Tag Archives: movie

Aruba, Vacations

The Last Day Blues

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Max at Surrey LakeFriday was our last full day here in Aruba. We fly out on Saturday at 4 pm local time. It’s always bittersweet, that last day. You try to pack in as much as you can, but you realize that it won’t make the vacation last longer! But it’s also nice to be thinking of being home, in your own bed, with Max eagerly waiting for us.

School of fish We decided to return to the Malmok area of Aruba, where the luxury homes are… we jumped in at Boca Catalina again, a place where we’ve had a couple of great dives. We were rewarded almost immediately with a big school of Caribbean Reef Squid. These ones were HUGE. Much bigger than any we’d seen before. It’s fun to watch them shift colors through the school as the communicate with each other. We even got to see a squid ink another fish!
Very small guy - 3 inchesWe saw a fish that looks like a stone, called a toadfish, we think. I’ve got a video of it, that you’ll need to watch really closely to see him. But that was cool too. There were tons of the usual suspects, with lots of French Angels. And Mike will be happy to know, we’ve discovered where all the Seargant Majors are! They’ve all moved to this part of Boca Catalina! AND we saw the biggest barracuda ever! WHOA! He was a monster.

After a couple of hours in ocean we’d had our fill. We did a little shopping, picked up a couple souvenirs, a few postcards, kept asking each other did we forget anything? We decided to make our last dinner here a memorable one, by going to an Argentine steak house called El Gauchos.
El Gauchos wall artIt is a great looking restaurant, with barreled roofed ceilings made of wood, with art over the walls made of inlaid leathers and cowhides. You sit at big sturdy wooden plank trestle tables, with huge comfy seats made of leather and cowhide. There are big wooden chargers at each place setting. The service is attentive, efficient, and professional.

The food was magnificent. If you’ve never had Argentine beef, you owe it to yourself to try it. One of my uncles was a cattle rancher, and I’m sorry to say, Alberta beef just doesn’t compare well to Argentine beef! We each had a big steak – I like it well done, and I apologize to the chef each time I ask for it, but these guys cooked it perfectly. There were no burnt sections, just perfectly grilled. They’ve added some new items to the menu since we were here in December, and we sampled a few of them! All good…

If you come to Aruba, do go to El Gauchos. Their deserts alone make the trip worthwhile! And try the margaritas! Best I have ever had!

The rental carHere is a picture of the rental car we had this week on Aruba. On Curacao, we were supposed to have a Toyota Yaris,  but it wouldn’t start, so they replaced it with a Suzuki Liana. It’s a nice car, actually. We had fun running around in it. Then when we got to Aruba, we were supposed to have a Suzuki Liana, and I was looking forward to that… But again, it was a non-starter! So they replaced it with this American car. It was ok, but it’s no Suzuki Liana!

It’s truly been a wonderful, memorable 2 weeks, but with all the talk of Air France 447, going home has suddenly become a slightly different event than in the past. I remember flying shortly after 9/11 and it didn’t bother me in the least. This does – terrorism is one thing. That’s part of life. But was this flight downed due to the failure of the plane? That’s worrisome. Even more worrisome is the news today that perhaps pilot error is now part of the problem. Either way, it just seems incredible to me that one of the “logical” responses of a flight computer is to crash the plane!

Aruba, Vacations

Tuesday is Bingo

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Baby BeachThe day started so calmly, we figured we’d take a drive down to the south part of the island and take a dip in Baby Beach. It seems to have undergone some improvements. There are a lot of palapa huts up there now, and they have added another place to get snacks. They’ve added another parking lot, so people don’t have to park on the road.

Black DurgonThe swimming is nice of course. The sheltered cove is perfect for people wanting to just get in the water. It’s very sandy on the bottom, for quite a distance. When you approach the opening to the ocean, the water fills with fish! It’s really cool to see. I’ve written about it last time we were here – click here for more about our 2008 trip. One problem with Baby Beach – the best fish to see, are out in the “rough area” where the ocean is well oxygenated, and that makes taking a clear shot very difficult. The Black Durgon, a type of triggerfish, is one of my fave fishes, but I’ve never been able to get a decent shot of him.

Assorted fishWe’ve been smart about the sun this time, Joy – we used this new invention called “sunscreen” – and you know what, it works! Usually I get burned in the first few days, but this time, we’ve just browned up. No burns. Well except maybe the bald spot on my head! Pam is starting to peel on her right arm and she is not to happy to have that blemish on her brown bean tan!

It got quite windy while we were there, so we headed over to San Nicholas and Charlie’s Bar, a local institution for over 60 years. The place is really a delight, with bric-a-brac from customers lining the walls, the ceilings, the table tops…. I’ve made a quick little movie that I hope will give you a sense of the place.

