Yes, after a year of planning we are finally here. Partly for vacation (well mostly) and partly for our friends’ wedding.
It has been an absolute blast and just a wonderful island to visit. After getting hustled out of an extra 3 bucks by the cabbie from the airport to the hotel it has been all uphill!
Alicia, Sebastian and I have enjoyed our time at the Aruba Marriott Surf Club. The suite is spacious and having the extra room and kitchen facilities has made the trip (with our 11 month old) a bit more relaxing and enjoyable. The staff here has been top notch. I can’t think of anything bad to report at this hotel/resort.
During the day we have been alternating between the moving river pool within the resort and going to the beach which is right behind us. I must say, there is really nothing that beats a bar planted right in the middle of a pool. For me it adds new meaning to the term ‘wet bar’… I could become very lazy and chubby living here.
Well, tonight is Brian & Claire’s wedding. It should be a treat for all of us as it will be right on the beach. Friends and family have come in from all over including the UK, Raleigh North Carolina, Pittsburg Pennsylvania and possibly other areas which I am not aware of. We are really looking forward to seeing these two take their vows in what looks to be a paradise dream setting…
I must just write about an amazing experience I had last night at the reception. It was at the Tierra Del Sol Country Club on the northern tip of Aruba. This picturesue rolling greens compound was just gorgeous. Even with the villa construction going on it was something out of a movie. The cacti were incredibly developed and almost looked fake. Well, as the evening wore on so did Sebastian. He did his best to hang but at last after a fun day/week in the sun and water we were pushing his boundries as dusk approached. Alicia and I did our best to entertain him but when we got the ‘yaaaawn’ it was time for plan ‘z’… I took a stroll with him down a path behind the main country club building and we sat down to just take in the perfect cool breeze and starry skies. Well, I would like to believe he felt the same way! Anyways, after about 20 minutes Sebastian had finally given in to the sleep fairy. The lids closed and he laid limp in my lap and arms only holding on to my thumb with his left hand. As I looked around and could hear the laughter and chatter down the path I knew my fellow party goers were having a great time. Then I looked at my son, then at the clear star sprinkled sky and then back at my son and thought wow what a perfect perfect night. As I smiled and lightly chuckled to myself I got a quick flutter of chills up my back and thought ‘I’m the luckiest Dad on this island right now’….