Aruba! Rental Cars, Souvenirs, and Lost Credit Cards

Friday

California Lighthouse
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Today, the rental car agency came by to get the car. They claimed there was damage to the bumper. I did notice the scratch after our towels were stolen, but I can't say whether or not it was there when we got the car. I do know this: We did not hit anything. Anyway, bummer. We were dinged $100 and found out later this is a common scam here when you don't rent with the big guys. So, it would have been cheaper to spend the extra $30 for an air-conditioned, new vehicle instead of the rattletrap we got. Though, to be fair, it started and stopped on command. C'est la vie. Note to self: Rent from the big guys next time!

I went over to the Alhambra shopping area to see about souvenirs. Sure enough, they had everything right there, and cheaper than downtown! Note to self: Bargain hunting isn't necessarily a bargain! Oh, and the Delft is real [blush]. There was a great teapot, but they don't ship and so I couldn't take it home. We were concerned about the weight of the bags. When we got to the airport, they didn't even weigh them. Good thing, too... I picked up some Aruba Aloe after-sun lotion and bath gel. As I mentioned before, it is great stuff.

Druif Beach, Aruba
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Then we went to relax at the beach. Ahhhh.....bliss.

Resident pelican.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Happy hour at the Tamarijn was extra special, with an extended time and live music by a “no stress” band. It was very fun interacting with the folks who had just arrived, as well as with some who, like us, were leaving. Reluctantly. The sunset was splendiforous, complete with sailboats passing and all that. The resident pelican was diving for his dinner from the pilings, rather successfully. [Interestingly, we ordered a calendar a couple of years ago that accidentally had pictures of bathing suit models in the center. Guess what I saw in the background? Yep. The picture you see here, complete with the resident pelican. Those lucky ladies were in Aruba for a shoot.]

I went for a last swim in the sea. It was a surprisingly emotional experience. As I watched the sun go down, I thought about all the sights and sounds and smells of our vacation, and I'll admit to being a bit teary-eyed at the thought that it was almost over.

We went to have pizza at Pizza Bob's, then walked to the Alhambra to catch the shuttle (Did I mention there's a shuttle that makes a circuit around the resort areas? You just hop on. It's free) and realized when I tried to buy a couple of CDs (I'd found some local music! Have a listen to Nico Connor's "Fragile" from "Caribbean Moods") that I didn't have my credit card. We went back to Bob's to see if they had it, but they couldn't find it, either, and were pretty frantic. I wasn't accusing anyone of anything, but they were taking no chances and looked everywhere. They were taking my plight to heart. In fact, everyone in the place was. Everybody was checking under all the chairs and all over the bar area. So, it was a tiny bit embarrassing when my husband showed and had my card with him [blush]. Everyone was so relieved – especially me – and the owner bought us a drink for our trouble, or to celebrate, whichever. How nice is that? They wanted to make sure we left Aruba with good feelings.

So, we stayed at Pizza Bob's for a while, it being our last evening on the island, and we chatted with some of the customers, one of whom has been coming to Aruba for 21 years in a row. That seems to happen a lot! Again, very nice people, mostly from Boston. I wasn't in a big hurry to get back to “our place,” but I needed to pack our bags. Sigh. No-o-o-o-o-o-o..........