly been dutch, until 2003 when they adopted Papamiento.  It is a creole language spoken on Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.  It incorporates words from Portuguese, West African, Dutch and Spanish.  Its a very happy language and it seems that whenever someone speaks it, they always seem to be smiling.   Aruba also has the 3rd largest desalinization plant in the world.

Aside from the amazing people and wonderful weather (avg temp is 83 degrees farenheit, 28 degrees celsius), the sunsets are amazing here.  I had the opportunity to catch one the other night and it was fantastic.

The trip, even though for work, has been a relaxer since most of the events I work are inside and in a hotel either in Vegas, New York, Orlando or Miami.  I really enjoyed myself and would highly recommend this destination to clients.  The Aruba Marriott is a great property and wonderfully located on this island.  The staff is very accomodating and friendly.  If you have the opportunity, come here to visit.

Until next time...