La Cabana

June 22 – July 3, 2003 by James R. Piercy

On June 21, 2003, my traveling companions, R.C. and Jennifer Harrison, and I, drove from Dayton, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio. We stayed at the Cross Country Inn & Suites by Carlson at the Columbus airport. The rooms were $71.00 and they have a park-and-fly program so we received free transportation to and from the airport as well as free parking.

That evening we had dinner at the Top Steak House in Bexley, Ohio. This is a well-respected old steak house and the fillets were excellent.

We arrived at the Columbus airport at 6:15 A.M. for an 8:00 A. M. departure on U. S. Airways from Columbus to Charlotte. It took us 45 minutes to check in, scan the luggage and pass through security. My advice is to get to your airport early.

The flight from Columbus to Charlotte was uneventful. In fact, we arrived a few minutes early. We had plenty of time to hit the duty-free store in Charlotte. Duerr’s White Label, which is my drink of choice, was one-half of what I pay in Ohio. We really stocked up at the duty-free store. Your bottles are delivered to you prior to boarding your flight.

We flew on an A 320 EOW from Charlotte to Aruba which was completely full. Lunch consisted of a sandwich, chips and cookie. I guess this is better than nothing.

We arrived at 3:10 P.M. in Aruba on time. My companions and I went through the residents only line in immigration. This saved us some time and it is perfectly permissible. In fact, the pilots and the stewardesses lined up directly ahead of us.

The liquor cart was open and I did purchase a fifth of Dewar’s White Label Scotch for $10.75. One half of what I would pay in Ohio.

Some fellow passengers saw me at the liquor cart and wanted to know whether they should buy at the liquor cart or in Aruba. I told them to definitely stock up at the liquor cart as the prices would be 2-3 times higher in Aruba. I received quite a bit of thanks for the helpful tip.

We picked up our car at Econo located at the airport. We then drove to La Cabana and check-in was no problem at all. The only thing that disturbed me was that when you check in, they now charge your credit card $250. When you check out, your card is then credited for what you didn’t charge. I don’t quite like this arrangement.

After unpacking we went for a dip in the ocean and the pool. We had some drinks in the suite. R. C. and I then went to King’s Ribs for carryout. This was my first time at King’s Ribs and I highly recommend this establishment for carryout. I had the Grouper sandwich and rice which was $8.00. My friends had the Grouper platter which was plenty enough for two. Again, if you don’t want to go out to a fancy restaurant and you do have a car, I would suggest King’s Ribs for carryout.

On June 23 we awoke relatively early and the three of us went to Ling & Sons and stocked up on snacks, cereal, Balashi beer, lunch meat, milk, soda, as well as oranges for fresh orange juice. Ling & Sons has a completely new store which is located in back of the old one. It is now an I.G.A. and has everything you need.

Years ago, when I first started traveling to Aruba, I used to bring quite a bit of food with me. Now with the modern supermarkets, I really don’t think it’s necessary.

After grocery shopping, the three of us snorkeled at Boca Catalina. Visibility was the best that I have seen it in my seven visits to Aruba. This was truly an aquarium dive. Schools of fish were everywhere. This was Jennifer’s first time snorkeling and she did great.

We went back to the suite and had lunch consisting of cold cuts, cheese, chips and Pepsi.

That evening we had dinner at Madam Jeanette. We were seated promptly in the garden. I had the almond encrusted Grouper in a light spinach sauce with Dutch fried potatoes. This was $20.00. Jennifer and R.C. had the light Grouper salad and this was $18.00. Two of us had one large beer. We also had two coffees and two desserts. The total was $115.00.

The food was excellent. The service was quite poor. I asked for a Balashi mug as a souvenir but the waiter said there was no way he could give it to me. I did get a smaller Balashi mug after paying $5.00 for the beer and mug.

This was a far cry from when I first started visiting Aruba ten years ago. We had reservations at El Gaucho. We were directed to a small bar about a block and a half away to wait until our table was ready. I liked the Amstel beer mugs and asked the bartender if I could purchase some. He said "no way" and gave me two beer mugs and two small glasses with the Amstel logo on them. He didn’t ask for a nickel but got a great tip.

June 24. By 9:45 A.M. we were off to Baby Beach. The visibility and snorkeling were good. We saw quite a few parrot fish while snorkeling. The Dutch Marines were there conducting water drills at Baby Beach.

We had lunch at Coca Beach Restaurant. We waited over an hour to get our lunches. My $6.00 hamburger was the size of two quarters. My friends had the chicken sate and chicken sandwich. I would not recommend this restaurant. The food and service were terrible.

We went back to La Cabana and hung by the pool with the waterfall at La Cabana Villas.

That evening, we ordered pizza from the Pizza & Pasta Possibilities by the pool at the Beach and Racquet Club. A large pizza with everything was $15.50 and was quite good.

June 25. My friend, R.C., and I went to the fitness center at 7:45 A. M. La Cabana has a excellent fitness center and I was surprised by how many people were working out that early.

