Lively Case Discussion #596 4/4- 4/7/2007

Carpe posted about this article Thursday morning at about 9:00 a.m. The emphasis was added by me.

http://ny.metro.us/metro/entertainment/article/Arriba_Aruba/7806.html

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Arriba Aruba!
Get on a plane and take that vacation by donna m. airoldi / metro new york

APR 4, 2007

ARUBA. Overworked? Burned out? Or simply want to jump-start your summer tan? Why not head to Aruba, one of the Caribbean’s most accessible islands.

My fiancé and I were in need of some serious warm-weather rejuvenation recently and the myriad flights to the Queen Beatrix International Airport — enhanced by JetBlue Airways’ daily service launched from John F. Kennedy International Airport last year — made Aruba an easy choice.

On the drive from the airport, we spotted iguanas lounging on the trunks of the island’s iconic divi-divi trees, which are sculpted into graceful bending shapes by Aruba’s constant trade winds. The beautiful stretches of beach, piercing turquoise waters and gorgeous orange sunset assured us we were on our way to renewal.

Located just 15 miles off the coast of South America, this former Dutch colony isn’t your typical island paradise: Much of its 70 square miles is desert, with cacti, rock formations and sand dunes. The north and east coasts are stunning, but rugged and hammered by rough waters. De Palm Tours (depalm.com), the island’s main tour company, offers a 4x4 jeep safari to this side that includes stops at the Chapel of Alto Vista, Aruba’s first church, and the remains of abandoned gold mines. (The name Aruba comes from oro ruba, which means “red gold.”)

Visitors seeking typical sun and sand activities should stick to Aruba’s western coast. The island’s winds make parasailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing popular, while snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiasts can explore numerous coral reefs and ship wrecks. During our Pelican Adventures (pelican-aruba.com) snorkeling excursion, which offered lunch and unlimited beverages (such as refreshing rum punches), we saw a wide variety of marine life, including a small octopus.

Aruba got a bad rap after Natalee Holloway went missing in 2005, but those who know Aruba know the island is safe — and more than $250 million has been invested into its tourism industry, according to the Aruba Tourism Authority, with many hotel renovations wrapping up in recent months.

We stayed at the Westin Aruba Resort (westin.com/aruba), which debuted in December after completing phase one of a multimillion dollar upgrade of the former Wyndham hotel. Each guestroom boasts private balconies with ocean views and the aptly named Westin Heavenly Bed.

The resort sits on the south end of Palm Beach, arguably the best stretch, being cleaner, softer and less rocky than the rest. Anchoring the opposite end is the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino (arubamarriott.com), which recently expanded its casino and also renovated rooms. Between the two properties are more than a dozen other hotels — such as the surprisingly attractive Holiday Inn Sunspree Aruba (aruba.sunspreeresorts.com) and the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino (aruba.hyatt.com).

The Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino opened its luxurious Larimar Spa (larimarspaaruba.com) in February. The 80-minute Aloe Vera and Rum Massage, the spa’s signature treatment, costs $175. My thoroughly enjoyable, 60-minute Relaxing Massage at the Westin’s Intermezzo Day Spa was a comparative bargain at $75.

Happy hours abound in the beach bars, where drinks often cost no more than $3 or $4 during the early evening. For continued beverage bargains, hit the numerous hotel casinos. Be warned that beer comes in small bottles. Better for it to remain cold, locals say.

Meals, on the other hand, are more costly, but the food is terrific. Moist conch fritters and savory coconut shrimp appetizers at the over-water Pelican Nest Bar & Seafood Grill will set you back $8.25 and $16.50, respectively. Restaurants at the Westin were excellent, particularly its Pago Pago Steakhouse and the outdoor Azul, where guests dine barefoot beachside.

Our dining highlight was at Le Dôme Restaurant (ledome-aruba.com), located near Eagle Beach and specializing in Belgian-French cuisine. The Dover sole melted in our mouths, and if you’re a fan of offal, the sweetbreads are not to be missed.

We packed in a lot, but didn’t get to it all. Luckily JetBlue adds another direct flight out of JFK May 1.

Aruba travel

- As of January, passports are required for U.S. citizens, who upon their return go through customs in Aruba rather than in the United States.

- The equator is just 11 miles south, so strong sunscreen (the locally produced Aruba Aloe is recommended) and hats are a must.

- Aruba is south of the hurricane belt — the last tropical storm classified as such that passed near the island was in 1877 — making it a safe bet for vacations year-round.

- The local currency is the Aruba florin, though U.S. dollars are widely accepted, and ATMs give the option of receiving either.

Here is my response (which I emailed sometime late Thursday/early Friday 04/05 or 04/06 2007):

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"Aruba got a bad rap after Natalee Holloway went missing in 2005" for a good reason - not only is she still "missing," but Aruba's government and business officials went to great lengths to avoid prosecution of the the Holloway case.

They also went to amazing lengths to officially and systematically trash the victim and her family.

Aruba is "safe" compared to what? Despite what you travel writers have been told, Aruba's homicide rate in recent years is at least twice, possibly three times, the U.S. rate.

I don't have a "blog" but for more information about Murder & Crime on Aruba, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/wjjsz

Ms. Airoldi, if YOU or a relative or close friend vanished from Aruba, and the case was handled in a like manner, dismissive comments such as yours would rub very raw indeed.

And yes, I believe Natalee is dead, and Aruba would do anything rather than prosecute the fair-haired child of one of its leading Dutch citizens.

I don't know any of Ms. Holloway's family, but I raised two daughters and have two granddaughters. I can only think, "There but for the grace of God ... "

I do give permission to publish this, but please do not include my name or any other personal information. There is a very hateful anti-Holloway community out there. Many of them are computer savy, and hacking is the least of the problems they have created. If you would like to see some of that in action, look up Refugees Unleashed or Freedom of Blog.

Thank you.

I do think Metro NY may have published this, and that's why the M&C thread experienced 5,000 views in 1 or 2 days time. (It has been averaging over 1,000 a month.) However, I don't seem to be able to find wherever they print responses ??

Now, what were some of you saying about FOB recently? Is is closed?