Dawn at the Anchor

There are those places that make you think. For some people it may be a church, for others a cemetery. Maybe it’s in your car, parked in a quiet spot with a view. Perhaps sitting on a bench along a quiet street.

For me, it is this place on the southern tip of Aruba. There is the anchor standing there as a memorial. But there’s also the infinity of the sea beyond. The breeze can be brisk at this spot. The white noise hushes away distractions. For the half hour before and after dawn, I have the place to myself. Here I reflect on what I’ve been doing, on the people in my life, as well as a little about the past, present, and future. I’m a firm believer in quiet reflection, just letting the mind wander through it’s own convoluted passages. It doesn’t take long for a sense of peace to settle in. The perspective gained from this exercise refreshes the soul.

Published in: on August 21, 2008 at 10:38 am  Comments (1)  
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Casa Vieja and the Bandeja Paisa

Lately I’ve been looking for a new place in Aruba to secure the massive Bandeja Paisa platter. I have my old standby joint in San Nicolaas, but I wanted to reach out for another version. After inquiring amongst my local friends they informed me that the place to go was called Casa Vieja, which is located about two minutes from the airport. My wife and I rolled in there yesterday, much to our delight.

As the name implies, the restaurant is in an old house. The covered area in front features tables. Through the double door is a small counter with a few stools, but the temperature inside will chase you out. I was happy to discover that the fellow operating this place used to have La Finca, a restaurant in the middle of Oranjestaad that has since passed to other hands. I remembered him from there but had never sampled his version of the bandeja. So I ordered and waited.

Lo and behold! The platter arrived at my table in all its glory. Here is a photo.

This is one way to fill the bottomless pit. For those of you not familiar with Colombian food, let me list what comes with this dish. A slice of flank steak, one egg fried hard, a piece of salchicha (sausage), chicharron (think a hunk of fried bacon), an arepa, a smashed and fried piece of plantain, small cole slaw-like salad, rice, beans (not shown), a slice each of avocado and tomato, and a wedge of lime. That’s a massive amount of food. I ate nearly everything aside of the avocado because I just don’t like it. The rest pretty much went down the hatch. I was full beyond breakfast the next day. Flavor was outstanding, including the hot sauce (also not shown) served on the side. Here I am with the owner.

Yes, I worked up a sweat eating that plate of food. As you have come to expect, I cooled down with an ICE-COLD Coca-Cola, the perfect thing to settle the gut after such punishment. If you get to Aruba, like Colombian food, and want to have it done right, give Casa Vieja a try.

Published in: on August 20, 2008 at 10:31 am  Leave a Comment  
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Modern Apartments, Aruba

This post shows a modern apartment building that is under construction in Oranjestaad, Aruba. In other posts, I showed cunucu houses, ruins, and things of that nature. It’s only right to show something a bit out of the ordinary. This structure is built directly across the street from the Caribbean Sea. There isn’t really a beach there, but at some points you could clamber down to the water.

The sign above gives you an idea of the finished product. There is to be one apartment per floor, with parking at ground level, two spots per apartment. Some people don’t like this sort of thing cropping up on the island. They think it is out of character or too large. I don’t have no opinion with regards to that. Progress is inevitable. Without progress, you’ll have decline. It is impossible to remain in a constant state. Here’s a look at the conceptual drawings of each apartment.

One way or another, those five apartments will be occupied. The location isn’t bad. It’s on the far side of town in relation to the new shopping mall and many new restaurants. However, that may appeal to someone who wants to live there as opposed to vacation on the island. It is also more accessible to the airport, a benefit to a local business person with off-island dealings.

Whatever your preference, the good thing about Aruba is that there are plenty of options.

Published in: on August 19, 2008 at 10:28 am  Leave a Comment  
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Kindle Reading Device

Amazon’s Kindle has turned out to be a great device, at least for me. Let me say from the beginning, I love paper books. All shapes, configurations, sizes, types, etc. are welcome. At the same time, I travel constantly and toting books is not the easiest thing to do.

Hence, the Kindle. I’ve been using it for several months now and find reading from it to be easier than a paper book because it is possible to turn the page and hold it with the same hand. You simply press the paddle on whichever side is right for your style. Rarely do I experience glare on the screen. Enlarging and reducing the type is a feature I don’t use much, but it is there for people who strain with smaller type.

I’ve downloaded numerous books to the device using the “whisper net” service that functions just about flawlessly. My Amazon account was charged and the books arrived in about 30 seconds each. Switching from one book to the other is easy using the interface. When you turn the device off it remembers where you were. So, if you fall asleep with it in your lap, you don’t have to worry about losing your place. When I get on an airplane, I know I have a large selection of reading material all packed into the form of one lightweight device.

What about all those paper books? I’m not giving them up. I use the Kindle for my entertainment reading. That is books I enjoy for leisure. The ones I expect to refer back to time and again will be purchased in solid form and placed upon a noble shelf where they belong. In a worst case, I may have to buy a book twice. Or, I might just buy several more memory cards and keep them loaded with the books I like. Takes the romance out of a grand old library, but the price of Kindle books is about 2/3’s to 1/2 the price of paper books. Some classics can be had for $1. Something to be said for that. Frees up cash for those great books and fine woodwork to contain them.

Published in: on August 18, 2008 at 11:18 am  Comments (1)  
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