Figgy1
Premium Member
Now picture how many times it has been run being in my house
You may need a slide rule and supercomputer
-
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The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread
- Thread starter The Mom
- Start date
You may need a slide rule and supercomputer
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I think the newer ones are rated for at most 6 years.
I've seen standard cloth washers start to flake by the 3rd year of use :/
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I was in SC through the crazy cold. I think they broke.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Panama Canal 2022 Trip Report P10
The next day was quite interesting. As we had a full tour for ARUBA.
And this was a full day one.
The tour included highlights for everything on the island, which fit us for cruising.
When we arrived to the terminal, we found that we were assigned the farthest pier from the exit. No biggie.
There were 2 Holland American Line cruise ships as well ( Eurodam and the Rotterdam)
There was a bit confusion from my part, because there were many tours operators waiting by the pier already picking up passengers.
While there was a very touristic bus picking up people.
I had no idea if that was a free one or not.
Regardless we went walking towards the main gate.
And we found.. noone?
Infact, there were various people grouping at different areas but with no specified tour operator in hand.
There were some chinese-american tourists who also looked worried like us (as the hour of pick up was almost over) and managed to get in contact with a nearby tour operator who called and said that our tour was infact arriving soon.
Note that ALL our phones did not work in Aruba, only in very specific spots which made no sense lol.
(for example, I had AT&T signal near a hill by the air generators in Bonaire near and by the beaches in Curazao with no warning of roaming). Everywhere else blocked with the roaming charge warning.
Anyway our tour operator came and we went in.
The operator was surprised and mentioned there were not many LATAM tourists but he would do his best to translate in both languages, on which he did ok.
First stop was a quick town view before going to the Aloe Vera factory.
We expected something very boring but it was actually quite nice.
Infact, I bought some cream that worked wonders for the rest of the cruise.
Funny that neither the english nor the other powers like the french were interested in Aruba until the spanish found the good qualities of the Alohe Vera and started a plantation along the Salt production and later the oil production with the Dutch.
The next spot was the famous lighthouse. Why? like many of the 3 dutch islands... One side has beaches and is calm sea wise, the other side is very dangerous, full of rocks and very heavy seas. Making many ships wrecks its victims. Thus the lighthouses (which are in all the 3 islands in strategic locations).
Next was the famous "tiny chapel". Which is indeed a tiny built in the middle of nowhere. With cactuses surrounding the whole area.
With tales on how they used the nearby hills (where the water reservoir system is) to use fire or flags to call for the next church time.
Next the rock formations, which are very weird. Its like not a mountain but a weird grouping of very large rocks that honestly makes no sense how they were formed.
Most of the rocks are also kind of hollow or flat from one side. Making it a very strange spectacle.
It also had a good snack bar and restrooms, which hilariously use a monkey device as a puller to allow access after you pay the fee.
Next we did a pass by to the Ostrich and general zoo farm. Which is a restaurant/zoo and then a pass by the giant anchor and the old gold smelter. Which was just a building in ruins.
Continued on Part 11.
The next day was quite interesting. As we had a full tour for ARUBA.
And this was a full day one.
The tour included highlights for everything on the island, which fit us for cruising.
When we arrived to the terminal, we found that we were assigned the farthest pier from the exit. No biggie.
There were 2 Holland American Line cruise ships as well ( Eurodam and the Rotterdam)
There was a bit confusion from my part, because there were many tours operators waiting by the pier already picking up passengers.
While there was a very touristic bus picking up people.
I had no idea if that was a free one or not.
Regardless we went walking towards the main gate.
And we found.. noone?
Infact, there were various people grouping at different areas but with no specified tour operator in hand.
There were some chinese-american tourists who also looked worried like us (as the hour of pick up was almost over) and managed to get in contact with a nearby tour operator who called and said that our tour was infact arriving soon.
Note that ALL our phones did not work in Aruba, only in very specific spots which made no sense lol.
(for example, I had AT&T signal near a hill by the air generators in Bonaire near and by the beaches in Curazao with no warning of roaming). Everywhere else blocked with the roaming charge warning.
Anyway our tour operator came and we went in.
The operator was surprised and mentioned there were not many LATAM tourists but he would do his best to translate in both languages, on which he did ok.
First stop was a quick town view before going to the Aloe Vera factory.
We expected something very boring but it was actually quite nice.
Infact, I bought some cream that worked wonders for the rest of the cruise.
