Aruba Trip Report : Part One : The first few days.
Friday, Feb. 25th. - We drive to Chicago to stay at a “Stay-park-Fly” hotel. For one set price you can stay, leave your car and in the morning they will shuttle you to Midway. When you come back they will pick you up at the airport and take you back to your car. It’s very hassle free. I had a hard time getting to sleep at night, I was excited. I felt like a little kid -“ok a big kid”. We fall asleep around 1am.
Saturday, Feb.26th.- 5am. I wake up and wake George ”No - not what you think” it’s Georgene but everybody calls her George. She’s the reason where going. It’s our 27th. Wedding anniversary this year and she always wanted to go to Aruba. Our shuttle leaves at 6am. And we’re at the airport by 6:30am. This is the first time we have been to the airport since 9/11 and things go pretty smooth. We are flying a charter non-stop on ATA to Aruba and it leaves at 9am. As planned. I am asleep before the plane takes off. That’s me I can fall asleep in 30 seconds. Oh and 1 more thing I kind of snore -“Ok I snore loud”.George will nudge me and I’ll stop for a while. What is weird is when I wake up I look around to see who is looking at me. I can’t help it. I have thought about duct tape and by the looks on other peoples faces they have to. Next thing you know people are looking off the left side of the plane, we were on the right side, and you could see the island. The excitement is building! We are here! There is something about flying over water for as far as you can see that gives you the creeps. We land and quickly got off the plane. Since we were the only plane, it went quite smooth. All we had is carry-on and we find the cell phone booth, pick up the phone and walla! Wow! the wind , sun, weather is great!. Everything that I had heard about before hand is now upon you. Now that’s a feeling. We catch a cab and say “Take me to the Ren. Marina Tower please sir”. Charles from fastphones is awesome, my phone has all the numbers loaded in it ,you name it and it’s in there. I call home and say we are here and be good. I tell my oldest to call only if he feels I need to know. I left him in charge, I have a service company back home that I have owned for 22 years and my oldest has worked full-time with me for 5 years now. I love having him with me, I don’t think he loves it though. We arrive at the Ren. and the cab driver was great. Check in and it’s around 5:30pm
Now here is when your average 27th. Anniversary vacation changes. I will say that I first tuned in to the internet in late Dec.04 and was thinking of surprising my wife with a trip to Aruba. With the help of my son the first place I land is www.aruba.com. I asked no questions, but literally put hours in and read every, and I mean every thread under “ask anything” and “dining in aruba”. I can’t even begin to say how many hours, and notes I took, some nights I did not go to sleep. See I had to do this without my wife knowing. I had called her work, she’s a nurse, and got her off work for the time we were to go and I was going to tell her the night before, you know go out to eat just her and I . Tell her and then take her shopping. I had lined up everything, my mom would watch our youngest, he’s 13. I had all the paper work. My oldest son was set to take over while I was gone. Then Jan.2 -I got up the nerve to ask a question, because I knew that telling her the night before was a gray area, and I wanted to do it right. I wouldn’t be the first man to try to do something good and stick his foot in his mouth. So I asked the Aruba board “WHAT DO YOU THINK” and I told them all of my plan. Well every Good person there came out of the wood work. “Oh don’t tell her” “tell her right away” “your so nice” “you are cruel to keep this from her” - that was my favorite. I was really touched that so many people who don’t even know me cared. There were over 40 replies. I gave it a lot of thought and re-read some of the replies and realized that part of any vacation was the anticipation, the excitement of getting ready and that I could still surprise her without hitting her over the head with a 2x4. So one Sat. Out of the blue-no flowers -no candles in fact I was sitting at the computer early morning in my underwear and I said “George come here” and I told her. She laughed and didn’t believe me, so I sat her down and had her read the topic and all the replies. Well she started to cry and she believed me now. Except for me in my underwear it was quite touching. Well I told you all this because their was someone from the island that had followed that question and all my other writing and questions for quite a while. In one of my questions to the board, this person called papawito asked if he could email me and I said sure. Well he told me that he had followed my interaction from day one and wanted to know if when we came if he could meet with us. This was a weird feeling to think that this person had kind of been tracking me and had said nothing on the board before this. I talked to my son , The computer wizard, and he said “Dad there’s a lot of weirdos out there you got to be careful, I wouldn’t answer the email at all”. Papawito had said in the email that my writing and interaction on the board had restored his faith in USA people. I talked to George and decided that I would meet him when we are on the island. What’s the worst that could happen if he’s a weirdo I can just get rid of him. So we email back and forth, his English is not the greatest and he knows it but it works ok. Then the Div tree gets vandalized and what a terrible thing this is for the island and everyone that loves Aruba and their people. Papawito emails me a little time later and asks if I would be interested in planting a tree on the island in remembrance of the Div tree, and try to make good out of something that was bad. I said “you bet, it would be my honor to do so” and he said he would see what he could do. Well I know this is a lot but I wanted to do a report like I had read so many before me and loved them and I needed to tell my whole story to. So back to where I was.
