Aruba 2011: June 2011

Aruba 2011 Trip Report (5/21 – 6/4) Divi Phoenix (very long…….)

Sat 5/21 Departure – Airport pickup @ 6am(thanks Jeff & Diane)….on our merry way from Ashland to Logan. Arrive at Logan about 6:40. Into the airport for Jet Blue check in. Whoa…what a zoo! Last year was not like this. In check in line for about 45mins. Ugh! Checked a cooler full of frozen foods…they make me open it up…that was a first. No problem…$30.00 extra and we are on our way to the gate. Breezed through security. Quick stop at Johnny Rockets for breakfast. Now at the gate with plenty of time to spare. Flight was suppose to leave at 9:29am….did not leave until 10:15….yay lift off! Aruba here we come!

Sat 5/21 Arrival – I think touch down in Aruba was about 2:40 thereabouts. Flight was smooth until landing time. Coming in got a bit scary. They were going in for a landing and we were at about 1200ft...then...they aborted the landing and ascended again. I guess the problem was a fast moving rain storm. Anyways...landed safely. I splurged for the “extra leg room seats”! Onto customs. A bit of a wait..not too bad. Now to luggage. Not sure what the issue was other than being on Aruba time! Took for ever for the luggage to come out. Got luggage finally…exit airport terminal……ahhhhh the breeze and the smell of Aruba air! Yay! Now to find the person from Top Drive Car Rental. http://www.arubatopdrive.com/ Walk across the street..found him. We are on our way. They are not far from the airport at all. We rented a Kia Carens since we had friends coming in the 2^nd week. Car was decent. Transaction was quick. We are off to Ling & Sons for essentials; Beer & breakfast food to hold us over until tomorrows big shopping. Bing…bang…boom….that’s done! Onto the Divi Phoenix!

Yes…..arrival to our familiar place (of 14years!)…..friendly faces greet us with hugs and welcome back! I guess working all year was worth it so we could come back to our Caribbean home away from home. Check in was a breeze. We ended up in a 1 bedroom in the tower for the first week. I really wanted to be in the Villa area. Oh well…was not going to let that get me going. We were on the 4^th floor…room was clean..balcony overlooked the new pool section and had an ocean view. We were either in room 401 or 402. All is good. Called Aruba Discount Cell http://arubadiscountcell.com/ to let them know we arrived. They would be in the lobby at 6:00pm so we could get the phone. Unload frozen food from the cooler…load ‘er up with Amstel Brights…ice ‘em down and we are off to the beach!

Hi to our familiar faces and friends……Carmen at the towel hut…..Angelo, Louis, Julio beach / pool attendants…hugs to all. Grabbed a hut and proceeded to unwind alas! Friends from NY arrive and we are all enjoying life and watching the sun set. It was an absolutely beautiful orange ball of fire! Of course I left the camera up in the room! We were told that the week prior to our arrival had been cloudy and rainy and they would see some sun late in the afternoon. The heavens were with us and beautiful weather ensued. Dinner tonite was at the Pure Beach for burgers, margaritas and some music & dance. Did not make it a late night since we were all exhausted from the travel day. Nitey-night!

Sun 5/22 – The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day! Coffee on the balcony…Phone dad back home who is at the house baby sitting his furry grandkids. Weather back home not good. Felt bad telling him about the weather in Aruba. All was well on the home front and the fur kids(2 labs) seemed to be behaving themselves. Down to pick out our hut for the day…one of my pool buds helped me out and we are good. Quick breakfast and off to Ling & Sons for groceries. You really feel like you are shopping in an American supermarket. That’s done! Unload……load the cooler…..slather on the sun screen…hubby is already at the beach deeply engrossed in something he was reading on his Nook. Quick note about that…I bought him the plastic protector pouch for the Nook from Trendy something or other. Although the concept about it was good….I think the Nook heated up too much (no ventilation) and the battery discharged quickly and some other weird things happened. In the end, don’t think he used it much. The day was beautiful….sun…sand and a drink in my hand….(all day)! Floating about talking with friends we have not seen since last year. All was good. Big decision of the day…..”what are we doing for dinner tonite”? Answer: We ate dinner in with friends from NY…a nice Italian dinner!