Funny that neither the english nor the other powers like the french were interested in Aruba until the spanish found the good qualities of the Alohe Vera and started a plantation along the Salt production and later the oil production with the Dutch.
The next spot was the famous lighthouse. Why? like many of the 3 dutch islands... One side has beaches and is calm sea wise, the other side is very dangerous, full of rocks and very heavy seas. Making many ships wrecks its victims. Thus the lighthouses (which are in all the 3 islands in strategic locations).
Next was the famous "tiny chapel". Which is indeed a tiny built in the middle of nowhere. With cactuses surrounding the whole area.
With tales on how they used the nearby hills (where the water reservoir system is) to use fire or flags to call for the next church time.
Next the rock formations, which are very weird. Its like not a mountain but a weird grouping of very large rocks that honestly makes no sense how they were formed.
Most of the rocks are also kind of hollow or flat from one side. Making it a very strange spectacle.
It also had a good snack bar and restrooms, which hilariously use a monkey device as a puller to allow access after you pay the fee.
Next we did a pass by to the Ostrich and general zoo farm. Which is a restaurant/zoo and then a pass by the giant anchor and the old gold smelter. Which was just a building in ruins.
Continued on Part 11.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Panama Canal 2022 Trip Report P11
Continuing...
A closer view to the rocks to showcase how they seem to be flat.
Like they were once a giant rock and shattered in smaller pieces and peeled like an onion.
The next part was the longest natural bridge in the world, which sadly broke down a few years ago. Leaving only half of it.
There are warnings as it could collapse anytime (visible cracks and the sea is relentless on this side of the island).
And the portion that fell apart.
Note that most of these islands supposedly rose from the seabed with a giant earthquake and volcano eruption.
The islands themselves are not volcanic, but they have some areas with volcano dry lava. The rest is mostly very strong coral rock.
Which you can see coral pretty much everywhere.
The next part was going to BabyBeach a popular spot to get to the sea and enjoy the sand.
The road to get to baby beach gets closer to the main economic drive of the island. The refinery, which was sadly closed temporarily because of sanctions as Venezuela owns a large stake.
With talks about reactivation, because the US now loves Venezuela's oil and hates Russian's XD
On the sad side, it was very dramatic to see the disrepair in the town near the refinery, which almost all spaces being shuttered or closed. With tons of red-light district style business still barely open. (aka 90% of the open business were in the Bars, Drinks and Sex commerce).
On the good side, the place was full of murals of local artists that looked gorgeous, like this one by the police station.
The view of the Baby beach and the nearby Rodger's beach shows an impressive contrasts of the man made brutal style construction, clashing in a dystopian way with the sandy beach.
There is a restaurant nearby which had decent prices and service. And they spoke a bit of spanish which was a plus.
Hilariously after my mother and sister went to the loo (which costs money unless you buy food in the restaurant called Mama's grill).
The table I was sitting, was next to 3 local people, one elderly woman, one young woman and a man. They were shock full of jewellery, the man specially.)
Turns out that these people were the owners of Mama grill and I swear that they ran the place like a gang.
Because I saw the drama and outrage when the younger lady noticed a man giving pamphlets to the restaurants's beach chairs' customers.
One of the persons gave the paper to one of the workers of the owners.. And they crumbled the paper very angrily.
Probably trying to sell similar business in "her turf".
You can see more of the Baby beach here:
After leaving the baby beach, the tour group split.
Some were left in the beach. Others were to be left in one town and the other to the pier.
And here is where we got very ed off.
As this piece of dude (white old dude). Pointed at us after we were sitting in our seats in the van. And said that he should be only saying the tour in english and that we should be the ones learning english????
Of course I did not noticed this, but my sister did and so did many of the tour visitors, including the chinese-american guys who were ed and embarrassed of such display.
Anyway the tour operator still continued to narrate everything in Spanish as well.
Note that I think this guy was angry because 50% of the Jewel's visitors were latinos at the time.
And some of the shows intros, etc.. were also narrated in spanish.
Anyway we returned to the pier where thankfully lots of gift stores opened. Allowing me to buy some magnets ( I got magnets for every island and place we visited).
Hilariously, the racist dude was now trying to dodge us as everytime he saw us, he left elsewhere.
He also did time because we were moving in a small group towards the touristic bus (which at the time I thought charged money.. but turns out it was free) and he stayed behind (good...) and we boarded it, returning to the ship for lunch, dinner and show.
Our next day was time for BONAIRE.