Its check in time at the Ren. Marina tower 5:30pm and I call papawito to tell him we have landed and we were going out to the private island before it closes at 6:30 and would met him later. Well we don’t make it out to the island and we look around the Ren, the BlueBar and the pool and main street and the big cruise ship across the street and we felt like we are in heaven, no I mean it. People that were regulars around their knew we had just arrived at the pearly gates. I go to the Blue bar and get a couple of blue drinks and the bartender says “just got in” and I said how can you tell and he just laughs. He says “What’s your name?” and I say BigPapa, he laughs again and says “that will be $14.50 Bigpapa”. Him and I hit it off right away. So we take off walking and we come to L.G. Smith steak and chop shop, just down the hall from the Blue bar and we stop in and make reservations for 8:30 then we go back to the pool area and just sit and watch the lights and traffic and enjoy the atmosphere. I go back to the Blue and my man says BigPapa what can I get you, and I say get me another one of those blue things and a Aruban beer. It’s right here that I will tell you that back home we are big in to camping all summer every weekend. We camp at a little campground about a hour away. We leave our 30ft. Trailer there all the time and I have a game I play with the campgrounds kids. It’s called the “quarter game” I have a quarter and they have to guess which hand it’s in. It ’s just a fun game for them and every time they see me they say “Quarter game”. Well, I have a 5 dollar bill in my hand and my man at the bar comes over with the drinks, and I say “do you feel lucky” and he smiles and says “I am always lucky” I show him the five and what I am going to do and a Big smile comes over his face, I have both fists out and he was lucky and chose the correct hand. Well over the coarse of 8 days, if he spotted me anywhere he would yell “BigPapa I feel lucky”. I played this game with him only about 15times and he probably won 10 times . We had a blast. I said “George he remembers my name”, and she said “I would to if you paid me 5 dollars each time I see you”. Had a blast with him though. So to the room, shower and off to LG’s.. My wife looks gorgeous and a thought runs through my head like “ Hey lets just skip it a head back to the room baby”, well years ago It would have been more than a thought, but its the thought that counts. Arrive at L.G. Steak House and this place is very upscale, no place in my town like this. Very good service, and the meal was great, I had Lampchops to die for and George had a filet that she said was very tender,then dessert, some chocolate killer stuff that we shared, which means she takes 2 bites and I eat the rest. Isn’t love great. The bill was around $120.00 inc. tip. I would recommend this place for a special occasion. Very nice. Oh and how convenient you can go straight from here to the Crystal casino. Soon we follow the “ching ching” and we each take a hundred dollars, kiss each other and of we go, see I can not win with her insight of me. I don’t know why but it’s true. Well she’s playing quarters and I’m playing dollars and we are down about the two hundred dollars and I hit a dollar machine for $2000.00. They don’t take taxes out like around were we live. The machine paid $400 and the man came around and put 16 yes 16 one hundred dollar bills in my hand and then said Thank You. I love this place they call ARUBA. I looked all over to find George and could not find her anywhere. When I finally did she freaked out. It was quiet a night. I called papawito and said we would have to meet in the morning because we were beat. So I set up 11am Sunday the 27th. To meet the man I have never met. What a full-long - happy 1st day in paradise. Back to the room, and George says “Hey BigPapa” now she does not call me that ever so I knew I was in for trouble, well from what she tells me she came out of the bathroom and I am snoring. Life goes on.