Mon 5/23 - It is another nice day in paradise. The weather has been great. Disappointed in the sunsets though. The only good one so far was on Sat when we got here and the storms had cleared out. This made for a clear horizon. Today worked out in the gym...walked the beach...took some pics...swam.....floated.....ate....drank...repeat!
Dinner was at the Pam Pam restaurant. Was very good. They have changed the menu since last being there 2 yrs ago. Nice ambiance....good food....good service...cost for 2 peops...$99.00 http://www.pampamaruba.com/reservations/

Tues 5/24 - Today is spa day! Heading for my massage at 10am at SpaDel Sol at Manchebo http://www.spadelsol.com/home.htm ....oh can't wait. All I can say is wonderful! IMHO I think this is the best spot for a massage! Did do about a half mile swim with some peops today for exercise. We did get too much sun yesterday...even after wearing #30...I guess I did not apply often enough..oh...it is not that bad. The resort had a managers party at 6pm. This was fun and "Elvis" (our NY Friend…he is a legend…in his own mind)made his debut in Aruba once again! The crowd went crazy! Great sunset…snapped lots of pics! We ate dinner in...grilled chix kebabs and salad.

Weds 5/25- I went off exploring and went to the Casabari Rock formations

http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/discover/attractions-and-sights/Casibari-Rock-Formation.html . Very cool. Nice view of the island after you climb up the rocks through the narrow passage way. Took lots of pics. Then below are paths that are covered in a canape of trees. So...I proceeded slowly and cautiously because I was concerned up Boa snakes hanging from trees. They have a big problem on the island now with these creepy snakes. So much so, they are having an open hunt soon. Anyways...I did not see any creepy snakes...but what I did see was an owl. I slowly put the big lense on and started snapping away. He just watched me. Then I noticed above me movement....it was another one. Possibly a young fledgling. Took tons of pics. This was a first for me in Aruba. Back to the resort……more sun…sand….drink in hand….floating…..I see a trend developing here…….. Ate dinner in tonite….It was Karaoke night at the resort. Of course Ricky rocked the house singing Elvis songs! There was another guy who did Elvis and he was equally as good. Then me & 4 other ladies got up and sang Sweet Caroline! OMG....were we horrid! It was fun anyways. Nighty- nite!

Thurs 5/25 - Good morning.....gonna sound like groundhog day! Sunny....and beautiful! Got a bit too much sun yesterday. Need to be more careful today re-applying sun screen! Let's see....went to the Butterfly farm. http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/butterflyfarm/ Got some pretty pictures. Went to the market for a few things. This year have been exploring all the markets...each one has something better than the others. Have been to Super Foods, Hong King, Ling&Sons and Certified.
I think what did me in for the sun was that around 3pm I walked all the way to the Marriott and back. Did not think it would be too bad since it was hazy sun....wrong! Anyways...it was another great day. Met a couple from Westwood...the guy is a hoot! Does all these personality imitations. Today is laundry day...big woop! Went up to the litehouse this morning looking for photo ops! Dinner tonite was at Bingo’s….very good as usual! http://www.bingoaruba.com/

Friday 5/27 – Groundhog day again! Sunny…breezy….warm! Off to the litehouse looking for photo ops….We have not eaten at the La’Tratorria restaurant in many years. They have done some nice renovations. Have also read some good reviews on the BB…so we tried it out. It was really nice. We dined out on the lower terrace. They have someone playing steel drum music from 7:00-9:30 every evening. Was very good. Will definitely go back next year. Tried a new beer …Balashi Chill….loved it! http://www.aruba-latrattoria.com/ Tomorrow is moving day to our 2 bedroom unit and our wk 22 friends arrive!

Sat 5/28 – Pack up stuff for the move to our 2 bedroom unit. Told we can move at 1pm. First our friends arrive at noon….hubby does airport run. 2^nd friends arrived at 3pm…..second airport run. Everyone is here now….party time! Beers are on ice…everyone is “chillaxing”……sun is setting! Stayed on beach until dark. Ate at Pure Beach tonite. Ordered from dinner menu. Was very good! http://purebeacharuba.com/

Sun 5/29 – Supermarket run! Another big shopping for wk#2 and of course….more beer! After shopping….load the cooler….slather the lotion…..hit the beach. Oh….I bought 2 floating noodles at Certified market for $3.99ea. Much cheaper than $5 a day for a float…and then just leave them there. More floating…eating and drinking! Dinner tonite was at Amadeus. OMG! You need to try this place out. Pretty new on the restaurant scene. Will be there 2yrs in Aug. http://amadeusaruba.com/ The food, ambiance, service are all a 10 in my book! A definite redo! Oh…and…chef Tom….is a Red Sox fan! At the resorts they have flyers promoting the restaurant. There is a little coupon for their own liquor called “Lost Symphony”. You get a free cordial. Very good. Has a vanilla/amaretto type flavor.

