Aruba Surfside Marina

May 9 - May 13, 2005 by Amy B

Part I

This trip will be divided into two parts since we stayed at two very different locations. The first part is from May 9 – May 13, 2005.

Monday, May 9.

This is the first time that we had enough AA points to upgrade to Business/First class. They literally rolled out the red carpet for us at Dulles airport. There was only one person in front of us in the Business/First class line. We were at the airport way too early. The seats were very comfy – didn’t even need the travel pillow we brought with us. Breakfast was only fair. We both slept through the movie. Smooth transition through San Juan. Only plane to land at AUA – so there were no lines at customs. Rented car from Economy – as usual. White Yaris with very low mileage. Warning! – You need a code to get out of the new gate at the car rentals – don’t leave the rental counter without one!

We had a very short drive to our first hotel – the Aruba Surfside Marina. We rented one of the studios for our first 4 days in Aruba. There are only 5 rooms in total and the balcony is one long balcony – although each room has its own table and chairs set up in front of their balcony door. The check-in was very quick and pleasant. We were asked what time we wanted our complimentary continental breakfast served each day – on our balcony table. We took plenty of pictures of the room. The bathroom was fairly large with a nice tub. There was also a small kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and complimentary sodas and coffee. The queen-sized bed was right next to the balcony so you could sit in bed and see the water & sunset. There is one flight of stairs for all of the rooms, but someone carried our luggage up and down for us. Everyone at the Surfside Marina was kind and friendly and the grounds were spectacular! If you saw the Bachelor show when he was in Aruba – this is where they filmed the rose ceremony that week.

We unpacked, took some pictures and a quick shower and we were off to the Amsterdam BB party. We met up with some friends (Sherry, Murray, Andrea, Paul, and Charles) from the Visit Aruba BB. Went to the bar for drinks and were told the cost without receiving a bill – is service charge included??? Didn’t know, so we left a tip. Asked about the BB party snacks – and were told that they only do that when there are more people (only 7 of us currently). But after a little while, they came out with snacks, anyway (good, because we were starving!). We were just discussing Greenie’s absence when suddenly he and Lesley appeared! We all sat and gabbed and drank until dinnertime.

We went to Chalet Suisse for dinner (we always have our first and last dinner here). It is our favorite overall meal and it makes us feel like we’re really in Aruba. We started with their yummy complimentary garlic bread. Next, was their house salad, which is fantastic, and Chris always asks for two of them – on one plate. The Chateaubriand was perfect and Chris ate a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. We also had 1 brown lady and 2 Balashis (now we feel like we’re in Aruba!). About $100 with the service charge included – well worth the money (this same meal in our area would have been closer to double that).

Then back to our room to sit on the balcony and soak in the quiet – and boy is this place quiet!

Tuesday, May 10.

We woke up to breakfast on our balcony. We were each served a plate consisting of a croissant, a rolled piece of ham, a rolled piece of Gouda cheese, lettuce, tomato, orange juice, a cinnamon bun, fresh fruit and a small pot of coffee. That was some continental breakfast!! We sat on the balcony for a while and enjoyed the peace and quiet along with the beautiful view. The hotel was setting up for a party.

Then we were off for some shopping. First we went to the Balashi Logo shop for a t-shirt and then on to the Royal Plaza. I had forgotten sunglasses, so that took top priority! I found a nice pair in the $15 shop (not sure of the name but everything is $15). They even gave me a soft case for it that doubles as a cleaning cloth.

We weren’t very hungry but decided that we couldn’t be that close to Iguana Joe’s and not get a bite to eat along with their fantastic drinks! For the first time, Chris tried their mojito and claimed it the best he had every tasted. I went for my usual cactus colada – yum! We split 2 appetizers – the iguanachos (the best!) and the rib sampler with some fries. Of course we had a couple more drinks. The total was $40 without service included.

Now that we were stuffed and a little tipsy, it was back downstairs for some more shopping – SUI can be almost as dangerous as DUI. In Little Switzerland we each found a good watch that we loved. I’m used to really cheap watches (like at the $15 store) but Chris convinced me that it was time to get a nice one. Since we were buying two, we talked them into a nice discount and they adjusted them on the spot so they fit more properly. We also received the Little Switzerland beach bag for showing our Visit Aruba Plus card. It looks exactly like the one they hand out at the airport except it is cloth & rope handles instead of plastic with plastic handles.

