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Our first 2 full days
in Aruba including Monday our
Travel day.
Monday June 23, 2003
We leave San Diego at 7am Pacific Time and arrive at 7pm Eastern
time
Our Driver Sjeidy Feleciano is there to pick us up with a van that has
lots of room . . . because we brought it all!! |
GREAT NEWS FOR
MIDWEST
AND WESTERN STATES . . .
Continental Airlines
adds new route from Houston,
Texas to ARUBA starting
JUNE 12, 2003!
Continental also leaves from NY
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Arriving in Oranjestad, Aruba A
great flight from San Diego
with one stop in Houston.
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Radisson
Aruba
Resort and Casino
Contact
Sharlene I. Brenkus
Director of Sales
(954) 491 8004
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Did you know that
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES was voted . . .
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-
No. 30 Most Admired
Global Company - FORTUNE magazine (3/02)
-
No. 2 Most Admired
U.S. Airline - FORTUNE magazine (3/02)
-
No. 2 Most Admired
Global Airline - FORTUNE magazine (3/02)
-
100 Best Companies to
Work For (No. 55) - FORTUNE magazine (2/02)
-
Airline of the Year - Air
Transport World (2001 and 1996)
THINGS TO
BRING TO ARUBA
•
Passport •
Credit Cards
•
Drivers Permit
•
Sunscreen
•
• Hat
• Camera
•
Sun Glasses
•
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Tuesday June 24, 2003
FIRST FULL DAY IN ARUBA
MORNING
. . .
Arikok
National Park
A very educational visit to the Arikok
National Park, where Renaldo, a wonderfully bright and informative
National Park expert from Holland and park ranger Supervisor Salvador
drive us in 4 wheelin' jeeps around tbe perimeter of ARUBA. We look at
the wild life and learn about the plants and the incredible history of
the Island.
The park contains traces of nearly all the significant forces that
have impacted on Aruba's history, including Arawak
petroglyphs in the Fontein Cave, the remains of Dutch peasant
settlements at Masiduri, plantation houses in the Prins Valley and the
ruins of an old gold mining operation at Miralamar.
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It is always summer in Aruba, and hardly ever rains. The average
daytime temperature is in the low 80s. The differences in the
temperatures between night and day is normally less than 4
degrees. The average rainfall is less than 20 inches per year --
normally during November and December. And, perhaps best of all,
Aruba is outside of the hurricane belt. So, for the most
part, Aruba's weather is normally perfect! |
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Sandy, Sjeidy, Eric, Renaldo, Salvador, Patrick and Michaella
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Sjeidy our Aruban Guide and Salvador,
supervisor of the National Park.
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Snorkeling in the Natural Pool is awesome.
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We are in
awe of this 90 million year old island, the formation of Aruba
is made by lava rocks and a great number of plants and animals.
Eric and Michaella and Patrick snorkel in the
natural pools.
Aruba is full of natural resources including
gold. The flora and fauna and some history behind the park and
its natural resources. This little island is only 750 miles from
the equator Don’t forget to wear shorts, hats, sunblock and
your bottle of water. |
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AFTERNOON
. . . |
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EVENING . . . |
Lunch at Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant
located in the midst of
downtown San Nicolas since 1941.
Charlie’s Bar is and has been a
favorite hang out place for both tourists and locals for over 60 years.
We met and interviewed the owner, Charlie Brouns II, son of original
Aruban pioneer Charlie Braun Senior.
We all had a great time with the EYE
CANDY plastered all over the walls, from license plates to photos to the
truly odd. Charlie has a hard throwing anything out and his walls prove
it!
Later we came back to the hotel to relax,
swim and get freshened up for our next adventure at the BonBini
Festival!
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Charlie Braun II, Sandy
and Charlie Braun III |
In front of Charlies . . .
What a history! Stories of
Bar fights, memorabilia all over the place and some of
the best fish in Aruba. |
Rosalba, Jr's wife, runs
the cooking pat of
this free-spirited establishment.
No formalities and pretty casual service,
but the food is GOOD! . . . local creole,
with SHRIMPS and SQUID as a specialty. 
Charlie's
Bar & Restaurant
Tel 845086 Fax 841640
OPEN FROM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM
SUNDAY AND HOLIDAYS CLOSED
EMAIL CHARLIES
here
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BON BINI FESTIVAL
"Welcome" Festival!
