Aruba not Jamaica... but I'd still like to take ya ;)

It took me 12 hours to get to Aruba.  I flew from SLC, UT to New York the night of the 6th and had a layover and went to Aruba the morning of the 7th.  I was pretty excited about that because the pass ended the 6th so it’s like I got an extra day.

I met a nice girl on the plane... Single.... Recently divorced... I almost asked if she wanted to hang out but I decided that didn’t feel right for the adventure... She was going to a wedding.... Anyway.... I set out on foot.... I asked a bus driver where the nearest beach was.... He said "on foot?” Of course... Anyway... He told me to walk along the highway so I did.  A couple miles down the road I hit a place on the beach called fly n' dive.

I met a guy named john... He is the owner of the dive shop.  I wanted to ask him about a guest house... But I asked him about diving first.... I told him I'd love to dive but I needed to find a place to stay.  I told him my situation.... As far as traveling goes... He offered me a discount and then sent his nephew looking for a place for me.

So I sit on the beach like all day waiting to do this dive... Because they said I was going to.... I met this hotel owner and also another lady who owns a boat offered to let me sleep on her boat.... But I think she wasn’t just being nice so I said no... :)

So finally I go back to the shop and they tell me to start reading a book and to watch some movies.... So this is the cool kind of school :)  I have always done well at school if I applied myself… I feel like I can do pretty much anything if I apply myself…. Scuba is something I have always wanted to do…. So of course I am going to apply myself and pay attention :D  Plus I have this secret desire to be a James Bond type of secret agent… so I gotta know how to scuba right?  And learn some languages… stuff like that…

While I was watching the videos and reading this guy named Mark walks in and asks if I have found a place to stay yet.  I said no… and he told me I could sleep on his floor for the night and he would bring me back the next day to start diving.  A definite roof is always better than a possible roof…. Even if you have to sleep on the floor... so I said yes and we took off.

                                                                                                

When I slept that night Mark flicked a huuuge cockroach off his arm and it seriously flew 2 inches from my face before hitting the wall and scurrying off... haha

I dropped all my stuff off at his house and then we went to a local hangout/bar/mini mart to meet some of his friends.  So when we get there he introduces me to all of his friends and we get to talking and they are all Dutch.  It is crazy… I had no idea that there were a bunch of Dutch islands…. Anyway…. Long story short I meet this girl named Judith… She told Mark that she was going to Holland for 2 weeks and worried about her Dog because she didn’t really want her X boyfriend to take care of it… but that she felt like it was her only option.  Right then Mark tells her that I am looking for a place to stay and that I’ll take care of her dog.  She says she’ll think about it but the next day she said yes!  Woo hoo!!! Free place to crash at for two weeks in Aruba!  Are you kidding me??? I mean I know I have always had good luck… but wow this is just great!

So I went diving 3 days in a row, Friday 1 Dive, Saturday 2 dives, and Sunday 2 dives.  Aruba has some amazing things to see!  I guess I’m kind of spoiled because I’ve seen places where a lot of divers plan trips to go see… like the Antilla.  I’m going to write this blog about Aruba so far and my next will be about my 5 dives.

So far I have met a bunch of Dutch people and a couple of Arubans.  They speak 4 languages on this island.  English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento (Aruban language).

One night I met Vera, Merleen, Janette, and Camilo….  Then next day Vera and Janette came diving (they had been previously) and Janette came Diving on Sunday.  Saturday night Vera and Marleen wanted to go out clubbing and can you believe I said no?  haha I was so tired and I knew I was diving the next day… and I had just got to my new apartment… so I stayed in….  last time I checked it’s not cool to go to a club in hiking boots or sandals :D  I was so tired because Mark kept me out till 3 AM the morning before bouncing from club to club…. And then we woke up at 7 the next day to go diving…. Yeah… I have to leave that whole part out to keep this family friendly… but just know that Mark is a wild man… and well… just make up your own ending and probably everything you think of happened…. Not necessarily involving me…  actually I was so tired of waiting for him to get done partying I eventually went and fell asleep in the car….  But the stories he told me the next day… yeah… crazy…

Yesterday (Sunday) at the beach after my swim two girls came by where I was sitting and just started putting on lotion… seemed like they wee hanging out for awhile so I started talking to them.  My philosophy is that when you are in a new area you need to make as many friends as possible…. Anyway… they added me on facebook... maybe we’ll hang out sometime… who knows?  Since I don’t have a phone here facebook has been my only way of communicating with anyone… sometimes I’ll find a wifi hot spot and I can use skype… so that’s nice.

Sorry I really can’t go into detail about what I think about the people I meet…. Because well I’m gonna see them again… and that might be weird if they read this and ask me about it…. Ultimately I would love for the people that I meet along the way as well as my other friends to read my blog and follow my travels.

I took the dog for a walk today… he’s scared of everything… every time a car drives by he jumps into the bushes… then I walked to the main touristy part of town to buy a cord for my camera so I could finish this blog…. Mark gave me a ride to the grocery store and then into town… time to finish the blog and relax! I walked just over 8 miles today… and I’m just pooped.. and my feet hurt from wearing flip flops….