2nd day-Sunday the 27th. I wake up at 4am,yes I am a early riser. It doesn’t matter if I go to bed at 9pm or 12am I am still up around 5 am every morning of every day. I just love the early hours. I put on a tee shirt -swim trunks - sandals and leave a note for sleeping beauty and out the door. Our first full day and I want all of it. There is no one around except a guy sweeping and I say hi and he says yes sir hi. I go up by the Blue pool and this area is so nice. We are really here. All the things I read and heard and now I know what they were saying. I find a Aruban English addition paper and read it from top to bottom, ads and all. Can’t get into the pool yet they are cleaning it, but I would of. The weather is out of this world. Do you remember “Ground Hog Day” the movie with Bill Murray, well if that happened to me I would want it to happen in Aruba. I thought this very same thing as I stood at 5am. Looking out over the ocean, boats, etc. Some of the charter boat crew were already getting the boats around, and fishing lines set up. I would of loved to plan on doing that but George gets sick on them, even when she takes stuff, and I didn’t want to do anything with out her. I’m such a lucky man to have her in my life. I was 21 years old when we got married and what I didn’t realize is that she married a boy and let me grow up to be a man. I am thankful for that. Nothing good is easy. Well its 6am and the fitness room by the pool opens, No Im not going to work out are you crazy, I might hurt my self. Ha. They have 2 computers in there for the internet, and for 6 dollars an hour you can get on line. So I am checking the weather back home and my emails, etc. I get on aruba.com and tell everyone that I landed, and someone says something like “Oh darn I thought you died”. Well hello to you to. This is the place I call home. It was kinda like the wild west with out a sheriff, but it was home. I personally don’t mind. Someone on the internet can say anything to me, and it just rolls off, now to my face that would not be smart. Well it’s close to 7am. And that is when the first shuttle goes out to the island that I have heard so much about, so I hurry back to the room and try to wake George but she has other plans and that’s called “sleep”. Well shoot - So I go back out and get some coffee and a roll and walk all around this place. I won’t bore you anymore than I already have but I can name every shop at the Ren. Marina by name, yeah I know what your thinking.. but what else was I suppose to do . I am on the lower level of the building and there is a young dog, maybe 6mths. Old, skinny just wandering around. So I pick him up and we talk and he likes cinnamon roll too just like me. I know I probably shouldn’t have feed him, but it was my roll and I can do what I want with it. Well after we were finished I took him out side and said good luck buddy. He has to find his way, I kind of felt bad but that was all I knew what to do. Well its 8am. And If sleeping beauty doesn’t get up I will do something with out her. She believes me and she gets around an in a HOUR we leave, she gets coffee and roll and we are off to the island. This boat ride is so neat. You each have to have your room key to get on. We head over to the Ocean Tower to pick up anybody there and then head out to the island. It’s 10 to 15 min. from the time you leave the marina and your there. If you have a hat on make sure it’s on good, and if you sit in the back of the boat you will get wet. I won’t tell you how I know this, but take my word for it. We are on the island and we go to the hut to get towels and head over to the “adult side” because I am a adult and there is maybe 6 people. Wow -I will use the word -Wow a lot in this because That’s what I felt. I put on my water shoes cause there are some rocks when you enter and it feels great. There is no water any where near me that is like this. I go under and come up and you taste the salt on your lips. George comes in a she has the biggest smile on her face and right then everything is right in the world. She swims over and raps her arms around me and says “thanks honey” and I say for what and she says “just for everything” she can be funny sometimes. We act like little kids for awhile and I say hey, we’re suppose to meet papawito at 11 and she says we just got here, and I say and whose fault is that. She didn’t give me the “honey” look. So we dry off and vow to come back as soon as we can and spend the rest of the day. The family side of the island did not have rocks as you enter the water. On the adult side the were like 8 pink flamingos all the time just walking around, I got lots of pictures of them and the iguanas . I would name them. I always call one of them Fred, I used to love Fred Flintstone when I was growing up, ok I still watch them, but their good cartoons. We get back and take