TriggerfishLunch was amiable and goofy, with Andy and the rest of the staff making sure you all have a good time. They are famous for their peel and eat shrimp and with good reason! If you come to Aruba, the Baby Beach/Charlie’s Bar combo is a must! Peter had mentioned to Andy last Gruntsyear, that he had an old 1960 Alberta car license plate, and would Andy want it for the bar? Why yes! So we brought it here for Peter, along with a picture that was taken in 2008 of Peter, Pam and me. It was laminated so it should stand the test of time. Andy put our picture up right away but said it was not the best spot and he would find a better one, plus he would put the license plate up later (he eyeballed it and took it away as a coveted prize).

Boca Catalina We made our way back up north to near Boca Catalina and found another easy entrance to the ocean. We found a fish called a Highhat – and close to them were these two little tiny baby ones. I tried diving down to get their picture, and stuck my hand under the rock and clicked the picture. The flash went off, and you can imagine my surprise when a BIG green moray eel pushed out from the rock and glared menacingly at me!

Queen angelPam suggested that perhaps I shouldn’t be diving down there again, and sticking my hand under rocks is not the brightest thing to be doing! 🙂 Hard to argue with that logic…

We came back to the condo to wash the salt off, and they had their welcome party. Last year they had a local artist there who made wonderful water colors of the DiviDivi tree and I regretted not getting one. Well, she was back, and this time – no regrets!

Cuba in Carnaval gearThey had a Carnaval Dancer there too – and then suddenly we realized it was Cuba, the waitress at CocoLocos, all decked out. She looked sensational! And this woman can dance. Latin Ladies know how to move those hips, and man, she can move!

We had dinner at Bingos, a restaurant with mostly Dutch locals in it. People who came in waved to other regulars, and hugged the waitresses. We’d come here last year, and the food this year was of the same high standard. I had the steak special, with a cheese sauce and fresh veggies. They did a great job cooking the steak the way I asked for it – which is hard to do, cuz I like it well done. Pam had the chicken brochette with salad and it was simply too much food for her to eat.

The only problem is, I can see the end of our vacation fast approaching. Three more sleeps and we’re outta here! Still need to get to El Gaucho’s, we want to dive the Antilla, the largest wreck in the Caribbean, and we’re going to try to fit in the sunset cruise. Plus I’ve only been in ONE jewelry store – that is simply NOT enough. (Did I mention that I bought a ring in that one store? No? Oh – I did.)

Below is a movie of the fish columns I mentioned in the post yesterday. Enjoy.

Aruba, Vacations

Lazy Sunday in Aruba

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Hawksbill turtle After breakfast we decided to check out Arashi Beach, the northern most beach on the island, near the California Lighthouse. We thought we’d swam this beach last year, but we had not. It’s very popular with locals, and most of the people there on Sunday were not tourists.

Arashi BeachIt’s easy to see why this beach is popular – it’s got a wide white sandy beach that goes out into the ocean for quite a while. It’s great for simply being in the ocean, without fins or masks – just to swim and play. But the snorkeling is amazing, too!

We finally saw our first turtle in the wild! That was very cool, very special. He was a hawksbill turtle, about 3 feet long. He was under the surface, and I was diving to get a shot of a little fish, when suddenly this beauty was there! We’ve waited a long time to catch one of these guys in the wild, and it’s so cool we did…

Columns of FishBut there was something else at Arashi that was truly stunning to see. It’s difficult to describe what it was we saw – but there were literally millions and millions of fish, all involved in some intricate movements, flowing through the water. It was like a giant ballet – unique columns of fish like ribbons of moving color would flow and move and dart, all in perfect harmony, seemingly being directed by some underwater conductor. Columns of FishIt was not some local thing – it was over hundreds and thousands of square meters – we swam for 20 minutes or more, just totally and completely surrounded by this mass of fish. It was intoxicating. I kept expecting the phenomenon to end, but it seemed to just go on and on forever. It was truly humbling. We are going to go back to Arashi in a couple of days to see if they are still there. Trust me, these pictures do not do this phenomena justice. Really, we were in awe.

Malmok BeachWe headed slightly south – less than a kilometre, to Malmok Beach, a beach we had visited last year while a baptism was going on. No baptism this year, just lots of families enjoying the ocean. It’s got a very sandy entry to the ocean, and there were a couple of Red Sail catamarans there, so you know the snorkeling is good!

French AngelfishWe saw some “big” French Angels, and then each subsequent French Angel we saw seemed to get bigger! I’ve put up a pic of the largest we saw. Now the guide book says they grow to a maximum of 18 inches, but this guy must have been hanging around with A-rod, cuz he must have been two feet at least!

