La Cabana's Waterslide

In January, just after my trip to San Francisco for Macworld, I headed down to Aruba for a week. My parents were using both weeks of their timeshare there, and invited me down for a week. It's tough to resist such an offer, even with the mild threat of being Hollowayed looming over my head. So I hopped on a plane and met them at the airport in Oranjestad.

I'd been down last about two years ago and as should be expected, not much had changed. I only snapped a few shots this time around. Above, you can see the waterslide at La Cabana. My mom and I walked up the beach and partook of it, and security was as lax as ever. If I'm not mistaken, the same kind woman was the "lifeguard" at the top of the slidetelling each person when they could go, so I know she's been there at least two years. Being the engineer (or at least geek) that I am, I contemplated different simple systems for automating this process, instead of paying someone to sit at the top of the slide. Ah, inefficient life in the tropics.

About halfway through the week, I went to play a poker tournament and managed to take first-a-half place. Not bad for the first tournament I ever played in. As you can see to the right, I did alright for myself, winning enough to pay for the entire trip as my plane ticket was under $400 and the couch was free (Thanks mom and dad). Again, being a big geek that I am, I did some math. Last time I won $125, and this time I won $650. At this rate, in just three trips I'll make almost $100,000. By my tenth trip, I'll have outstripped Aruba's entire GDP, at which point I assume I can just buy the island.

Big The Money Shot II

Big Jet Ski

After the poker tournament, I was feeling spendthrifty. So, besides treating the folks to some meals, I decided I'd finally ride a jet ski. When I'd been down two years earlier, I contemplated it but never got around to it. In Jamaica, I also considered it, but could never get to the point where it was worth it. I finally bit the bullet, and paid too much (even after talking the guy down) to ride for half an hour. If you've never done it, I'd say go for it. If you can do it for free, great. But $50 for 30 minutes is pretty pricey. Nonetheless, I had fun with it, and got to race up and down the coastline in a bigger (read: faster) model than everyone else had. I even saw Jethro and Jeff, of the Octopus motoring off somewhere on the Squid.

Above you can see a salamander on the wall of our balcony. From the angle, it looks painted on, no? Or perhaps like a squished salamander. Anyhow, I was amused by it. When I tried to take a closer shot, he scurried off so quickly I didn't even see him go.

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I've been informed by reader William MacKay that I am, in fact, ignorant when it comes to reptiles. Fair enough. Read on:

The cute reptile on your wall in Aruba was not a salamander, as your recent pbones article states. As a resident of the subtropics [Editor's Note: Florida], allow me to remedy your quant northern confusion.

This animal is a anole, pronounced ah-NO-lee. Unlike salamanders, they are not amphibious. They are dry to the touch, not slimy, and do not enjoy bathing. They eat bugs, which are more common here in Earth's habitable region, so they are welcome in most houses.

They make a pleasant sound to attract mates that puts us to sleep much like your crickets, which down here keep quiet for fear of being eaten by anoles. When noise is not enough to score some hot anole action, they also have a decorative flap of skin on their throat that is invisible until they climb to a high altitude, say one foot or so, and inflate.

Anoles are everywhere in the South, the Bahamas, and the Antilles. In the last few centuries, your brown anole's relatives have liberated Florida from the heathen green anoles, often consuming them in the process. The much less charming greens have been pushed back into Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, where they lurk in Vulcan's [Editor's Note: the Roman god of fire] foliage.

Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychrotidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Anole

and an unintentional Googleimagewhack:
http://images.google.com/images?q=aruba+anole

So, thanks to Will. Now, back to our regularly scheduled travelogue.

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Dueling experts have now emailed me on the nature of the beast pictured. From long-time reader Chris DiNoia

I don't think that is an anole. I do know it is not a salamander though. It is a little small in the picture but if I was to bet money on it I would say it was a gecko. I don't know if there are geckos in Aruba but it looks a little flat and its scaling the wall a little too nicely to be an anole. But it definitely could be one. Salamander it definitely isn't though because they stay in or just outside the water. And now that I have outed myself as the reptile nerd I am going back to work.

A fierce battle rages. On which side will you stand? Anole? Gecko? Or foolishly with those of us who saw it and just said "Mmm...maybe a salamander?", perhaps? You must decide - the future depends on it.

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The other shot is from inside the airport as I was leaving. I took a beer with me to drink while waiting to get through customs. However, I was a bit late, and got rushed through everything. As I was escorted past many people waiting in line, glaring at me, I let them know that I understood. "Yes, yes, we were irresponsible, and now we're being rewarded for it. The American way has come to Aruba folks. Sorry." Most were likely not amused, but one chap said to his wife "At least he knows!".

Anyhow, the point here is that I wound up with a beer in the airport. That's kind of weird, I have no idea if you can drink there (I'd assume alcohol consumption must be confined to the airport bars in the US, at least). But then I realized I'd also packed myself a lime slice, and I'd inadvertently lied when customs asked me if I had any fruits or vegetables. Whups. Anyhow, I drank it there, so it never really left the country.

That's about all there is to tell. The poker tournament was the big event, along with the waterslide, mini-golf (not pictured) and the jet-ski. Other than that, we sat on the beach quite a bit, and went out to dinner a few times. I came back with a very nice tan which I still have remnants of two months later, and finished four or five books while I was there. All in all, a great trip.