Rob O - Congrats On The 200th - Wow --

Arubalisa - I Feel So Bad About Your Headache, They Shouldn't Be Allowed To Happen When You Are Trying To Vacation And Relax. Glad You Feel Better. Can't Wait For A Total Update On Your Return ( Which How Long Are You There For ?) Sounds Like Thus Far, Its Been Wonderful, I Think You Snorkel Tomorrow, Yes ? Have A Great Time.

Sannic44 - What Is This Book Arubalisa Is Writing About ?

Anyway, Happy Fathers Day To All The Dads Out There

Kathy

Going to Aruba in

Kath2Me,

I don't want to overstep my bounds on the board. But I wrote a book called An Island Away, which takes place mostly in San Nicolaas, Aruba. Check out my website for an excerpt and other details. You can get there through my blog at www.bentpage.wordpress.com.

Thanks,
44

Aruba's Novelist in Residence (sometimes)
http://www.bentpage.wordpress.com/

Congratulations RobO on 200! Cindy, I am sooo...NOT a celebrity...read my gripe about the taxis.

Did not do anything today except read 2 magazines, chase after dd to make sure she was behaving herself , eat and swim in the ocean. Dh did everything I did replacing magazines with book. Head is better, dh went to supermarket yesterday and picked up 2 six's of Brights so that went down real nice on the beach late afternoon.

Tonight went to Pincho's for Jerry's Father's Day dinner. We should have stayed here at the resort. Pincho's was very nice, the food okay, but the ambiance with an outdoor Christian Revival going on throughout the ENTIRE dinner across the street was just pure torture. Need I say more? The 2 piece combo playing right there at Pinchos was even being drowned out by the music and shouting across the street. A real shame, but who knew?

My other HUGE beef? With Bully being off the island, we have been just using any taxi driver who is waiting outside the lobby here at the Tamarijn. We have rode in a taxi 5 times now while on the island and we have not had a driver say a word to us while driving, in other words, stone faced, Stepford wives have more personality.

Worst part of all, due to no fare increase since 2002, paying the 12% BBO out of their own pocket, coupled with the high price of gas, they are just making up the fares as they go along. 1 ride out of the 5 we were charged what we were supposed to be charged. The other new trick is that none of the drivers have change. Fare is $8 they do not expect to give you change for a $10. BUT when the fare is ONLY supposed to be $6 in the first place, who is fooling who?

Tonight we started collecting the taxi number of drivers who are not charging us what they are supposed to. At the end of the trip, we will send off a little email to ATA with the list. See how far that goes.

The Tamarijn is booked solid and me thinks by the looks of things today, by tomorrow there is going to be a shortage of chaise lounges. Should make life EXTREMELY interesting.

Sorry this has been so negative. On a good note, the weather has been nothing short of perfect. Some puffy white clouds in the a.m. and then by noon, clear blue skies with cirrus clouds. And need I mention the wind?

Up tomorrow is the Jolly Pirates. Thankfully Bully's brother will be picking us up. We didn't have the heart to ask him to drive us tonight on Father's Day. Will surely be a good time. Just glad we won't be back at the resort until after the palapa wars.

Hope you Dads had a great day!

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2

Thanks...

I always ask taxi price before the ride starts...and get them to agree before we go.

....with CindyO near California Lighthouse
Next Aruba trip in

I am hoping that Cyrilio Croes reads this thread.
I am very interested in what he says and what he recommends about the taxis and their "mystery fares".

Yup rob is right, ask the fare b4 you get in.

Where is the taxi dispatch center? I bet that giving the dispatch center the taxi numbers would get a reaction.

I am sorry that they are paying their own BBO tax and that the fares have not increased in 5 yrs and that gas is obscenely high..........but ya know what???? not the tourist's fault.

If a tourist gets into a taxi, and the first impression is oh crap, i have got "mr cranky driver", and then there is NO CONVERSATION/no pleasantries by the driver, and then they get rogered with the fare..............that first impression is a lasting impression and could set the tone for the whole vacation.

i need to shut up and drink some more coffee

andrea
semi retired and not missing work yet

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea J. I am sorry that they are paying their own BBO tax and that the fares have not increased in 5 yrs and that gas is obscenely high..........but ya know what???? not the tourist's fault.