There was a huge peacock flounder – they are so cool to see move. They remind me of a magic carpet ride! Thin as a sheet of paper, they just wiggle a bit and they are gonzo! We also saw what we thought was a “miniature” porcupinefish – about 8 inches long, which was a webb burrfish. He’s a real shy guy, and tried to hide in the seaweed, but didn’t move off, even when I came within 6 inches of him.

Sunday is not a shopping day in most of Aruba, but they are trying an experiment near the high rise hotels, whereby they have created a mall of sorts, with lots of nice shops and restaurants that stay open late into the evening. Most shops close at 5 or 6 every day, so it’s nice to be able to walk around in the evening while the sun is down and do a bit of shopping.

We strolled around, watched a light show with dancing waters in the fountain, with Enya singing Caribbean Blue in the background. Very nice. We had dinner at Scala, a restaurant on the second floor, so we could watch the people stroll by below us. Dinner was amazing again. Wonderful food, wonderful service, wonderful ambiance, wonderful company. A brilliant conclusion to a brilliant day.

Playa Jeremi Turtle in the bay Down low Swimming with turtles Smile buddy Turtle at Play Grandi Turtle picture
Curacao, Vacations

The Royal Sea Aquarium

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Royal Sea Aquarium Resorts We are staying at the Royal Sea Aquarium here in Curacao. The resort itself is on a man-made island, so technically, we’re not even on Curacao! They have a Dolphin Academy, where you can interact with the dolphins, right in the water. They have also what they call Dolphin Therapy, where autistic and troubled kids are given some joy in their lives by interacting with the dolphins.

Dolphin Academy, Curacao We took in the main dolphin show yesterday, and it really was something to see. The dolphins are housed in large ocean pools, and the trainers are clearly in love with them. It was really moving to see the dolphins come to them for a hug and pet.

They do tricks, and some people think this is something dolphins don’t do in the wild, but they clearly do! Jumping over the trainers, somersaults in the air, and breaching and swimming like crazy are things they do. In fact, we were watching Animal Planet last night and the dolphins in the wild were doing exactly these things!

Anyway – it was a total blast to watch the show. And I was glad and a little honored to have witnessed it. Literally, it brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Downtown Rif fortWe were supposed to go fishing this afternoon. Old style fishing, and they’d clean and bbq the fish for us right on the beach. However, it was too windy today, and they cancelled it! I cannot even tell you how disappointed Pam was…. I really felt for her.

So instead we went into town for some sightseeing and a little shopping. The jewelry stores were not as prevalent as they are in Aruba or the Caymans. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not – but the wallet says it’s a good thing!

Juvenile somethingWe snorkeled around the beach here again, and saw some cool fish of course. Always something neat to see. All in all, a quiet day.

Friday Pam is going on an “animal encounter” with a 9 foot grouper called Herby, and she’s going to feed some sharks, by hand naturally. (Hopefully, NOT feeding them a hand….) Then we’re heading out to Westpunt again – to an area where turtles are supposed to frequent.

From the Dolphin show – pretty cool! She throws her pretty high! Must be a riot to do.

Curacao, Vacations

Wednesday in Porto Mari

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Colorful house Playa Porto Mari We went back up to the area we were yesterday, looking for Porto Mari again. We found it this time, and what a find it turned out to be! The beach itself is a labor of love for a family who has lovingly restored it. They’ve added a boardwalk so you can walk the 2 kilometers without burning your feet on the hot sand.

There are lots of chairs and umbrellas, palapas and even some larger shaded areas for large families. There is a dive shop, a restaurant and facilities. Lots of great parking too. The strange thing is, we saw way more scuba divers than snorkelers.
A palometaBUT the snorkeling was amazing! AMAZING. Yesterday I mentioned how we had run out of new fish to see – well was I wrong!! This site provided us with some stunning fish to see, and lots we had never seen before. The highlight was seeing another octopus, but there were several rainbow flounder, and some fish we can not identify, since we forgot our fish book at home! Smart huh? We saw a couple of morays, and one kind of moray eel we had not seen before.

New fishThe entrance to the water is fairly good, some minor rocky bits, but we both got in quite easily. Right away, we saw these amazing silver fish, quite large, 12-20 inches long, with long dorsal fins. They schooled in groups of 8-15 and swam with us for a long time! Quite cute actually…
Chain moray eelOne thing that has surprised us, is that the Sergeant Major is not as prevalent as it was in Aruba and the Caymans. We’ve seen them, but in nowhere near the quantity we’ve come to expect, and the Dusky Sergeant Major is far more common than the yellow/black banded one.

