8 October 2017

Exploring the island – Quadiriki Cave

I believe the name is an original Aruban Indian one. Like Fontein, this one is also carved in to the limestone rock by the chemical process of calcium carbonate being left over during dissolution and then evaporation giving rise to beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. There are three chambers – although we were allowed to go only to the first two. The third one is blocked off from visitors to protect the bats there.

After you see the first chamber, you have to get to the second chamber by walking thru a very dark passage. But moment you approach the second chamber, you can sense that there is a lot of light there. Which would make you wonder how could light make it all the way there (you are about 150 feet away from the entrance by now). Till you reach the chamber and you lift your head up to realize that erosion has eaten part of the roof off and there is direct sunlight coming in thru the holes!!

8 October 2017

5 mile run in the 15th country got me beat.

Made the mistake of not listening to Sharmila and finish off my run early. 5 miles of run in the sand with direct sunlight in the face quickly dehydrated me. And that is when I realized my second mistake. I was not carrying water.

The one good thing about the divi divi trees is that they might be small, but they have flat tops. Had to stop for a couple of times on my way back under the shade to catch my breath.

Speaking of mistakes, I had not put on any sunscreen either. Got burnt pretty bad.

On the positive side, that was the 15th country that I have run a full run in…

8 October 2017

Exploring the island – Sunset from the lighthouse

After freshening up in the hotel, we went back to the lighthouse for a very nice restaurant there – Faro Blanco (the white lighthouse) for a couple of cocktails… and watch the sunset. It was beautiful, although there were still some clouds right above the horizon.

This picture was taken with a DSLR and I focused straight onto the sun to purposely make everything else darker.