Next was a stop to Ling & Sons. We didn’t want to get too much since we had to carry everything up the stairs and we’d be moving into the Costa Linda on Friday. Just a few snacks, Balashi, water (we always buy one bottle and then keep refilling it with the tap water), but they said that they didn’t have any stroopwaffles. :-( We grabbed a stack of the Aruba Nights magazines as we left. If you don’t know, Chris’ picture of the Eagle Beach tree at night won second prize and he wanted to bring home copies to give to family & friends.

Back to the room for naps & showers. From our balcony, we watched the party going on down below. As sunset approached, we decided to head over to Pinchos for a light dinner and a great view. Just as a warning – depending on the party, they sometimes lock the gate and then you need to go around the hotel to get to Pinchos. We had no reservations, but were seated immediately. The seating is comfortable (although the table was a low, but we wanted to sit where we could see the sunset) and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. Their menu is fairly limited, but there is a bit of everything on it. We each got the mixed grill skewer (everything comes on skewers – hence that is what Pinchos means). We were served yummy pumpkin bread with a very strange salsa that consisted of: corn, onion, pineapple, peppers and beans. Neither of us liked it. The mixed grill was one skewer with a piece of pork tenderloin, a shrimp, a piece of steak, a piece of chicken and a sausage. The BBQ dipping sauce came on the side and was delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly! It came with a side of potatoes & grilled veggies. The only dessert was key lime pie – one of Chris’ favorites. He ate a slice and said that it was pretty good. We also drank 1 Balashi, 1 mango colada, and 2 brown ladies. Although the food was good, the price was a bit high – about $20 for each skewer. Many other places have the same prices, but you can get two meals out of them. It was $77 with service included.

Back to the room to chill out on the balcony, watch the party wind down and watch the ending of the Amazing Race – definitely the most exciting and best ending of the series (Yea for Uchenna & Joyce!). Chris took some nighttime pictures of the hotel setting.

Wednesday, May 11.

Another delicious breakfast on the balcony consisting of: orange juice, coffee, fresh fruit, a wheat bun, a poached egg and Gouda cheese. This place reminds me of a bed & breakfast and is quite peaceful. It was so relaxing to just sit on the balcony each morning and feel all your cares and worries float away.

We decided to drive through Arikok National Park today – which is a bit of a trek – but doable in our Yaris. There was a goat standing on the highest rock that looked like he was posing for us. Of course, once Chris got his camera out, he moved! We saw all sorts of wildlife: quails, trupial birds, Prikichi (Pictured), more goats etc.

After our trek in and out of the park we decided to go to Linda’s in Noord for lunch. If you haven’t been, their pizza is fantastic and not something you can get in the U.S. We had the same waitress from last year and she remembered us. 1 small pizza with 2 toppings, one medium pizza with 3 toppings and 2 sodas for $24 without service added. There was enough pizza leftover for another lunch.

Time for some more shopping in town! Last year at the Royal Plaza, I discovered a perfume that I loved and can’t find in the U.S.(Mont Blanc). Wouldn’t you know that the store I purchased it from was sold out! That’s what I get for buying a small bottle last year. Chris found a new cologne that he liked and then we went upstairs to Vibes. We always hit this store for our trinkets. They also have chocolate-flavored cigars that I enjoy. We found what we needed, but decided to purchase the souvenirs for family & co-workers after our move to the Costa Linda (less to re-pack). We used our Visit Aruba Plus card for 10% off.

Back to the room so I could nap and Chris went to Surfside beach & the behind the airport for some plane pictures. We brought our Motorola two-way radios to keep in touch and they worked – ok – some of the time they were out of range.

We decided to go to Marandis for dinner. It was in walking distance and we figured if they were too full to seat us, we’d just go somewhere else. We didn't go here last year because it was receiving mixed reviews, as it had just opened. This year, having only heard rave reviews we decided to give it try.

We walked up at 6:45 pm with no reservations and were pleased that they found a table for us. It was in the back, however, if you aren't in the very front, you can't see the beach/ocean anyway. The setting is very beautiful. Chris started with a nice glass of wine and we were served bread (pumpkin) and olive oil - very yummy.

We asked about the side salads and were told that they came with Balsamic Vinaigrette- Chris' favorite. Well, the dressing was nowhere near a balsamic vinaigrette but rather was very sweet and there were nuts all over it - only greens were mentioned on the menu. When the waitress came by, Chris informed her that he couldn't eat the salad because of a nut allergy and her only suggestion was that I eat his salad. Sorry, I'm already unhappy with the taste of mine. His salad charge was NOT removed from the bill.