For dinner we went to The Wine Cellar. We chose that particular restaurant because they provide a free shuttle from our condo! Pretty scientific huh? Well, it was quite simply fantastic. The Wine Cellar is a French restaurant, owned by a Dutch couple who have been on the island for 39 years. The restaurant is indoors, and very cozy with wonderful art on the walls. Service, food, ambiance – all impeccable.

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OctopusA couple of movies — first, here is a picture of the octopus. Do you see him? They can blend in very very easily, and sometimes the only way to notice them, is if they move.

Well, I dove down to take a picture of the black fish above, we thought was a grouper (turns out it is called a coney). I thought I’d spied something, so went back up to get my bearings then went down again. Well, when I came around a piece of coral, I startled an octopus and he flashed his warning color.

I’ve added two movies here – the first is the “discovery” video, and the second is a short 15 second piece of him getting agitated.

I thought I had an amazing movie of him flashing color, then moving across the ocean floor, while a blue peacock flounder moved beside him – but guess I forgot to turn the camera on! LOL Same thing happened with the moray – had a great movie of him moving across the ocean, then raising his head to me and opening and closing his mouth to flash his teeth at me. Sigh – ah well – guess we’ll have to find another moray to get a movie of!

Another short movie of the octopus.

The domed shapes are called reef balls, and are used to help coral reefs recover. Fish love ’em! When the coral covers the domes, they kind of just fade away. They are made of a material that will eventually just disappear, and leave the coral that has encrusted them to start a new reef.

 

Small octopus Octopus in the garden Octopus Good sized octopus
Something About Us

Sun Run Sunday

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Sun Run, 2009Today was the Sun Run. It’s quite an event, the 2nd largest in the world. As one of the winners said, “Oh I’ll be back – watching 50,000 people run is inspirational!” There were actually 55,858 people who ran, walked or rolled the 10k course through the streets of Vancouver.

Before the startI’ve run in the Sun Run before, but the last time I ran it (2000), there were 40,000 runners, and we ran through Stanley Park for the most part. This course was quite a bit different, never entering Stanley Park at all. There were two tough bridges to ascend, but for the most part the run was flat and level.

Facing away from the start lineNot that that helped me! But at least I made it through. But it was a tough go… if it had been an 8k, I’d have been fine. If I’m philosophical about it, I haven’t run for 8 years, and I’ve only been training for 3 months, so can’t expect much. Excuses, excuses, I just didn’t have it this time. Ah well. I’ll be out running on Tuesday with Max, and we’ll have a fine time.

Cambie BridgeThe most amazing thing was to see the MASS of people! Really amazing – you come around the corner onto 4th and there are two kilometres of 4 lane street absolutely solid with people running – absolutely solid. Pam described it as a wall of people moving,  when she saw us coming over the Cambie Street Bridge – and it really was something to see.

Lots of people run it in costumes, but I saw a very inspirational saying on one ladies shirt. It said, “Living proof that organ donation works. Thanks to…” and she named the people who I assume saved her life. Wonderful.

Truly an amazing experience. Sometimes the running is tough (move over to the right BEFORE you start walking please!) and you have to dodge around people who are slower, but it is a FUN RUN. And the inspiration on the way from people lining the route, giving you applause and words of encouragement, that really helps too. When you’re struggling they inspire you to get back into pace cuz hey, they came to see runners, so give ’em a show!

Tons of runners carry cameras, so there must be a lot pictures of the race around. Here is a link to the Vancouver Sun’s gallery.

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And a new era begins…

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Barack ObamaCONGRATULATIONS to Barack Obama and the USA for the inauguration today of a man who represents the opportunity to bring real change, economically, socially, politically, and geo-politically. Hopefully the changes will be positive! He faces quite a challenge.

As a Canadian, I’m worried about Obama’s dislike for the NAFTA accord. It has been good for our country, and their’s too I believe. His stand will certainly stir up the debate again.

I know a lot of people are excited, but I’m worried about his inexperience. I wish him the best! I really think he can make a difference no matter how poorly he fares. He has finally brought the dream of Martin Luther King to fruition. I think it is so fitting that MLK day was so close to Obama’s inauguration.

If you have not seen this video, take a look – the “compiler” is will.i.am, of Black Eyed Peas fame. He’s known for his multi-media involvement, in entertainment and the web. Here is the video – impressive and moving.

It will be interesting to see what Obama can do, especially in the short term. That’s what people want to see – what can he do NOW.

Jobs are falling away and he needs to stop that bleeding first. Certainly he’ll try to pour money into the infrastructure, and that will create a lot of jobs. He will be remembered as the Roosevelt of our times if he is successful. Good luck sir. I hope you do a great job!