Mon 5/30 – Today was the memorial service at Costa Linda resort on the beach. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWk3QV23ORw (video from 2010…2011 not posted yet). This is done every year on Memorial day at 10am. Veterans from all over attend. Very nice ceremony. They lay a wreath of flowers out to sea. After this it was more beaching it…floating…etc…stayed on beach until dark. Ate in tonite….(Lasagna…from home)

Tues 5/31 – Today we rented a jeep from Economy http://www.economyaruba.com/economy/home.do;jsessionid=440370676D013C2DCCB9CB4C2AF1F8A8 – (never again…piece of crap…had problems…argued for compensation…there are other places much better) and went into Arikok park. http://www.arubanationalpark.org/ This was fun and plenty of photo ops. There is a visitor center at the parks entrance. Not sure how long this has been there but seems rather new. It was $5pp to enter the park. You can also get guided tours by a park ranger if you wish. We opted to just go off and do our own thing. Maybe next year will take the guided tour. We saw plenty of wild goats to which I took many pics. We ventured over towards the coast and got some pics. Stopped at the little restaurant/bar in the middle of nowhere for a few cold frosty’s(Boca Prins). Visited the caves. First cave was Fontein Cave. It was dark and you couldn’t see anything and they ask that you don’t use flashlights ‘cuz it messes up the bats. The next cave was Quadirikiri. I liked this one. It had 2 chambers with small openings above that let light in. Out by the wind turbines we came to some wild donkeys. Pulled over so I could take some pics. Two of them stroll their way over to our jeep and put their heads in the window looking for handouts. Felt bad we did not have anything to give them. Obviously, they have become accustomed to people and people have been feeding them. Next sighting was 2 guys herding a bunch of goats. It was like a goat stampede. This was in the area that is the military live firing range. Perhaps they were getting ready to use the range and asked to have the goats herded out. The red flags were up, yet the guard at the gate let us through. So.. who knows. After exiting the park and getting on a road (no clue where we were at this point…thank goodness for the really good vinyl coated map I bought a few years ago), we spot a horse and a pony grazing in a dirt parking lot. Once again, I spot this as a photo op. We stop on the road and Mr Ed comes wondering up to the jeep. He too is looking for handouts. Sorry buddy….nothing for you! Another car was coming so we moved on. Only to watch Mr Ed stop the next car in the road. Too funny! This was a pretty full day adventure. We found our way back to the resort and hit the beach for some cool down! Tonite we ate at Casa Tua… http://www.casatuaaruba.com/ some had pizza…some had pasta…most liked their meal..some did not…oh well!

Weds 6/1 – Today’s adventure was a Sunset Snorkle Sail trip on the Black Pearl. http://www.aruba-sailing.com/ It left the Marriott pier at 4pm. Trip was from 4-7pm. This was awesome and is definitely a redo next year. It is nice because they only take out 20 or so people and it is not crowded and the hosts are wonderful. Highly recommend this trip. While snorkeling we saw a sea turtle, a sting ray, trumpet fish, giant star fish and many colorful fishies! Dinner tonite was at Smokey Joe’s http://www.smokeyjoesaruba.com/ . Everyone enjoyed their meal except me! Warning…warning….don’t order the Jamaican Jerk ribs! Now…I like things real spicy…however, these were near inedible! Told the server that they really need to warn people how hot these were. Needless to say…I was disappointed. However…all the other times going there have been fine. Lesson learned!