We visited Fort Zoutman located in downtown area and enjoy the
famous Bon Bini Festival, a local folkloric music and dance
festival. The local talent entertains the new visitors giving
everyone a taste of Aruban music and the Carnival atmosphere.
Carnival will be in special form this next year as Aruba
celebrates the 50th year of Carnival.
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Dancers entertained us for over
an hour. Local artists were showed
their wonderful crafts as we relaxed in the warm Aruba evening air.
After
the Bon Bini Festival
we went to dinner . . .
DINNER
Dinner at Chez Mathilde, Aruba’s finest
French Chez Mathilde.
This fine restuarant is located in the heart of town, is housed
in one of Aruba's oldest family homes. For over a century this
house has been kept in its' original state by the same
family. |
| This typical
family home is
perhaps the only 19th century dwelling in Oranjestad
still preserved in its original state. Located on Main Street,
this unique restaurant was Sandy's favorite. As a vegetarian,
she asked the chef to suggest something for her. She loved her
assortment of pastas, vegetables and unique sauces . . . You
have to try Chez Mathilde. Michaella and Eric enjoyed escargot
and Patrick adored his shrimp special.
CHEZ
MATILDE RESTAURANT FRANCAIS
Dinner open daily 6 - 11pm Lunch Mon - Sat 11:30 - 2:30
Havenstraat 23, Tel 834968 ORANJESTAD, ARUBA
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Wednesday June 25, 2003
MORNING
. . .
We enjoyed a sail and snorkel trip on
board of Red Sail Sports custom-built catamaran and visited two
snorkel stops at the wreck of the Antilla/Catalina Bay, a 400
sunken German freighter. Please remember to bring your sunglasses,
hat, sun block, towel and a lot of energy. Check in Red Sail
Sports office located between Occidental Grand and Hyatt Regency
Aruba. The rest is easy . . . and the best fun on the Island.
Captain and Sandy
877 RED SAIL
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Sandy and Patrick
RED SAIL SPORTS
can be found throughout ARUBA.
Our family found their services to be of the greatest value on the
island. You can't beat the open air on their fabulous Catamarran,
the wonderful island music reminding you there are no worries on
Aruba! And they chip in snorkel equipment, ALL you can
eat
and drink for one great price.
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Sandy after a day of
snorkeling, driving the
Catamaran back to dock.
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AFTERNOON
. . .
We visited
Aruba’s
newest museum featuring Aruba’s oldest industry, the aloe
industry.
Enjoy a tour through the Aruba Aloe Museum and watch the complete
process right before your Eyes.
ARUBA
ALOE BALM N.V.
tel 297 588 3222
Fax 297 588 3055
Great Gift shop at the Museum.
BUY
ARUBA Aloe Products
directly ONLINE here
Click on Logo
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Fields of Aloe across
from the Museum
A demonstration of the process of
extracting Aloe.
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Michel A. Henriquez, Director of
the
ARUBA aloe Museum and Laboratory
EMAIL Michel
here
The Tour is informative and
very well done, combining plexi-glass
and wood, the artist created a
blend of nature and science. A must not only so that you can
pickup products at great savings but the kids will also enjoy the
colors and displays in the museum.
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DINNER . . .
Shjeidy joined the family at
Buccaneer Restaurant! We got the feeling we were dinning below the
deck of sunken ship, as 12 large (5,000 gallons) of aquariums with
colorful fish surround you. Great food and fun for the entire
family.
The
Buccaneer Restuarant
Gasparito #11 - C
(Only 5 minutes from the high rise hotels)
Tel 297-586
Open 5:30 - 10pm
Closed Sundays - No Reservations
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Chef Harald Rudel and his son,
co owners
of
Buccaneer Restaurant.
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.
. . EVENING
Wonderfully Vegetarian for me
and my family enjoyed fish,
meat and other delights
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JOIN
SANDY as she and her family discover ARUBA! |
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Day 1,
2
and 3 . . . You are
here! |
Day
4 and 5 . . . Click
here
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Day 6
and 7 . . . Click
here
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hear from you!
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here
to contact us.
Cheers! From the staff of Travel Talk Radio 
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