Vacationing in Aruba

Aruba is a beautiful island.  The sand is silky and soft and the water is crystal clear.  It's too bad that a few bad things have happened to give the island as less-than-ideal reputation.  Each time I would tell friends that I was going to Aruba for a wedding, their first response was "be careful."

Colin and I enjoyed 6 full days of the best Aruba has to offer - the beach!!  We spent as much time as we could on the Renaissance hotel's private island.

A boat was available every 30 minutes to pick you up inside the Marina hotel.  It would then drive the 2 minutes to the Renaissance Ocean Suites to pick up a second group of passengers.  From there, it was just a 5-10 minute ride to the private island.

View of the Renaissance Marina from the boat as we head to the private island.

The private beach was sheltered from the waves by a rock barrier.  It also had a wide beach area and several smaller beach areas like the one you see above.

The private island boasted a "family" beach and an "adults-only" beach.  We spent time in both areas, but the beach was better on the "family" side.  Thankfully, we didn't hear or see too many bratty kids, and we tried setting up our chairs away from the main beach.  The other awesome thing about the private island was having free wifi!! So we could catch up on e-mails, post facebook photos, and keep in touch with the rest of the world (when we weren't napping, swimming, eating, walking around, reading books, or listening to podcasts).  

 Half of the days were picture perfect, with blue skies and calm waters for most of the day.  

A disturbance in the Carribean (Tropical Storm Rina I think!) gave us a few days of rough waters, which led to the canceling of the wedding's booze cruise (more about that in the next post).

 This picture shows us looking back on the main beach area from one of the small areas.  Yes, the water is this bluish-green and you can see all the way to your feet while standing in 5 feet of water!

 

The private island had a series of paths between each of the beach areas.  Along the path, you could see lots of fish in the water and lizards of all sizes sunbathing on the wood!

 

We also got to see some flamingos on the beach and some dolphins out enjoying themselves in the water (I couldn't get my camera in time to catch them!).

 

During the six days, I fully recovered from appendix surgery, read two books, and got a nice tan!  Lounging on calm waters or in a hammock isn't a bad way to forget about life's problems!

It was also wonderful to catch up with my friends and former teammates.  

Look at all those soccer legs!! I have to give Annie (4th from the right) the title for best abs!!

When we weren't at the beach, we were hanging out with our friends at the pool, or participating in the wedding festivities (more about those in the next post).  

 The hotel pool was right near the lobby/bar and had a great view!  

The only bummer is that you could see and hear the cars on the road below.

To explore the island, we decided to walk from our hotel (downtown) to the high-rise hotels (called the high-rise area).  On the map, it looked really close, but it ended up being ~4 miles.  That doesn't sound so bad, but when the weather is beautiful and you are walking on the sidewalk looking at this...

instead of walking on the beach, it seems like forever.  

(Note - we took this photo because they have a shoe store called DCW, instead of DSW).

By the time we got to Eagle Beach, which is supposed to be one of the nicest on the island, it was already late in the day.  While the beach was nice, it didn't allow you to wade slowly into the water like our private island did.

It was nice to enjoy some solitude though.

I definitely want to go back to Aruba.  The beaches are as beautiful as they were in 2000.  

Both times these beautiful beaches have keep me from exploring other parts of the island 

- not that I am complaining. 

Stay tuned for the wedding celebration details, a story that's sure to entertain!

What's your favorite beach destination?

First impressions of Aruba's changes

Colin and I have been looking forward to a vacation all year.  The last vacation we took together was for a wedding in Cabo San Lucas and we had a blast!  But that was already a year and a half ago.  It seems like a very long time because so much has happened in that year and a half.  When we found out our friends were getting married in Aruba, we were ecstatic. 

Back in 2000, I went to Aruba with some girl friends.  Given Aruba’s recent notoriety with the deaths of young females, I feel fortunate that nothing happened to any of us while we were there over 10 years ago.  I do remember the clarity of the water and softness of the white sand and looked forward to sharing that with Colin.  I also expected to find things much the same as when I last visited.  Boy was I surprised to see the changes.

The biggest surprise was that our party spot, Carlos and Charlies, was no longer in Aruba.  I recall spending just about every night dancing there, and then heading to other downtown hot spots. 

Our hotel, the Renaissance Marina, was located downtown and I was excited about checking out “the old stomping ground.” 

