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DE PALM TOURS
When we got picked up on a huge tour bus at 8:07am and it made four stops at nearby hotels along the way, I couldn't help thinking: What have we gotten ourselves into? We were going on a safari and every time I've been on one of these, they pick you up at your hotel in the vehicle you're going to be in for the day. But when we arrived at De Palms' huge headquarters, with a bunch of other tourists at 8:28am, things started to make sense. Our tour guide Eric was funny as hell and liked to talk about poop a lot. He gathered the 14 tour members for a briefing. What's interesting and very cool is that they don't shove everyone in one vehicle. They broke us up into three groups (based on our hotels) and one person from each was designated to be the driver of the 4x4 All-Terrain Land Rover.
DRIVING THE LAND ROVER
I didn't want to pull rank because I wasn't the oldest but I also wasn't comfortable letting a stranger be in control of my life, especially after Eric said some of the driving was going to be pretty hairy. Fortunately, the eldest in our group didn't want the job so I took it. The beat up Land Rover wasn't that easy to drive as it kind of pulled a bit to the right as I followed Eric's lead. The two couples (from South Dakota and Massachusetts) in the back were nice but we never really talked much since Eric was on a one-way radio telling me what to do and talking to the group about what we were seeing along the way.
CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE
This four-hour tour was a fantastic way to see the island. The moment we pulled away from the beach, we realized this place is a desert island full of cacti (the large ones are between 100 and 250 years old), strange boulder formations and iguanas. The drive was sane until the end and we stopped or went by most of the islands attractions like the California Lighthouse. It's named after a ship called The Californian that went down off the Aruba coast in the early 1900s and is a popular dive site today. What's eerie is that in 1912, The Californian was in proximity of the Titanic when it sent the distress signals. However, it's radio operator was off-duty and asleep so they never received them.
ALTO VISTA CHAPEL
We then got off the beaten path (paved roads) and drove on the dusty, bumpy dirt roads until we reached the Alto Vista Chapel. Eric told us that 80% of Aruba is Catholic and that a Spanish missionary built the original Alto Vista Chapel in 1750. This replica was built on the same spot in 1952. Outside, a man sells tchotchkes from the back of his pickup truck including candles ($2) to light inside. When we left, we took the main winding road out; it's lined with 14 white crosses marking the Stations of the Cross.
BUSHIRIBANA RUINS The next stop was the Bushiribana Ruins. It's the remains of an 1825 natural stone house built by a gold smelter. It was in operation for 90 years and supposedly produced three million pounds of gold. The site is fun to explore and to see the views of the ocean from the top. What's also a trip is walking along the rocky coast and seeing the strange rock formations that people have created. It reminded me of Kona, Hawaii where people create natural graffiti out of the coral. Here, folks pile small rocks on top of each other, creating what are called inukshuks. Eric said most tourists believe they're good luck but the native history says that they're to wish travelers a safe journey.
NATURAL LANDBRIDGE One of the most popular stops is the remains of the 100 foot (30 meter) coral limestone Natural Land Bridge made by the pounding surf. It stood about 23 feet (7 meters) out of the water but it collapsed on September 2, 2005. There's now a mini one forming to the left of it and it's a good halfway point for tour groups because there's a “Thirst Station” with a gift shop, snack bar and a bathroom ($0.50 cents to use).
NATURAL POOL
When we left the land bridge, Eric said we had a 30-minute drive to the windward coast for our last stop. Fifteen minutes would be smooth, 15 not so smooth, he said. He wasn't kidding! The folks in the back were being thrown around like rag dolls and it was a steep drive down the mountain with no guardrail. I was just thankful to be the one driving. Once we arrived, it was the highlight of the day, which of course, is why it's left until last. The natural pool is surrounded by slippery rocks and is a perfect place to go for a dip and snorkel. If it weren't for the crashing waves crashing down and the incredible fish, you would swear you were in a pool. At the far end, the pool is on top of the rocks, creating a sort of natural hot tub. The water is much warmer up there since it's out of reach of the waves. Be sure to bring your bathing suit, towel, sunscreen and snorkel gear -- the tours provide the latter.
