777. Arriving in Aruba (Aruba Ariba)
A fun giant staircase climb up to the second highest point (Hooiberg) in Aruba

Cruising or flying in to mostly flat Aruba, this little cone-shaped mountain called Hooiberg definitely stands out, located as it is just a few miles inland from downtown Oranjestaad. We had all afternoon, so we decided to hike to it directly from our cruise ship, which ended up being about a six-mile trek there and back, a bit of a feat at our age in the heat! Most folks would probably prefer to drive to the base of the mountain where the giant staircase actually begins - where they were getting ready to have a race up the mountain in December - and climb the 500+ steps to the top for a fine view of the whole island and the coast of Venezuela just a few miles away as well. (Even doing just this part feels like almost a mile up and down with all those steep stairs!) At any rate, once at the top of the Mt Hooiberg staircase, just take 18 stairs back down from the topmost one, and then take 18 steps sharp diagonally back right towards some dark rocks with white stripes near a viewpoint. On the right side of a root reaching out towards this little side trail, at the base of another rock under a dark rock with a slightly orange-tinted part(?) is where we left a 1" gray mountain-shaped rock with Aruba on its back.

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