I ordered the Menage a Trois (lobster, grouper & shrimp) in a tarragon sauce w/ potato pancake. It came with mashed potatoes instead of the pancake, the sauce had no flavor and the lobster was overcooked and chewy.

Chris ordered the Spicy Garlic Shrimp w/ risotto. His shrimp were cooked perfectly, but the shrimp were neither spicy nor very garlicky - but rather bland. Our sauces tasted almost identical.

The bill was $70 with no service included. We thought that this was pretty high for the worse meal we had during our trip. We did leave a good tip, as the service was excellent (even though the restaurant wouldn't remove the $5 tiny bowl of salad from the bill). We were very disappointed in the restaurant and will not return.

After dinner, we drove around a little and got "lost" on the back roads. We looked for the Animal Shelter and found the sign, but couldn’t find the shelter itself. Eventually we came out right in front of the hotel! Another night sitting on the balcony, watching the water gently break on the sand – Ahhh.

Thursday, May 12.

Breakfast on our balcony: bun, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, banana, wedge of watermelon, muffin, juice & coffee. After dragging ourselves away from the soothing balcony, we were off to the Natural Bridge. We haven’t stopped by here in years. It was still early, so it wasn’t very crowded. We took some pictures and then drove north as far as we could in our Yaris (the road got too sandy and rocky for a non-four-wheel drive vehicle). Then we headed back to town to search for my elusive perfume. On Main Street is a two-story store called Dufry. They sell cosmetics and perfumes. The woman at the counter was very nice and helpful and I was successful (this year I bought the big bottle!). We used the Visit Aruba card for a 10% discount.

Since we were in town, we decided to give Cuba’s Cookin’ a try. We parked right in front and next door to it is the Aruba Nights office. We stopped in to say "hi," tell them who we were and pick up more copies of the magazine for friends. It was a little late in the day for lunch and the restaurant only had a few tables occupied. The restaurant has a lot of Cuban artwork and is a very neat place with a little stage for live music at night. Chris had a mojito (of course) & a mango mojito and I had a Cuban Special – not sure what was in this, but it was a bit strong. I had the Empanada appetizer that consisted of one chicken, one pork and one beef empanada and fries – all were yummy. Chris had the mixed green salad that was huge and delicious and the mixed skewers (shrimp, chicken & beef) over rice. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent!! $57 without service included.

While eating lunch, we met a nice gentleman sitting behind me, facing Chris (if our table had been larger we would have invited him to join us). They were discussing their cameras as they had the exact same one (and they both were drinking mojitos). As it turns out, Craig is the musical director/conductor of the U.S. production of Pee Pan. We talked a little about our local venue (Wolf Trap), as he was familiar with it. We gave him some restaurant/activity suggestions as it was his first trip to Aruba – but unlikely his last. We also exchanged email addresses and he promised us tickets when he’s in our area.

Next, we took a drive to Alto Vista to take some pictures and bring the stray dogs by the chapel some dog food & water. Then it was back to the room for a nap (Amy) and plane spotting (Chris). One of the perks of staying at the Surfside was the nearness to the airport. All of the planes landing came right past our balcony. (If you really hate planes, this would not be a good place for you to stay.)

We decided to head to Smokey Joe’s for dinner. If you haven’t tried this place yet, they have fantastic ribs. We ordered the cheese fries for an appetizer (they add jalapeños for a yummy kick), I had the original ribs (great) and Chris had the special ribs. Of course we had some of their famous drinks – one lethal lizard and one pink iguana. $50 without service added. But the big surprise of the evening was the couple they seated at the table next to us – Greenie & Lesley! We chatted with them a bit and then drove back to the Alto Vista chapel for some evening photos. Unfortunately it was too windy for the long exposure pics there, so we went to the California Lighthouse and Chris got some great photos. We ended the evening by sitting on our balcony, as usual – this is the life. :-)

Friday, May 13.

I had the brilliant idea of taking some sunrise pictures at the Natural Bridge and since we woke up at 5:30am – we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan this ahead of time and the sun was quickly rising, so we didn’t get any great pics because there was still moisture in the camera. Next time, we’ll plan ahead and give the camera ample time to adjust. Chris was able to get a cool picture of a sand crab and we met a very friendly cat that was wearing a collar. Back to the room and back to bed. Breakfast on balcony – same as yesterday. We packed and called to have someone help us with our bags – he even loaded them into our car! When we checked out, we were given a gift bag to thank us for our stay. It contained a scented candle, incense and an incense holder. What a nice touch! With the car loaded, we headed to the Costa Linda to see if we could check-in early.

Click here for Part II

Amy B.