Thurs 6/2 – Today was a weird weather day. No wind…some rain showers…cloudy…sometimes sun. Didn’t stop us from hanging on the beach with friends and still having a good time! Friends introduced us to the dice game Right-Left-Center http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&pq=smokey+joes+aruba&xhr=t&q=dice+game+right+left+center&cp=15&biw=1004&bih=513&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&wrapid=tljp130779186029526&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1669507626250335636&sa=X&ei=81HzTcG6JYXGgAeI8ojvCw&sqi=2&ved=0CEYQ8wIwBA# . OMG was this a fun game and perfect for the beach or camping. We played a buck a game. Also played “Play School Horseshoes”…These were plastic horse shoes that friends brought. It was fun and we had tournaments. Tonite we ate dinner in…..lasagna, stuffed shells, pasta, salad, bread! Yummo!

Frid 6/3 – Today we went off snorkeling on our own at Boca Catalina. Brought some pretzels in a Ziploc bag and broke off tiny pieces…OMG! The fish we saw. Also saw an octopus. It looked like a blob on a rock. I would not have known what it was or even noticed it unless someone pointed it out to me. This is a great spot to snorkel. Final beach day…boo-hoo! At least the sun came back out and it was a nice day. Hung out with friends….float…eat drink…repeat! Dinner was at Amadeus once again. This really is a great place! We were suppose to go to Madame Jeannette’s, but due to almost no wind we decided against it because it would be way to hot and uncomfortable and someone had been there the previous nite with no wind and it was almost unbearable. So…we made a good last minute decision!

Sat 6/4 Departure – Sadness has arrived! Another memorable vacation has come to a close and the countdown to Aruba 2012 begins! Pack it up…..take final beach walk and swim of Aruba 2011 trip. Say good byes and well wishes to friends. Unload leftovers from frig to friends still vacationing. Pack up cooler with Brights, Balashi and Balshi Chill’s! Hint…save the inserts from the Amstel Bright case and put in cooler , then put the beers in. Pack access room in cooler with dirty clothes…voila…..Aruba beers for home! Checked out and on the road by 11:30. Our flight was 3:01pm Jet Blue. Dropped off passengers and luggage and went over to

Top Drive

to drop off the vehicle. Very quick transaction. We did have a situation during the week where the battery went dead. They repaired it the next morning (I did not report the problem until 7:30 that evening), and deducted the price off our bill for what we paid in taxi fares. That is good customer service! They drove us back to airport and we meet up with our friends and get in line. Glad we were in the Jet Blue line! All other airlines had lines a mile long! Airport on a Sat around noon is a zoo! They made me open the cooler to see what I had in it. First time that ever happened. No problem. Line through immigration was sort of long as well. Onto Duty Free! Hubby makes his booze purchase for the home bar….Johnny Walker Green & Blue! I don’t drink the stuff. Next stop Sabarro’s for our 2 slices of pizza. Next, US customs. Was easy finding the luggage this year as they now separate it by the airline you are flying. Line was long! When they advise to plan getting to the airport 3hrs prior to departure, they are not kidding. Especially if it is a Sat/Sun. Made the gate with time to spare. Told to go to Gate 1. No plane there yet. Some of us decide to go hit the Dutch bar for some last cold Brights. Hubby stays at Gate 1. About 15mins later…hubby shows up with all our stuff we left with him (PO’d I might add) and says we are now boarding at Gate 6! WTF! Ok…guzzle…guzzle. Get to Gate 6…sign says Cleveland…not Boston! Ask the attendant…response…we are moving a plane over to this gate headed for Boston. Ok….tensions running high with hubby. Ya know…the travel anxiety syndrome! Me & friends say……more time for anther Bright! That is exactly what we do…one last Bright. Before long we are boarding and in the air watching the island of Aruba fade into the distance……….We left about 45mins/hr late. Flight back home was uneventful…got luggage….found van transportation(Knight’s) and on to Natick and Ashland-Thanks Jeff & Diane!. Home at last….the pups were certainly glad to see us. I think they unloaded every toy from their toy box! Time for a good night’s sleep in my own bed! The countdown to Aruba 2012 has begun. The ticker on my computer screen at work says I have 50 more weeks to go………

Side Notes – I finally actually sat down and figured out the costs of cases of beer….holy cow……..here ya go:

(24)cans Amstel Bright – 37.85 (24)cans Miller Light 53.62 - not sure about the Balashi Chill..can’t find a receipt.

Some Pictures – Divi Phoenix - View from room 401(in tower)