Last night in Aruba

It’s my last night in Aruba so I figured I should update my blog.  Some days I am full of energy and go out exploring the island…. And then it takes me a day or two to recuperate.  I feel like an old man saying that.

I feel like I did a lot while I was here.  Probably my greatest accomplishment was getting to be a certified open water diver.  That’s something that never expires!  And it feels good to have another skill set.  I mean… I know I can always improve at it… but I am pretty confident under the water.

I also started another blog, a book club blog, and I finished the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.  You can check it out at www.whatisoakreading.blogspot.com.  The next book I am going to read is called “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander.  My mom gave it to me and told me she really liked it…. So, I’m gonna give it a try.  The third book on the list is “Eat, Pray, Love” I keep being told that I need to read it… so I guess I will.

So the other day I went hiking.  There’s one mountain here… it’s not even really a mountain it’s more like a really really big hill.  It is called the Hooiberg which is Dutch for Haystack.  So I hiked the 561 stairs to the top (I counted both ways…. Wikipedia was wrong… it says 562) and there was a great view of the whole island from the top!  What was even better was I could see Venezuela from there too!  Venezuela is my next stop…. So… It was just like… kinda something I did… to look ahead on the journey I guess?  Corny I know… but sometimes it is good to do things like that I think.

So I have a friend named Alfredo… he loves the beach.  Anytime I want to take a trip to the mountains he would rather go to the beach.  Ok… so me and Alfredo have never taken a trip together… except one time to Tijuana for tacos….. but it’s probably because we like things that are such polar opposites!  Anyway…. The reason I bring that all up is because one day we had a conversation about hiking mountains and he said he just didn’t get the point.  And you know… all I could tell him is that it is really hard to convince someone who has never been to the top of a mountain… just how great it is!  I heard an old story…. Obviously before the internet and Google earth and stuff like that… that talked about only those who make it to the top of a mountain can ever know what it’s really like… and what that view is like… and the majesty of it all.  The book I just read kinda talked about it… when something is so majestic… like fire… you can get caught just staring into it…. Have you ever done that?

Anyway… one morning I set out on foot to hike the Hooiberg.  Along the way I passed a place called Casibari.  It is place with Rock formations in it.  There is a sign at the gate that reads:

“Inscription For A Garden Gate

Pause friend, and read before you enter here.  This old stone wall encloses hallowed ground. Here in a mellowed garden dream away the years steeped in serene, sweet light and muted sound.  Here in tranquility peace abides.

For God walks here at cool of evening tide.

Pause, friend, and strip from out your heart all vanity, all bitterness, all hate.

Quench for this hour, the fewer of your fears.  Then treading softly pass with-in this gate, there, where the ancient trees wait, hushed and dim, May you find God and walk awhile with Him.”

 

I’m not gonna lie to you… initial reaction…. Corny!.... but when I walked into the place…it did feel different.  There weren’t many people there, the gift shop was boarded up… and it seemed to be a non touristy place.  There were lizards, and dragonflies, and birds, and owls (which are birds… I know) , and so many different species.  And the lizards were jumping all over the cacti (that’s a bunch of cactus plants) …. And these were smooth warm rocks and so it was suddenly like I was in a giant sized aquarium that people keep lizards in you know?  With the electric rock that heats up that they like to lie on?  Except it was perfect.  There were people there for the mosquitoes to eat and dragonflies to eat the mosquitoes and lizards to eat the dragonflies and birds to eat the lizards and iguanas to eat the birds and owls to eat the iguanas…. And people to ….. take pictures?

Anyway.. I spent way more time there than I had planned because it was a place that just had a great feeling to it.  And every time I tried to leave I found something new and great.  I found these owls that were living in holes under rocks!  So I looked them up when I got home. “Burrowing Owls” !!!  Makes sense huh!

Anyway…. I wandered forever trying to find the steps that go up the Hooiberg and I finally found them.  Great view from the top.  I walked into the city afterwards down to the scuba shop and hitched a ride home with Mark.

I’m sure I have more to say.. but it’s 3 AM… and I can’t think straight…. Maybe to be continued….. maybe I’ll just pick back up and talk about Venezuela later… anyway…. I won’t have a computer readily available to me anymore…. So I don’t know when my next post will be.  Wish me luck!