R.C. and I snorkeled at Boca Catalina and Jennifer hung by the pool. Once again, the visibility was excellent and we saw plenty of fish. We saw some large angel fish. There were also a lot of snorkeling boats.

We had cold cuts and chips for lunch in the suite. After lunch we laid out by the waterfall pool at the villa side of the resort. We had a few drops of rain but the sun came out.

I was invited to a 10-year ownership party. I received a certificate, two hand towels and a small clock with La Cabana-10 Years of Ownership on them. This was a nice touch by the resort. There was also champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

That evening we had dinner at Texas d'Brazil at 7:00 P.M. You start initially at a very nice salad bar. I was a little disappointed with the various cuts of fillet. I thought that they were too tough for my liking. The grilled chicken and Brazilian sausages were good. R. C. and Jennifer's opinions were much different from mine. They thoroughly enjoyed the cuts of meat. The bill was $105.00 with 10% off using the Aruba Plus card. A 15% gratuity was included.

June 26. That morning we sailed on the Tranquillo which left from DePalm pier. This is next to the Aruba Grand Hotel. We boarded at 9:30 A. M. and the Tranquillo left for the 2-hour sail to Spanish Lagoon at 10:00 A. M.

The Tranquillo carries only 16 people with Captain Anthony and Roy. Again, it's a 2-hour sail to Spanish Lagoon. The Tranquillo is the only snorkeling boat that goes to Spanish Lagoon.

While sailing out to Spanish Lagoon, Anthony had a fishing rod out trolling. He did have a strike and asked one of the children to reel the fish in. It was a nice-sized jack and Anthony kept the jack.

Once we arrived at Spanish Lagoon, we snorkeled for over an hour. The coral was in good shape and we saw quite a few fish. Then six of us went on the dingy to the reef where we did a drift dive in 5-30 feet of water. We must have drifted for approximately a mile. The coral was in great shape. Anthony kept close by in the dingy.

After the drift dive, we went back to the Tranquillo to have lunch. Lunch was Anthony's mom's pea soup, cold cut sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches, and watermelon. The pea soup and sandwiches were quite good. There was cold Balashi beer, rum punch, soft drinks, and juice throughout the entire trip.

The sail back was a blast. The rum punch and Balashi beer were flowing. I had a chance to chat with Captain Anthony on the sail back and he is, indeed, a great guy. His dad did the same thing before him.

On the way back, Roy cooked the jack that was caught. He pan-fried it in some spices. Each of us got a piece of the jack and it was delicious.

We arrived back at the Palm Pier at 4:00 P.M. and drove back to La Cabana and hit the pool. Dinner that evening was carryout from King's Ribs.

June 27. I awoke and the bottom of my right foot was swollen and painful. I must have stepped on something while I was snorkeling at Spanish Lagoon. I had to take my fins off to get to where we were going to snorkel at Spanish Lagoon.

I drove to Oduber Hospital and arrived at 9:30 A. M. I was seen promptly in the Emergency Room. The Emergency Room doctor told me that I stepped on a sea apple. She prescribed a medicated bandage and a tetanus injection. I was given extra medicated bandages to apply as necessary. However, I was told no pool or snorkeling that day. It took me 40 minutes to be treated and the total cost of $42.00.

Since I was grounded, I made a trip to Ling & Sons to replenish snacks, soft drinks, beer, cheese and lunch meat.

Dinner that evening was at Brisas Del Mar. We had reservations at 6:30 P.M. so we could enjoy the sunset. At Brisas Del Mar, you have dinner on a deck above the water. Jennifer had the Brisas Del Mar special. R.C. had the snapper with creole sauce and I had the snapper grilled with Aruban spices and onion. Two of us had a beer and the total was $108.00. Brisas Del Mar is located in Savenetta. If you have a rental car, I highly recommend this restaurant. Once again, arrive at 6:30 P. M. so that you can enjoy the sunset.

June 28. The swelling and pain were gone from my foot, so R. C. and I snorkeled again at Boca Catalina. Visibility was just okay.

Once again, we had lunch in the suite. That afternoon we spent at the waterfall pool at the Villa.

Dinner that evening was at El Gaucho. We arrive at 6:50 P.M. for our 7:00 P.M. reservations. We were seated promptly in one of the lower dining areas.

All three of us ordered the tenderloin rare. This was $22.00 a piece. Your dinner comes with garlic bread, salad, fried potatoes and half an ear of corn. The steaks were so tender you could cut them with a fork. The service was excellent. This is my favorite restaurant on Aruba.

We were schedule to move over to the Villas for 4 days starting on June 29, 2003. A charter plane was delayed and the passengers were housed at La Cabana. Therefore, the desk was very busy until about 11:00 P.M.

When I checked with the clerk at the front desk, she wanted to put me in a lst floor unit which was presently occupied. I gave her my owners card and said that this was not acceptable. I explained to her that we had quite a lot of perishables in the refrigerator and she did find a unit in the Villas on the 4th floor which was unoccupied. I received my keys that evening.

