Work continues…

…on the Ritz-Carlton in Aruba. As you see here, the main structure is mostly complete.

Inland facade of Ritz Carlton, Aruba.

Inland facade of Ritz Carlton, Aruba.

The building is much larger than I thought it would be from the conceptual drawings that were in the local newspaper. It takes up a chunk of the beach and is immediately adjacent to a very popular wind/kite surf area. The good/bad news is, there’s no more beach to build more hotels in this area.

Published in: on July 9, 2013 at 9:39 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friends at Charlie’s Bar

As regular Bent Page readers know, Charlie’s Bar in San Nicolaas, Aruba, is one of my regular haunts. I’ve done tons of writing and socializing there. With good reason, too, because plenty of people pass by. This week, Virginia Madsen and Nick Holmes stopped in to enjoy the ambience and a chat with yours truly.

Friends at Charlie's Bar, Aruba.

Friends at Charlie’s Bar, Aruba.

We told stories, enjoyed some food and drink, and of course made plans to return. So it is in Aruba. See you there soon!

92 years and more!

Manuel is one of those characters in San Nicolaas, Aruba, that makes the place an interesting setting. He was born in Cuba and after Castro’s gang ruined his family, Manuel came to Aruba, where despite being 92 years old, he still works.

In San Nicolaas with Manuel.

In San Nicolaas with Manuel.

I nick-named him “pops” because he has that look and a nicer guy is hard to find. Long life and much health to you, pops!

Published in: on July 5, 2013 at 11:35 am  Comments (1)  
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Aruba, The Other Side of the Bridge, Ep. 3

Episode 4 of The Other Side of the Bridge (Aruba) is now available. This time, we head to JoAnn Snack for a nice lunch then meet the crew from Aruba Bob Snorkeling. You’ll head into the water at Mangel Alto and check out the fish, too. Here it is:

As you saw there in the video, plenty of marine life to see. Always wear your life jacket and be careful. (Don’t eat too much either!)