  

The Renaissance Marina Hotel

Our first night in Aruba was my girlfriend’s bachelorette party.  We got in around 9pm and I immediately got dressed up to go out.  After participating in a few hotel room games, we went out with our sights set on the club “Confessions.”  I inquired to the cab driver about the downtown clubs and was told everything had moved to the “high-rise hotels.”  That would have been convenient when we stayed at the Holiday Inn back in 2000, but was not convenient now that I was staying downtown.  Upon getting into “Confessions,” I realized it might be best to not be near the clubs since I am (1) not 19 anymore, (2) married, (3) married to a guy who doesn’t like to dance, and (4) visiting the island for a wedding and not to party with the girls.  The bachelorette party was fun because all of us “old ladies” were there supporting the bride and had a good time dancing. 

The bachelorette with Senor Frog near the end of the night!

The rest of the week was also fun seeing old friends, making new friends, celebrating with the bride and groom, and relaxing on the beach and at the pool.

I had planned to see the island on this trip because I never did on my previous trip, but as it turned out, we enjoyed the beach so much, we didn’t make our way to the lighthouse, the natural bridge, or any other sights besides the beach.

Have you ever been to Aruba?
What's your favorite thing about the island?

Stay tuned for the highlights of our trip!!

The State Fair

October brings the North Carolina State Fair to Raleigh, NC.  Last year I had the pleasure of judging the bakery products and my efforts were rewarded with an unlimited pass to the fair.  I didn’t have plans to judge food this year, and it’s a good thing too.  My appendicitis hit on the day I would have had to judge bakery products.  Boy, would that have been terrible!

Because we’d be in Aruba for the last five days of the fair, and I wanted Colin to experience it, we went for a few hours just four days after my surgery.  The day was beautiful, and I would have enjoyed it a lot more it wasn’t for my appendix issue.  Colin and I enjoyed sampling Italian sausage, Polish kielbasa, a fried Snickers, and kettle corn.  We didn’t make it to the Wisconsin cheese booth, nor did we get to try any of the other fried candy bars.  Sampling foods is best when you go with a large group – that way you can take a “bite” out of each item.  Not wanting to hurt my intestines (or abdomen in general), we took it easy on the food.

This year I really enjoyed seeing the talent exhibitions – mainly the cake decorating and paintings and photographs.  With the recent E. Coli outbreak that might be linked to the petting zoo, I'm glad we didn't go there!!  We did see some livestock and lots of agricultural products though.

The highlight of this year's fair for both Colin and I was the Polish kielbasa.  The fried snickers were pretty disappointing.  And the fair in general was okay.  Hopefully we can go back next year with a group of people to try a more varied sampling of food and I won't be recovering from surgery!!

Experiencing Acute Appendicitis

I’ve had quite a few stomach bugs in my life, but none of them compare to the experience of having appendicitis and getting my appendix removed.  Since getting Salmonella in the Dominican Republic back in 2001, my stomach has been weak.  It seemed like every time I had a chemistry exam in college, I would come down with a stomach bug after taking the test.  A few times I landed in the ER first thing in the morning because I couldn’t keep anything down all night.  Each time, I was given medication to calm my stomach and an IV to rehydrate my system.  Sometime after my junior year of college, a friend offered me some ginger tea to calm my stomach and I became a believer!  Ginger tea is now a staple in my house.  At the first sign of any stomach upset, I make myself a cup and feel better almost instantly.  I do sometimes still get “sick” (ie throw up).  Once I start sipping on the ginger tea, my stomach seems to calm and I am able to get over the event much more quickly.

Two weeks ago it seemed my stomach stopped responding to the benefits it has always reaped from ginger tea.  At the first sign of pain in my stomach, I brewed a cup of tea.  This time however, the sharp pain in my stomach lingered.  I didn’t know what to do when my savior remedy did not work.  I figured I just needed to lie down and maybe some gas would work its way through my abdomen.  Unfortunately lying down was not much help either.  The sharp pain remained through a second cup of ginger tea and a few hours of lying down. 

One of the first thoughts that always enters my mind when I feel sick to my stomach is “I hope it’s not appendicitis.”  I frequently check WebMD and conduct other Google searches on appendicitis to compare my symptoms to the references.  In this case, I consulted the web again and thought it could not be appendicitis because my pain was not concentrating on the right side.  One thing that did worry me is that the right side did hurt when I lifted my right leg upon changing clothes and walking.  After 11 hours of pain we decided it was time to go to the emergency room.  I had only gotten “sick” once, but the pain was starting to be unbearable because I could not find a comfortable position.

Since we are new to the Cary, NC area, we had to look up where the closest ER was located.  At 9pm, we made our way to WakeMed in Apex.  The ER staff was extremely hospitable and got me in a bed within 30 minutes.  I would consider that a record!  Unfortunately, I still had pain and found I could lie a little more comfortably on my right side.  After a urine test and an exam by the physician assistant, I was hooked up to an IV and was told I would be in the ER for awhile.  The few horrible experiences in the ER included (1) having to drink a liter of liquid with contrast for my CT-scan, (2) having to get in and out of bed to be transported to WakeMed Cary after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, (3) feeling the effects of the pain medicine and anti-nausea wear off while my information got transferred between hospital staff.

