Journey to the paradise called Aruba

By TravelGirl:

It's been a month since we've posted a blog update but I think we'll be making up for it as we blog daily (or close to it) while on our trip to, in, and from Aruba.

The journey to paradise was a long one, albeit worth the hassles of 4 flight segments, waiting for resolution on a maintenance issue on one plane, jetway personnel who were "off" when we needed them to be "on", and enduring some of the most smelly, unhygenic, H1N1-spreading, and interesting people the world has to offer. Ah, travel. Don'tcha love it?

We arrived very late into Aruba last night due to a delay, but the bottom line is that we made it to this breezy, warm paradise. By the time we arrived to the Hyatt Regency on Palm Beach -- one of three lodgings we'll be enjoying -- it was 11 p.m. We learned that Aruba restaurants close very, very early, with no kitchens open beyond that time along Palm Beach, and our bellies were only full of cheese sticks, granola bars, and pretzels/carbs distributed by various flight attendants during our 24 hours of crazy travel. We opted for cocktails at the open-air bar in the middle of our resort. I enjoyed an Arashi, a tropical refreshment to soothe my aching and dry tummy, while Alex opted for his signature drink -- a Coke with no ice. The stroll through the Hyatt grounds presented us with black swans, tropical fish, gardens, small bridges, various pools, hot tubs, lounge chairs, and finally the palapas on the beach. Imagine Bo Derek running in slow motion along the Mexican beach in the movie, "10". That was Alex and I last night, though less endowed, and neither of us sporting corn rolls.

As I type this, Alex is playing with an iguana that has climbed his way up to our balcony. Iguanas are such beautiful creatures, with various shades of green along their long bodies. It's got to be good Feng Shui to have THAT much green on your skin, eh? Luckily, I saved some leftover salad from our in-room dining service last night, enabling Alex to feed our guy (we've named him Iggy) some greens. We've video-taped this little escapade, but how cool is it to practically hand-feed an iguana that knocked on your door?

I'll make this a short update, as we're anxious to get out to enjoy some local eats, frolic in the sand, and capture some Aruban culture. More later...