The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Hey gang,
Elena and I are off on another adventure together. We arrived last night here in Curacao on an American flight. Already, Lady Luck has been good to us. I am brought my new SplashBag on the trip to see how it works for us. We checked it and two other bags at MIA expecting to have to pay. They were way kind to us and sent all three bags on their way, no charge. Security was a bit slow, but I caught TSA off guard when I pointed at the worker at the end of the new style scanner and said "No laughing this time!" They showed me that they don't get to see our privates any more. The Scanner says pass or fail. Kewl. But they were still laughing at the comment as I walked away ungroped.
It was a direct flight to Curacao, and the plane was not crowded at all. Elena and I read our Kindle apps on our tablets. We ate the yummy snacks Elena had thoughtfully prepared so we weren't too gouged by the airline food prices. It was nice to see free carts at the baggage claim. Our Luck is still growing strong! Immigration and customs were the easiest I've seen. Wow. Their counterparts in the USA could learn something from them. Once that 3 minute episode was accomplished, we met one of our hosts, Lewis, as we exited the terminal.
It was a fun drive through the darkened streets of Curacao. We were headed up the spine of the Island through the rural area and parks. I was trying to get a grasp on where we were and the overall layout of the island. No, I hadn't done any homework before landing on Curacao. Elena and I landed with empty slates and had no idea what to expect. I had asked Elena if we would be on the water and she said "Honey, don't get your hopes up". But really, we have no idea what to expect. Dinner was at Daniel's Restaurant. That was incredible. The first thing I noticed were the trees. Even in the dark, they looked interesting and there was the faintest hint of honeysuckle in the air. There were a few bats chasing bugs under a lamp post and the place looked cool. We ate out on the veranda, where a cool breeze kept the temperature nice and the bugs down. As usual, I ordered our waitress' (Olga) favorite drink and since luck was on our side, I got White Sangria. It's not a sissy drink by any standard and is made with Vodka and other spirits. Yum. Dinner was more than pleasant and I am hoping that we make it back there before our trip is over.
Then it was off to Go West and the apartment we would be staying in. I don't know about you, but the word apartment gives me a certain concept of what to expect. Our luck would not allow that at this point. Our apartment has a bedroom, a sitting room, kitchen and a huge, gargantuan bathroom that boasts not only a shower but also a jucuzzi style tube. Yeah, we have a mosquito or two flying around, but they aren't all that aggressive. Maybe they're on vacation too?
We were shown around the property by Roxy and I was more than impressed. Bryan, we might just be moving in here.
As I finish this up I have to disagree with my earlier self. So far luck has not really entered the picture. I get the impression that the good people of Curacao want us here. They really, really want us here. I'm sure that the tourism dollars are important to the economy, but I'm getting a far different vibe. They are simply happy to see us. We'll see if that continues or not, but for the moment we are enjoying their incredible and homey hospitality.
Elena and I are off on another adventure together. We arrived last night here in Curacao on an American flight. Already, Lady Luck has been good to us. I am brought my new SplashBag on the trip to see how it works for us. We checked it and two other bags at MIA expecting to have to pay. They were way kind to us and sent all three bags on their way, no charge. Security was a bit slow, but I caught TSA off guard when I pointed at the worker at the end of the new style scanner and said "No laughing this time!" They showed me that they don't get to see our privates any more. The Scanner says pass or fail. Kewl. But they were still laughing at the comment as I walked away ungroped.
It was a direct flight to Curacao, and the plane was not crowded at all. Elena and I read our Kindle apps on our tablets. We ate the yummy snacks Elena had thoughtfully prepared so we weren't too gouged by the airline food prices. It was nice to see free carts at the baggage claim. Our Luck is still growing strong! Immigration and customs were the easiest I've seen. Wow. Their counterparts in the USA could learn something from them. Once that 3 minute episode was accomplished, we met one of our hosts, Lewis, as we exited the terminal.
It was a fun drive through the darkened streets of Curacao. We were headed up the spine of the Island through the rural area and parks. I was trying to get a grasp on where we were and the overall layout of the island. No, I hadn't done any homework before landing on Curacao. Elena and I landed with empty slates and had no idea what to expect. I had asked Elena if we would be on the water and she said "Honey, don't get your hopes up". But really, we have no idea what to expect. Dinner was at Daniel's Restaurant. That was incredible. The first thing I noticed were the trees. Even in the dark, they looked interesting and there was the faintest hint of honeysuckle in the air. There were a few bats chasing bugs under a lamp post and the place looked cool. We ate out on the veranda, where a cool breeze kept the temperature nice and the bugs down. As usual, I ordered our waitress' (Olga) favorite drink and since luck was on our side, I got White Sangria. It's not a sissy drink by any standard and is made with Vodka and other spirits. Yum. Dinner was more than pleasant and I am hoping that we make it back there before our trip is over.
Then it was off to Go West and the apartment we would be staying in. I don't know about you, but the word apartment gives me a certain concept of what to expect. Our luck would not allow that at this point. Our apartment has a bedroom, a sitting room, kitchen and a huge, gargantuan bathroom that boasts not only a shower but also a jucuzzi style tube. Yeah, we have a mosquito or two flying around, but they aren't all that aggressive. Maybe they're on vacation too?
We were shown around the property by Roxy and I was more than impressed. Bryan, we might just be moving in here.
As I finish this up I have to disagree with my earlier self. So far luck has not really entered the picture. I get the impression that the good people of Curacao want us here. They really, really want us here. I'm sure that the tourism dollars are important to the economy, but I'm getting a far different vibe. They are simply happy to see us. We'll see if that continues or not, but for the moment we are enjoying their incredible and homey hospitality.