This is EXACTLY how we feel. Dh is so very disgusted, read more below, that he is wants to cancel the two other off property dinners that we had planned. One, our anniversary at Passions I am not willing to concede, but the other maybe.

Today the weather was glorious just as the ones previous. We awaken to a few white puffy clouds and the further the day goes on, the fewer and fewer the clouds.

Dhaley from here on the forum, ourselves and another couple with 2 kids who I had met online and are also staying at the Tamarijn all sailed aboard the Jolly Pirates today. A great time was had by all. Imo, the Antilla is still a MUCH better dive than snorkel, but I guess if you don't dive, this at least gives you a glimpse. That is, IF, you can stand the waves and wind.

The other two stops at Boca Catalina and Malmok were nice easy snorkels. Lots of seaweed today, don't know what was up with that. Last stop is the infamous BBQ lunch and rope swing. Dd took her chances 3 times and needless to say had a blast. I have to see if any of the pics came out.

Only downer came when it was time to get back to the Tamarijn. A friend had given us all a ride to MoomBa and the departure point for JP's this a.m. but it was up to us to taxi back to the Tam. We walked from MoomBa to the Holiday Inn and out of their lobby and there were 4 taxi drivers seated on benches hanging out. Asked them what the fare was to the Tamarijn and they said $10. I had confirmed with Iris the concierge at the Tamarijn ESPECIALLY before we left this a.m. that the ride back "should" be $8.

Dh demanded to see their fare sheet where it showed the fare was $10. They all of a sudden acted like they did not even understand ENGLISH. Dh did not back down and again asked to see it in writing. Finally one of the drivers got up and went to his taxi to get the fare sheet. Came back saying it was still $10, dh told all of them point blank we would pay the $10 but we were also going to take taxi numbers and report them to the ATA.

Well don't you know, all of a sudden the taxi driver whips out the fare sheet and fumbles around and points to Oranjestad ($10). Yeah, right, we told them all right from the start that we were ALL going to the TAMARIJN! so they finally admitted the fare would be "only" $8.

Tonight another delicious dinner at the Red Parrot at the Divi and tomorrow just more of the same, old, same, old...next plans are for the helicopter tour on Thursday. Will just have to fill the time in between lounging on the beach. It is tough, but hey, someone has to live it.

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2

The taxi situation sounds at best unfortunate; I would probably have gotten steamed, but try to not let it ruin an otherwise great vacation.

Looking forward to your helicopter tour review.

Bora Bora

Don't let the cab drivers ruin your vacation. Its a drag though that you had to put up with that. Glad to hear the JP was fun! Keep enjoying, we love to hear your reports ( No matter what the news is....) ENJOY, and know we are interested .

Cindyo
View of Rennaissance Island
Daughters dining at El Gaucho

Next Aruba trip in

Not a taxi in sight today! Life is good!

Dh and I had a lovely breakfast at 7:20 a.m. at the Cunucu Terrace while the cruise ship Adventure of the Seas arrived in Aruba in the midst of 20 minutes of liquid sunshine.

Liquid sunshine followed by a beautiful rainbow and then the sun came out and we spent the rest of the day at the beach. Our favorite bartender Carmen, was working at our favorite bar, Pizza per Tutti, ah what more could one ask for.

Yours truly a cat lover to put it mildly began reading "Paws" by Sandra Klein. OMG what a fabulous read. It is like the author has been living in our own home all these years and our cats lead parallel lives to hers!

Ate at the Tam's Italian restaurant tonight with dd's new bff and her family. All 7 of us enjoyed our meal and the good company.

Tomorrow just more same old, same old... ain't life grand?

I am attaching how the sky looked today at Noontime. Same basically as every other day since we arrived. Cloudy in the morning and as the day goes along the clouds become fewer and fewer and by 3 or 4 p.m. they just disappear entirely.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
Christmas & New Years Aboard the Queen Mary 2

Checked in between 3 and 4th quarter of the celtic's game....glad to hear all is grand....food, new bff's, no cab rides....ah, enjoy your time....take lots of pics, maybe a new avatar shot??? ( not that the other isn't cute..) be well, soak up the sun.......cindy

Cindyo
View of Rennaissance Island
Daughters dining at El Gaucho

Next Aruba trip in