June 29. We awoke early and packed. We called for a bellman and the luggage was then taken to 4568 in the Villas. This unit was larger than my one-bedroom unit in the Beach and Racquet Club. I gave R.C. and Jennifer the bedroom and I took the queen-size fold-out couch. We were unpacked and at the waterfall pool by Noon.

R.C. and Jennifer had pizza from Pizza & Pasta Possibilities by the pool at the Beach and Racquet Club. I made the short drive to Alfredo's which is located in the Adventure Golf complex across from La Cabana. The restaurant used to be out in the open but is now enclosed.

You are served some Italian bread which you dip in olive oil and garlic. I had the Spaghetti Bolognase which was $14.92 and $2.00 for a Balashi. The serving was huge so I brought it home for lunch the next day. I did use my Aruba Plus card and saved 10%.

June 30. There must have been a lot of rain last night as when we awoke, there were puddles everywhere. We had breakfast in the suite. R. C. and I then drove to Boca Catalina but the swells were up and the water was cloudy. We didn't even get wet.

We went back to the unit and R. C. and I drove to Ling & Sons for some rolls for sandwiches, pretzels, orange juice and milk.

R.C. and Jennifer had left-over pizza for lunch and I had the spaghetti bolanise from Alfredo's.

After lunch we laid out at the waterfall pool. At 3:30 I went to the fitness center and lifted weights. R.C. took a sauna. The fitness center was much less crowded at this time. When I went early in the morning, the place was packed but there were just a few people using it at 3:30 P.M. Thereafter, I visited the fitness center at either 3:00 or 3:30 P.M.

I recommended Flying Fish Bone for R. C. and Jennifer. The reservations were at 6:30 P.M. and they had no problems finding the restaurant.

They had shark and red snapper and the waiters split up the portions so each could sample the other's entrée. Both R. C. and Jennifer came away impressed with the food, service and especially the ambience at Flying Fish Bone.

July 1. Awoke and had breakfast in the suite. R.C. and I drove to Boca Catalina to snorkel. The visibility was a little better but not great. A cruise ship with 3,000 passengers was in port so every snorkel boat in existence was in the water.

We had lunch in the suite and then chilled out and got some sun by the waterfall at the Villas.

I met D.D. Aruba for cocktails at the resort. We joined R.C. and Jennifer at La Petit Café as Paradise Beach Villas across from La Cabana. Your entrée is cooked on a superheated stone. We had fillet, lobster and Mahi Mahi. Your entrée comes with a choice of baked potato or rice. I used my Aruba Plus card. We paid in cash and traveler's checks and got 15% off.

July 2. R.C. and I drove to Mango Halto to snorkel. We got there by 10:15. We had no problems finding it by using the directions that I obtained on this site and others.

You have an easy entry to the water from the beach. The visibility was great and there was lots of fish. The coral was in great shape as opposed to Baby Beach.

I was a little worried about possible car break-ins but we had no problems. This is a great snorkeling spot and half the way to Baby Beach.

After snorkeling, we had lunch in the suite. We then laid under a palapa which Jennifer obtained on Eagle Beach. We soaked up the sun and walked the beach. It was a great day.

We had dinner at Suisse Chalet. They have an early bird special until 6:45 P.M. so we were there by 6:30 P.M. I had the pea soup, Wiener Schnitzel, fried potatoes, apple strudel and coffee for $23.95 with the 15% gratuity included. R.C. had a veal dish off the regular menu and Jennifer had stuffed chicken breast also off the regular menu. R.C. and Jennifer split the Toberlerone chocolate fondue for $19.95. The maitre d', Benny, greeted us and certainly made us feel at home. This is a wonderful restaurant.

July 3. We awoke and check-out was a breeze. I turned my key for the safe in at the desk and paid for the additional 4 nights at the Villa at $90.00 per night plus 18% tax.

We went to Paradise Beach Villas for breakfast at La Petit Café. It was $7.95 and you have your choice of omelet, scrambled eggs, or eggs over easy. It came with hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, fruit, toast, pancakes and coffee. It was okay.

I turned my car in at Econo. I had dinged up the bumper a little bit but had no problem. We got into the terminal and the flight was delayed 45 minutes. We had obtained out seat assignments on our way to Aruba at the Charlotte airport. Therefore, we had emergency exit seats on both the flight from Aruba to Charlotte and from Charlotte to Columbus. If you can get emergency aisle exit seats, I would highly recommend it because you get quite a bit additional legroom.

Both flights were uneventful. We took a cab from the Columbus airport to the Country Inn & Suites. The cab was paid for by the Country Inn & Suites.

We arrived in Columbus at about 10:00 P.M. That evening was the Red, White and Boom fireworks display in Columbus. People were pulled off the freeway in both directions to watch the fireworks. This was on I-670, !-70 and I-71 through downtown Columbus. Unbelievable.

We drove from Columbus to Dayton where I left R. C. and Jennifer off at their home. I then proceeded to my home and was home at midnight.

All three of us had a great time. This was my 7th visit to Aruba and I can't wait for next year. We obtained our plane reservations through Players Choice and I was quite pleased as we saved a significant amount of money by booking through Players Choice and flying out of Columbus, Ohio.

James R. Piercy