On the drive back, Eric said he had some good news and some bad news for us. The bad news was that the tour was over. The good news was that he'd saved a lot of money with Geico. What a clown.
ARUBA AIRPORT
They say to be at Aruba's Reina Beatrix airport three hours early but I think it's just to increase airport sales because Natalie and I breezed right through. Going through Aruban security is just like in the United States. After that is Aruba passport control (they don't give exit stamps) followed by customs. With over two hours to kill, we shopped in their plush duty free shops and grabbed some pizza. There are two Sbarro restaurants in the airport. The one before security is 1,000 times better than the one near Gate 5 because they don't sell slices just their gnarly "pizzettes" for $6.50. It might be softer and tastier if you just starting chewing the soles of your shoes. When I went through immigration in Miami, the agent was super cool. He welcomed me home and said that he could tell I was a traveler just by looking at me. He joked that he almost broke his arm lifting my passport. Nice way to end a fun trip!
*If you heard about us somewhere else or have the link to the story please email Johnny Jet media and let us know where!
SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
Kia Orana... thanks for sharing it with us all..... kia manuia! Dalmeny – Cook Islands
Just to let you know, you have an error in your current newsletter. The start date of Delta's LAX-SYD
is today, July 1st! I'm on the inaugural flight tonight and I thought for sure you would be on it!! It returns
back from SYD for the first flight on July 3rd...just a couple hours after we land. Otherwise, keep up the travels and great website!
G'day mate! Erik - Atlanta
Have you ever flown Air New Zealand couch? I saw your write up on business class, but not in the budget,
I wondered what the difference was for coach. Thanks. Donna P - Fort Lauderdale, FL
I travel to West Maui often and these are all my favorites as well!!
All the description were right on. Wow this makes me miss Maui. What a useful article for anyone
ho hasn't gone. Mahalo! Brian N - Honolulu
Johnny Jet: Your column and photos of Aitutaki were sensational. Reminded me of Fiji. Your style has
improved and I am overwhelmed by your incredible ability to show and tell it as it is. Of course, some people
might say I am biased. I don't know why. Just because I'm your father? Fantastic!
I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to have found your newsletter! You're the one who initially piqued my interest
in Malaysia, and I'll be re-reading your posts before I go! You always provide great advice, and I love hearing your personal
take on the places you visit. Speaking of which, I've enjoyed your latest travelogue on the Cook Islands, and I look forward to
reading about your next adventure! In the meantime, take care and have a fantastic holiday weekend. Shay T- Florida
Color of the water is AMAZING! What equipment is he using to do the
underwater video when snorkeling? Karen T- Louisville, Kentucky. REPLY: Hi Karen,
Johnny wrote about the camera when he went to Tahiti in 2008.
Here’s the excerpt If you're wondering how I got so many great underwater pictures and video clips, it's because just before I left home,
I bought an Olympus Stylus 850 SW underwater, shockproof camera. After calling around the local electronic stores like Best Buy and Circuit City,
I found Fry's to have the cheapest one at $270. I'm sure I could have found a better deal on eBay but I didn't have time to really shop around since
I was leaving in 22 hours. I got the last one they had in stock (a yellow one) and I probably wouldn't have gotten it if I knew I needed to buy an XD card for $35. Have you ever even heard of one of these? What a joke! I guess Panasonic and Olympus created it just for their cameras. And then there's the fact that the battery charger comes with a long cord and to download the pictures, it requires a USB cable. I'm seriously running out of room in my carry-on with all these electronic gadgets and their respective chargers! However, I'm glad I didn't know all that in advance because I might not have bought it and the truth is, I'm really happy with the camera. I will say, though that this camera doesn't have a two-second timer (I use this function to get the quick and still pictures), the battery doesn't last long and it takes a long time to charge.
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