a shower. This water here is so soft, we loved it. Well its “D day” and actually I’m not that nervous. He had emailed me a picture of what was suppose to be him and 2 grandchildren and a dog. So I sort of knew what he looked like, but he didn’t know what I looked like. He calls my cell# and says he is by the Blue bar area. So George is ready and out we go. Well I spot him right away, kind of a gray haired man, with a soft look on his face. As I walked up I wanted to hug this man, but I thought I might scare him and I said papawito and he said “Oh yes Bigpapa”. I shook his hand and introduced George and his eyes lite up. He liked Georgene from the start, so we already had something in common. We sat and talked for about a hour, about a lot of different things. He is retired and speaks 5 different languages. He can read and write English and speaks it fairly well. His voice was very soft and he seemed so gentle. I liked him right away. I have a good gut feeling about things and I am seldom wrong. I have learned to trust this feeling. He spoke of trying to set up the planting of the tree, plus having lunch at the school that we were to plant the tree. This school has classes for kids from 13 to 20 and they study things that they may want to do for a living. One of the classes teach how to cook -how to set a proper table-wait on guests, etc. They have a full commercial kitchen and a class room that is set up like a diner. Papawito said he was in contact with a woman that was a expert on the island with plants and she wanted to help. Her name was Olinda Rasmijn and she was a retired teacher of 40years and also gave tours at the parks and through caves on the island. I said that would be wonderful. I told him that if it was ok, that Monday afternoon we wanted to go to his house and have lunch, and he said he would see if that could be done. We shook hands and parted ways. George says “do you know that you just invited yourself to his house and that he is to serve you lunch”. I said “I DID?”. Well ok then. I am walking away from the Blue bar area and I hear loudly, “Hey BigPapa I feel lucky” That’s my man, I just look at him with a big smile on my face. Well he seemed very nice and very polite, and George even liked him. She’s a little harder to impress, I usually like everybody I meet. We are opposites and it works like a charm. In the 30years I have know her, we maybe have had 2 fights. I don’t know about what, I usually just say “Yes Dear” and it works. She’s not going to get one over on me. Well it’s around noon and we are hungry. So we head out to the island and eat at the restaurant there and it was quite tasty. Now where were we. Yes fun in the sun and water and some Aruban beer. We spend the rest of the day just veg’ing out. Pure heaven. We take the last boat heading in, about 6:45 and we come up the escalator and I hear “BigPapa I feel lucky”. George goes on to the room because she takes “2days” to get ready and I head over to see my man and have some more Aruban water that says “Balashi” on the side of it, and yes play the game. I can tell you that I saw people waiting for a drink for like 10min. and for some reason I had another 8oz before mine was even done. Go figure. Well I head to the room, my man wasn’t so lucky but he really got into playing. He would look at both my fist real close, and even smell my hands. He would pick the left hand and I would say “one more chance” I will count to 3 and he would switch and he should have stayed with the left. We really did have a good time together. I will do this game again. I shower and she is ready so out we go, I don’t know where and I don’t care. We end up over at the Seafood Waterfront Crabhouse. It was a very nice walk along the water were the fishing boats are and it took about 10min to get their. I had heard mixed reviews about this place, but I also had heard of the owner and that he always seemed to be there. Well I am self-employed and I always seem to be around and things run good, so I wanted to meet him and eat there. Very leisurely setting, indoor or out. We chose to sit outside, and there was two guitar players, easy listening stuff. Jim Crocey, James Taylor and I loved it. So I am sitting across from George and I can see the sun in her face, and those eyes. She has the most engaging eyes, they usually get the best of me. She has this little smile on her face and I realized I did to. So far this is a dream, and I don’t want to wake up. The waitress is getting our coffee, yes we both drink coffee all day long, sort of, and here comes the owner Roy. I said that I had heard of a man called Roy and wanted to eat at his place and he said “your wish is my command”. He showed up several times and checked on things.
I will close for now. If you knew how slow I type you would realize how long just this took. Thanks for your time. <BigPapa>