By 5am, I was at WakeMed Cary, highly sedated and pain free.  I was in and out of consciousness, only waking when the doctor, nurse and several anesthesiologists asked me to tell them what I was having done (a laproscopic appendectomy), when I last ate/drank (food at 7pm, IV contrast at 1:40am), and who my doctor was (Dr. Yerby – I only got that one right once or twice).  When they wheeled me into surgery at 10am, I was still semi-conscious, and only vaguely remember a mask being put over my face. 

Two and a half hours later, I woke up to the nurses getting my discharge papers in order.  I was still semi-conscious, wanting to go back to sleep, but they were ready to get me out of there.  I remember about half of the discharge orders and was glad they gave me written instructions.  By 1pm, I was resting comfortably in my bed at home, still feeling the sedatives from surgery with a prescription for 30 Percocets and a few days worth of antibiotics.

I was later told what was done in each of my incision sites.  The lowest one is the smallest site and the device that held the appendix during surgery went in that site.  The largest site, on the side of abdomen was cut on the left side because I am a “small” person and the doctor needed room to maneuver the probe that cut and pulled the pieces of the appendix out.  This site is stitched on the inside and is the one that experienced the most pain (apparently the procedure affected some muscle tissue).  The incision on the belly button was used for the camera to guide the surgeon’s work.  This scar is also small, but the area around the site is bruised.  Because I have a hernia on my belly button, the itchiness that I feel from healing is bothersome, but in an uncomfortable, and not painful, way.  All of the scars were covered in a glue-like tape substance that will come off on its own.  Since I had covers over the wounds, I was able to bathe and shower at my leisure.

The one good thing about having my appendix removed is that I never have to worry about appendicitis again!

Ending the Summer in Myrtle Beach with Family

After a very busy work week last week and expecting another busy one, I'm reminiscing of our last beach trip...

Labor Day marks the end of the summer for most, but I think we have quite a few weeks of beach weather left here in North Carolina.  To celebrate the "official" end of summer, we decided to join our brother and sister-in-law, nephew and niece in Myrtle Beach.

The weather and location could not be beat!

 

The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the sand and water.  Our nephew acted as I used to at the beach - drop whatever you are carrying the minute a spot is selected and run for the ocean!  There were many times I got myself into some trouble taking off like that.  Thankfully there were enough of us adults and we were close enough to the water to keep a watchful eye on the kiddos.  The water temperature was perfect and we spent our fair share of time enjoying the surf.

At low tide shallow pools of water form, making it perfect for little ones - like our 9 month old niece.  We had a great time "walking" among the pools of water.

Too bad we only got to enjoy the beach for one night.  But we made the most of it, checking out the arcades and ice cream shop down the street!  It was awesome to be so close to the ocean, hearing the waves from the living room!

 

How did you celebrate the end of the beach season?
Are you ready for this fall weather?

Hosting Friends and Family in Good Weather and Bad

Shortly after traveling to the northeast to visit friends and family, we were able to host some at our house.  I always expected to have more visitors in NYC, since it is such a touristy place, but I guess when you have a 1 bedroom apartment, people shy away from visiting you.  Now that we have a 4 bedroom house and live in the suburbs, there is more space for people to stay comfortably, but there is not as much to see here in the 'burbs.

When my best friend from home expressed interest in finishing up her summer vacation with me in North Carolina, I was ecstatic.  We've been good friends since high school and have remained friends even though distance has kept us mostly apart for the past 12 years (has it really been that long!!??).  During her visit, we enjoyed lounging by the pool, hitting up some local restaurants, and a day trip to the beach.  The weather wanted her to have a great time, so it cooperated with warm sunny days and cool nights.  It was great to catch up and reminisce about the days of old.  We even had someone ask us if we were sisters - just like they did in high school!!  I can't believe we didn't get any photos together while she was here!  We don't think we look much alike, but perhaps it's just that we have a similar build, dark hair, and olive complexions (thanks to our Portuguese heritage).

The most recent picture we have - taken 5 years ago.

Not long after spending a few days with my BFF, we were hosting my brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephew.  They were able to get to North Carolina before Hurricane Irene reached their path and we were able to spend the stormy day with them, watching movies on our big screen at home.  The best quote of the weekend came when our nephew said, "I thought your house would be lame without a TV, but the projector is pretty cool."  We probably watched more on the projector that weekend, than we had the entire month of August.  In hindsight, we should have better prepared for indoor kid's activities with some puzzles or board games to change things up.

