Urataka Center, Aruba, video

Urataka Center is an old-time rum shop located in the middle of the island of Aruba. This is a quaint little place to stop in for refreshment, including pizza and cold beverages. It is located on the road leading into the Arikok National Park. Here’s a video showing how to get there and the inside of the place.

Reminds me of some places I used to go when I was a little tyke. I’ll pass by again soon and get some photos of the food and such, updating this post when I have a chance. In the mean time, enjoy your visit to Aruba. More video on the way.

Published in: on February 9, 2012 at 5:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Savaneta Beach, Aruba

The little beach in Savaneta, Aruba, may be tiny compared to Palm and Eagle Beaches, but you can have it mostly to yourself. During the week, especially from about 9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, you won’t find but a few people here. At least I never do. Once in a while you’ll see a guy bait fishing with a hand net or a diver going in from shore. Otherwise, it’s you and the breeze. So here’s a video:

Imagine yourself there. Bring a cooler, some sunscreen, and kick back for the real desert island experience. Bon dia from the island.

Gianni’s Restaurant, Aruba

After umpteen number of visits to Aruba, I finally dined at Gianni’s, which is located in the high-rise hotel area. This is a big restaurant with seating both inside and out, as well as a short length of bar to prime the pump if you’re in need. There have been many reviews of this place, talking about the good and the bad. My visit was quite satisfactory. Service was reliable, food decent, and the ambiance enjoyable. Let’s get to the food. As regular readers of The Bent Page know, I like my greens. Thus, a salad began the meal for me as seen here.

The salad was crisp and the right size. My companions enjoyed the caprese salad. See below:

Now that was a different presentation from what I’m used to seeing, but was reported to be delicious. On to the entrees. Let’s begin with the old reliable, fusilli bolognese.

The sauce was a bit more dense than what I’ve had at many other places. The flavor was good, but subdued. Then there was a rigatoni with artichokes as you’ll see next.

You can’t miss the glass of cabernet in the lower right. Much was had along with a couple of mojitos to keep things humming. Then there was the osso buco. Take a look.

That plate was wiped clean, right down to the marrow in the bone. So the rating was “delicious” on whole concoction. Desert was limited due to the large quantity of food consumed to the point. Still, room was created for a brownie with ice-cream.

I enjoyed my visit to Gianni’s and was glad to have finally made it there after all these years going to Aruba. We had a reservation for 7PM, which is probably a good idea. With all the nearby hotels, the place fills up quickly including large groups.

Enjoy the feast!

Kerstboom, Aruba

You’re in the Caribbean, palm trees waving in the breeze, clear water gleaming in the sun, and along comes… evergreens? That’s right, of all the zany things you’ll see in Aruba are fresh Christmas trees, known as kerstboom locally, for sale to celebrate the holiday. Here’s a photo:

Having come from a part of the world where these trees are grown, I was impressed at the selection. Many high quality trees were for sale. They arrive via refrigerated containers, which is a tremendous effort considering how far they have to travel to arrive in Aruba. Well, Christmas is a big deal here on the island. Stay tuned for photos and videos of the light displays. Increible!

Published in: on November 28, 2011 at 3:01 pm  Leave a Comment  
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