Tourist Attractions

Last night after dinner at Hadicurari’s, Matt slipped away to head to the casino as Kathy joined Peter and me. Her blue eyes contrasted nicely with her dark tan, and she had brown hair pulled back in a faux pony tail – more of a wash and wear do than her permanent style. She carried a beer in an insulated holder and her voice was cigarette deep.

“You two are brothers, aren’t you?”

“We are, how did you know?” I asked.

“You have the same hair. I watched you from my room on the eighth floor.”

“You know, I meant to get mine cut so I’d look less like him, but I never got around to it.”

“I saw you and your wife too.”

“From the eighth floor? Up there?” I pointed.

Before she could say yes, Peter asked her her name and where she was from.

“Wisconsin. I own a bar. Thirty years, but I’m ready to retire.”

That led to why she was in Aruba – friends with a timeshare; her only trip to Indiana – the nose bleed seats at the Indy 500; and then back to her curious perch.

“Yeah, I saw you two from the eighth floor. I could tell you were brothers.

She knew we had the same parents, and I knew something too.

I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her ear close to my mouth. “Kathy,” I said, “That kinda creeps me out.”

Here’s the family pic, Adam.

Shot with my 135 with a 1.4 tele-extender.

***********

Peter and I did the tourist tour of the well known sites on the other side of the island. The one Adam pushed for. We could have followed the big yellow bus with the Bermuda clad because everywhere we went they went. I’ll post those later, in the meantime here are some shots from the town across the street from these “High Rise Hotels.”

Hey Travis,

Yesterday, I walked from my room (red arrow) to the frozen rum drink place (blue arrow), and then I zigzagged down the beach until I fell face first into the water (blue line). Then a St Bernard looking animal picked me up by the scruff of the neck (I wasn’t wearing a shirt but I didn’t feel a thing) and dragged me back to my room.

Top that,

Mike

Last night we enjoyed dinner on the beach between our hotel and Peter’s as the sun set in front of us. The most prominent sign as you walk by the restaurant is in neon and says Fresh Fish. We assumed that to be its name until the waiter arrived wearing a shirt with the name Hadicurare. Makes you wonder why they don’t serve Fugu.

Matt ordered Filet Mignon with pepper cognac sauce, I had edge seared Tuna Takati and Peter grouper with key lime pie for dessert. Diane rested back at the Marriott so she’d be ready for the two hour plus showing of Iron Man. Three of us liked the movie, one of us thought the Globe’s Ty Burr might’a  oversold it.

The sun again set below a band of clouds.

The pier detective Adam deduced. Not pictured – the gate with the no trespassing sign.

Last night’s Salsa class.

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Both Matthew and Diane are casino dabblers. Diane’s up or down, I don’t remember which, less than a dollar. Matt, federally funded by his dad, left the poker machines, our first night here, after four hours with only a small dent in his holdings. Impressive, I thought, because he’d more than made up for his minimal losses in free beers, of which he can consume quite a few without having to play from the floor. Last night that changed. Not his beer consumption or his vertical position, but his luck.

A rather big fellow informed him of a poker table where the dealers appeared clueless as to the odds, and to bolster Matt’s table confidence, he gave him pertinent pointers. At the end of his evening, thankful Matt peeled off a twenty go give to his friendly compatriot. How do I know all this, the morning after, with Matt and Diane still asleep? Matt woke his mom at 3 AM to display his three one hundred dollar bills.

The pier detective Adam deduced. Not pictured – the gate with the no trespassing sign.

Last night’s Salsa class.

****************

Both Matthew and Diane are casino dabblers. Diane’s up or down, I don’t remember which, less than a dollar. Matt, federally funded by his dad, left the poker machines, our first night here, after four hours with only a small dent in his holdings. Impressive, I thought, because he’d more than made up for his minimal losses in free beers, of which he can consume quite a few without having to play from the floor. Last night that changed. Not his beer consumption or his vertical position, but his luck.

A rather big fellow informed him of a poker table where the dealers appeared clueless as to the odds, and to bolster Matt’s table confidence, he gave him pertinent pointers. At the end of his evening, thankful Matt peeled off a twenty go give to his friendly compatriot. How do I know all this, the morning after, with Matt and Diane still asleep? Matt woke his mom at 3 AM to display his three one hundred dollar bills.

You know your life’s hard when the major event of the day is waiting for the sun to set. As you can see, lot’s of promise tonight as the sun neared the water, but  then the big guy walked out of the water and warned me that lately the sun’s been obscured by low riding clouds.  Sure enough, it disappeared shortly after this shot.