Continued in P12.
Continuing...
A closer view to the rocks to showcase how they seem to be flat.
Like they were once a giant rock and shattered in smaller pieces and peeled like an onion.
The next part was the longest natural bridge in the world, which sadly broke down a few years ago. Leaving only half of it.
There are warnings as it could collapse anytime (visible cracks and the sea is relentless on this side of the island).
And the portion that fell apart.
Note that most of these islands supposedly rose from the seabed with a giant earthquake and volcano eruption.
The islands themselves are not volcanic, but they have some areas with volcano dry lava. The rest is mostly very strong coral rock.
Which you can see coral pretty much everywhere.
The next part was going to BabyBeach a popular spot to get to the sea and enjoy the sand.
The road to get to baby beach gets closer to the main economic drive of the island. The refinery, which was sadly closed temporarily because of sanctions as Venezuela owns a large stake.
With talks about reactivation, because the US now loves Venezuela's oil and hates Russian's XD
On the sad side, it was very dramatic to see the disrepair in the town near the refinery, which almost all spaces being shuttered or closed. With tons of red-light district style business still barely open. (aka 90% of the open business were in the Bars, Drinks and Sex commerce).
On the good side, the place was full of murals of local artists that looked gorgeous, like this one by the police station.
The view of the Baby beach and the nearby Rodger's beach shows an impressive contrasts of the man made brutal style construction, clashing in a dystopian way with the sandy beach.
There is a restaurant nearby which had decent prices and service. And they spoke a bit of spanish which was a plus.
Hilariously after my mother and sister went to the loo (which costs money unless you buy food in the restaurant called Mama's grill).
The table I was sitting, was next to 3 local people, one elderly woman, one young woman and a man. They were shock full of jewellery, the man specially.)
Turns out that these people were the owners of Mama grill and I swear that they ran the place like a gang.
Because I saw the drama and outrage when the younger lady noticed a man giving pamphlets to the restaurants's beach chairs' customers.
One of the persons gave the paper to one of the workers of the owners.. And they crumbled the paper very angrily.
Probably trying to sell similar business in "her turf".
You can see more of the Baby beach here:
After leaving the baby beach, the tour group split.
Some were left in the beach. Others were to be left in one town and the other to the pier.
And here is where we got very ed off.
As this piece of dude (white old dude). Pointed at us after we were sitting in our seats in the van. And said that he should be only saying the tour in english and that we should be the ones learning english????
Of course I did not noticed this, but my sister did and so did many of the tour visitors, including the chinese-american guys who were ed and embarrassed of such display.
Anyway the tour operator still continued to narrate everything in Spanish as well.
Note that I think this guy was angry because 50% of the Jewel's visitors were latinos at the time.
And some of the shows intros, etc.. were also narrated in spanish.
Anyway we returned to the pier where thankfully lots of gift stores opened. Allowing me to buy some magnets ( I got magnets for every island and place we visited).
Hilariously, the racist dude was now trying to dodge us as everytime he saw us, he left elsewhere.
He also did time because we were moving in a small group towards the touristic bus (which at the time I thought charged money.. but turns out it was free) and he stayed behind (good...) and we boarded it, returning to the ship for lunch, dinner and show.
Our next day was time for BONAIRE.
Continued in P12.
Last edited:
MinnieM123
Premium Member
Wow, Cesar, your vacation travels are fascinating, and I'm loving the photos as usual. (Many years ago I went to Aruba and Bonaire, and they were pleasant islands.) Never made it to Curacao, though. I'm glad you're experiencing so much in the Netherlands Antilles.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
They definitively are. Its interesting to see how much cactuses are in both Bonaire and Aruba!
They reminded me of the road between my hometown and the state's capital Guadalajara.
Only difference is, we have tons of Tequila plants too
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
True about cloth washers.
Dish Washers is something I don't need to worry about. I like doing the dishes the old fashion way. I am like my parents that way since they don't have a dish washer either.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I'm not having any today. I had some last week.
SteveBrickNJ
Well-Known Member
I just saw on this thread that today it is National Spaghetti Day.
Well I already ate dinner...it's too late to have that, but I DID have ravioli tonight.
Close enough, right?
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I didn't even know that and I had spaghetti for lunch. Must have been some internal signal.I just saw on this thread that today it is National Spaghetti Day.
Well I already ate dinner...it's too late to have that, but I DID have ravioli tonight.
Close enough, right?
