It seems a lifetime ago that I started the 2004 Aruba report. And it was a hell-uv-a long time ago. Time to finish before I begin dealing the 2005 event…and yes, I am.
The final event was filmed at the Azzuro Restaurant on October 1st.
On October 2nd, the Gold Bracelet Final Table Tournaments were on. Suzie rented a catamaran for the day of the Gold Bracelet Events and planned to take all available dealers our for a day of fun and surf. Since this kid has a motion sickness thing going on and too much sun makes me feel like I died and literally went to hell, I opted to pass and deal the events.
There were six events in all and out of all of the players in the Bracelet Events, I particularly remember Rick Sherrill. He was grumping a tad about some of the dealers and seemed genuinely happy to see me plant my butt in the box. He won the PLO 8 Tournament and wanted me to find the Gold Bracelet he would receive at the Awards Banquet and take his picture with the bracelet and chips at the table. I did…not with my camera but with his. I teased him when I handed him the bracelet and told him not to try to sneak it into his pocket because I had to turn it back into security within a few minutes. At first I didn’t think he was going to ‘get it’. He did though and shared the laugh.
Once the Gold Bracelet events were over with, dealing was a thing of the past…vacation time! We attended the Awards Banquet at the Radisson Pool Area that night. It was quite festive, native feathered costumes adorned the area and a group of dancers that performed for us, moving through the crowds. Food was everywhere, ice sculptures adorned some of the tables, music, people filtering around the pool area, music, and announcements and awards by Ultimate Bet filled quite a few hours of the night.
The one and only HUGE downside to the whole trip and all of the events and time spent outdoors, MOSQUITOES! Everywhere, swimming, eating, walking, they were out for the flesh buffet. The hurricane that had passed by the island just before we arrived had something to do with their overpopulation of the island…lots of water everywhere.
Each of us dealers had our own room, I believe it was because rooms were overbooked in anticipation of more online qualifiers, but whatever the reason…SWEET! Grace and me had elected to stay a few extra days after the tournament and we knew we would be paying for our own rooms so we opted to share. Paula, another tournament dealer, was staying longer but had no one to share a room with so we sent for a rollaway bed and the three of us split the cost.
The tokes were being distributed at Suzie and Howard’s room… at the Radisson. Party time. All kinds of alcohol, noise, festive mood, and money being handed out. I asked Suzie if I could have mine next because I had the least amount of downs of any dealer. *laughs* I think I might have tied with one other dealer or had one more than them. Suzie obliged.
The following day I rented a 4x jeep. Grace and me set off to tour the island on our own for a day. Some of the roads were closed due to excessive flooding and water during the hurricane. Even though we had an island map, it was still hard to figure what went where. We drove around the island as much as we could and still remember where we were and how to get back to our hotel…lots of roads were closed and detours were ever present due to the excessive rains washing out areas and roads. We did hit the State Park and found all kinds of cactus, and Divi-divi trees across the terrain and zillion roaming goats that apparently belonged to someone but it was like free range. This is one of my all-out-alltime favorite pictures taken in Aruba in the State Park:
While on this trip through the Park, we found the ‘other side of the island’, surf exploding onto rock cliffs, and one of the Aruba caves that is protected by the Parks Department. Amazingly, the Parks Department has two guides, waiting to give you a brief tour of the cave and explain the history of the cave and the writing on the ceiling…rusted gates are pulled together and locked at night when the guides go home. Intermingled with present day mankind attempting to deface the writing on the ceiling, I found this…dated 1849:
And older than old, I don’t even/can’t even remember how many thousands of years ago the guide said this one was:
We ended the Jeep Day by cruising around by Baby Beach, through the downtown traffic and back to The Wyndham.
The next day we went to town. Big argument over taking a taxi or a bus. Jesus! Too many things on this trip felt like rough burlap on my skin. Give me the taxi, give me peace, and let’s just cruise. We did the taxi thang. Downtown Aruba is a kick. A big European looking building on the left (the mall), brightly colored and filled with shops, and on the right, the flea market with the ocean behind it. We shopped. And shopped. And shopped. I spent more than I wanted to but less than I would have if I’d found more stuff to bring home to my family and a few friends. That shopping stuff is exhausting. One of my favorite shops in the mall is Vibes. They get quite a few of my $$$$ when I’m there. And the best part of it is that they always deliver the goods to my hotel and I don’t have to drag it around with me while I do more shopping.
We dined on a wharf out over the water that night. Paula and I wanted lobster. We got it. Grace did a hamburger thing. The menu didn’t include a hamburger at night but since Paula and me were doing lobster, they gave in to the hamburger. The lobster and the cook and our waitress were all up in the top of the list category for a good time. When questioned about the bill…not by me…our waitress explained that the amount automatically added on the bill for ‘gratuity’ automatically goes to the establishment to be split between all of the employees. I may have over tipped her for that reason. Or maybe it was because she was damn cheerful and cute. Or maybe it was because I was in Aruba feeding on fresh lobster. Or maybe it was because I was drinking. The only downside? Those damn MOSQUITOES!
We booked a bus tour of the island and did the ‘tourist thang’. the following day It was fun, except for a few spots that were conflicting and irritating but I don’t want to go into those…negative doesn’t make for good feelings so I try to let it disappear like smoke in the wind. The main part of the bus tour I didn’t like was the final stop at Baby Beach. The stop was for almost two hours and it was hot…hot…hot…no shade, nowhere to go, and I ain’t into the heat, sand, water, and sun blasting through your skull to burn your brain out. Paula and I opted to stay on the bus during this time period. The bus driver wasn’t happy with us because he had to leave the bus running and he originally wanted to lock the doors of the bus during that two hour time period. Oh well….even bus drivers get bad beats. Paula and me had the Driver drop us downtown so we could hit the Flea Market one more time before the up and coming departure the following day. We tipped him…he must’ve smiled then, even though he wasn’t happy with us a few hours before.
One of the myths I’ve heard for years, about Aruba, was dispelled on this trip by the bus driver and a guide in the caves. Years before, they did shoot diseased cats and dogs and throw the garbage – and the dead animals – off the ‘other’ side of the island to supposedly keep the sharks feeding there but it has not happened in years. There is no ‘chumming’ area for sharks. The water is so warm that most sharks don’t even swim into the island area to see if there’s a tasty human flailing about in the water…they stay out in the channel as they swim by. Good!
The flight home was misery…they usually are for me. I hate being confined to a seat on an airplane for hours…and don’t think the plane change was easy, it wasn’t. We made the gate for the transfer and it had been changed to another gate. Did I ever tell myself or anyone else how much I HATE airports. It’s always so nice to be home. But before I know it…time to hop another flight and head for Aruba for the Ultimate Bet 2005 event.