Speaking of the projector - I agree wholeheartedly with Colin's perspective on "taming the tube" as we say in the nutrition world.  It only allows us to watch programs for a short amount of time before either it, or the computer, gets too hot.  And it's harder to see on the wall when it's daylight out.  So if the projector or computer turn off because it's too hot, it means we've been sitting around watching too much.  And if it's bright and sunny out, we should be enjoying the day, not in front of the screen.

I must admit that watching TV, movies, sports, etc. on the huge screen is pretty awesome.  We stream TV shows on hulu, can watch live TV through an adapter that hooks up to the computer, and can hook the DVD player up to watch movies.  Couple the projector with an amplified sound system and you've got a pretty kicking system.  With cooler weather, shorter days, and football season, we've gotten into a habit of using the projector more.  But with a dog that needs to be walked daily, we always remember that the projector must be balanced with daily outdoor activity.

 

 Our home theater meets our basic needs

Visiting Friends and Family in the Northeast

After a wonderful day in New York City and a very enjoyable time with our hosts in Bayside, Queens, we drove the hour and a half east to the North Fork of Long Island.  Colin's law school friend, Keith, rented a house near the vineyards for his wife's surprise 30th birthday party and to show off their 2 month old daughter Mackenzie.

As we all contemplated how Keith was able to keep the party a surprise, their caterer served delicious appetizers and we mingled with family and friends.  Unfortunately, none of the other friends in the group from law school were in attendance, but we had fun getting to meet new people and trying to socialize Darwin. I should emphasize the word "trying" because Darwin literally laid down behind Colin's legs for a majority of the day.  We did make some progress when he finally opened up to Keith's mom when she fed him his food from her hand.

The women of the hour appeared shortly after we arrived and their arrival brought with it a heightened sense of excitement to an already boisterous crowd.  Elicia and Keith were both beaming with pride, and Mackenzie looked absolutely precious in her little dress.

Mackenzie looking like a doll

It was wonderful to celebrate such joy with Keith, Elicia and their friends and family.  The weather could have cooperated a little better so that we could have enjoyed the beautiful and spacious yard and gazebo, but you can never control Mother Nature when she wants the rain to fall.

The adorable family

As the party came to an end, we said our goodbyes, knowing that the next time we would see them, Mackenzie would look very different.  In a bit of a rush to catch the ferry (goodbyes always take longer than you expect), we made it to the farthest point in northeastern Long Island, Orient Point, with just moments before the ferry departed.  With a sigh of relief, we (minus Darwin) enjoyed the 1.5 hour ferry across Long Island Sound to New London, CT before driving another 45 minutes to my parent's house in RI.

I do believe we have to experience bad weather so that we can appreciate the good weather, and Mother Nature decided we needed 3 days of rain.  Our time in RI wasn't plagued with as much rain as we received in Long Island, but it definitely put a damper on the two days we were there.  We managed to take Darwin on a wonderful 5 mile walk along the bike path near my parent's house during a break in the rain and spent most of the trip indoors hosting lots of family members.  Colin's sister Karen, sister-in-law Carla, and our niece and nephew visited with us on Monday and Colin's parents visited on Tuesday.  It certainly made spending quality time with family easier to have everyone come to us.

Sisters-in-law and cousins (Darwin counts as our child)!

The Clemente's enjoyed having a house full of guests!

Darwin got to meet both sets of grandparents

We hadn't seen our niece, Isabella, and nephew, Brian, since they visited North Carolina last spring and seeing how quickly they change is always amazing.  Isabella, at 9 months, is now crawling everywhere, and trying to stand up and walk.  She is a precious little girl!

And Brian, at almost 7 years, is such a fan of his Uncle Colin.  They have the greatest time hanging out together!

There was lots to catch up on over the course of two days since we had gone all summer without seeing almost everyone.  And in my mom's kitchen, there is usually lots of food to be eaten!  My mom always has a stocked fridge and makes the most delicious meals!!  On Monday we had a salmon dinner with seafood rice and a salad, and Tuesday we had an assortment of entrees.  For many of our visits, my mom makes traditional Portuguese dishes, but my parents love to grill during the summer (even if it's raining).

Overall, we had a great few days catching up with friends and family.  I would have loved to take the whole week off and meet up with my friends and see the all the little girls I haven't met in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Delaware and celebrate weddings and engagements, but we had to get back for work.  The problem with having friends in all parts of the country is that it is difficult to see them for all the exciting life-changing events.  We made it to most of the weddings, but it has been extremely difficult to meet the babies.

How do you make the best of a rainy day when traveling?