Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Aruba, Curacao, I wish I was there now...
...with apologies to the Beach Boys.
And speaking of beach, cruises totally rule. We boarded in San Juan, and our first stop was Oranjestad, Aruba. Oranjestad being a Dutch word meaning "tourist trap." So we sat on the privately owned beach and awed at the genuine local flavor. Or not, but hey, nobody went missing, which is makes any trip to Aruba a winner these days, right? Back on board, it's a formal dining night, which is weird, because I went on vacation to get away from wearing a tie. Afterward comes the traditional post-formal night cruise activity.
Minature golf. (Note - not a formal cruise night activity.)
Next stop was Curacao, which we really liked, and where the spouse got kissed by a girl.
You know, you hear about it, and when you finally see it happen, it's kind of underwhelming. We went swimming with sea lions, although the spouse nearly missed it because her bikini top snapped just before jumping in the water. Despite a strong voice from a fellow swimmer for her to just come in anyway (hey, dude, did I make perverted remarks about your wife? That you could hear, I mean?), she waited until one of the sea lion handlers jury-rigged something. Curacao was also where I went snorkeling with stingrays, which apparently is the most dangerous activity on earth. Just before diving, the dive instructor gave us each a bucket of fish and said the stingrays would take food right from our hands. Then he had us dive in with the stingrays. Next vacation - fly to Curacao and punch that guy in the head.
Next stop was St. Maarten, where the spouse went shopping and I collided with a shipwreck, because, you know, sunburn wasn't enough. The last stop was St. Thomas, which was just more shopping. But of course, this leaves out the real reason to go on a cruise.
You see, when you live in a state where gambling is immoral and wrong, you take your opportunities where you can get them, even if it's just one 5/10 limit Hold 'em table. I played a fair amount, ending up a little ahead - crazy redhead played just the one time, where she more than doubled up.
And, of course, the second best reason to go on a cruise...
TOWEL MONKEY!
Back to San Juan, board the flight home, pick the dogs up, and regrettably, rejoin the real world tomorrow.
And speaking of beach, cruises totally rule. We boarded in San Juan, and our first stop was Oranjestad, Aruba. Oranjestad being a Dutch word meaning "tourist trap." So we sat on the privately owned beach and awed at the genuine local flavor. Or not, but hey, nobody went missing, which is makes any trip to Aruba a winner these days, right? Back on board, it's a formal dining night, which is weird, because I went on vacation to get away from wearing a tie. Afterward comes the traditional post-formal night cruise activity.
Minature golf. (Note - not a formal cruise night activity.)
Next stop was Curacao, which we really liked, and where the spouse got kissed by a girl.
You know, you hear about it, and when you finally see it happen, it's kind of underwhelming. We went swimming with sea lions, although the spouse nearly missed it because her bikini top snapped just before jumping in the water. Despite a strong voice from a fellow swimmer for her to just come in anyway (hey, dude, did I make perverted remarks about your wife? That you could hear, I mean?), she waited until one of the sea lion handlers jury-rigged something. Curacao was also where I went snorkeling with stingrays, which apparently is the most dangerous activity on earth. Just before diving, the dive instructor gave us each a bucket of fish and said the stingrays would take food right from our hands. Then he had us dive in with the stingrays. Next vacation - fly to Curacao and punch that guy in the head.
Next stop was St. Maarten, where the spouse went shopping and I collided with a shipwreck, because, you know, sunburn wasn't enough. The last stop was St. Thomas, which was just more shopping. But of course, this leaves out the real reason to go on a cruise.
You see, when you live in a state where gambling is immoral and wrong, you take your opportunities where you can get them, even if it's just one 5/10 limit Hold 'em table. I played a fair amount, ending up a little ahead - crazy redhead played just the one time, where she more than doubled up.
And, of course, the second best reason to go on a cruise...
TOWEL MONKEY!
Back to San Juan, board the flight home, pick the dogs up, and regrettably, rejoin the real world tomorrow.
