Last full day

When we got up it was raining this morning, or rather had recently rained. I read through the book the rental company left us and saw there are some caves on the island and suggested maybe we should go to the caves in the National Park. Jay had seen them in the other photo book so that's what we will do today.

So we set off, it's about a 25 minute drive to the entrance. We brought all our swim stuff too in case we found a suitable beach to go to, though most of them on that side of the island are too rough and rocky. As we drove through the National Park (after stopping for wristbands for the adults at the visitors centre) towards the caves we saw a restaurant that we had heard was good from Francis, our guide, and also some other people who were at the Natural Pool that day. So we decided we would go there for lunch. It's off the grid in the park.

We visited two caves which were fairly close to one another.

Then we went exploring to see if we could find a beach but both we stopped at said no swimming, rip currents and didn't look super safe either.

So we stopped at the restaurant, Boca Prins, early for lunch and there were only 6 other people there. It was a good time to stop because by the time we got our meal it was full. After we ordered lunch the server told us that the pool next to the restaurant was full of little fish and you could put your feet in and they would nibble on your feet like a pedicure. The girls were hesitant but I stuck my feet right in.

I went back to the table and told Trev he had to go over and try it (he had been watching our stuff while Jay and I took the girls over). When he came back I asked him "How was your fish nibbling experience?"
It's a little strange. You know there are little fish down there.

The food was expensive, but really good. Jay and I got the special, a local dish, Keshi Yena (shredded chicken covered in Gouda cheese). Trev got the fish special a red snapper steak. All were served with  a pancake like bread and also fried corn bread which was delicious. The girls had chicken tenders and a grilled cheese with homemade chips.

We discussed on the car ride home that we can check in a few hours before the flight. But I don't think they will have electronic boarding passes and there isn't a printer at the house so around 3 when we could check in online Jay reminded me to email the house rental office, which I had seen the other day fairly close to where we are, and ask them if we can use the printer. Because we have no bags to check it makes no sense for us to wait in the huge line just to get boarding passes. They replied that yes we could come over so we went and printed the passes and we are good to go for tomorrow. We also got gas while we were out so that we don't have to do that on the way to the airport either.

When we got home the baby chick was in the house (probably looking for Mama Trev), but it was very upset trying to get out the closed patio doors. They're locked and we don't have a key to those ones so I picked it up and took it outside.

While Jay and I were out he suggested we go out to dinner since its our last night so I did some looking online and found a German restaurant that had over 70 different beer. When we got there Jay and Trev went a little crazy, like kids in a candy store, so I quickly offered to drive home. Me.

The owner came over at one point and Jay asked why certain beer were served in certain glasses. He said this was a wheat beer, and it's always served in a tall glass, like a flower pot. The yeast at the bottom of the bottle (then he tipped the empty bottle up and looked inside and showed them what had settled and hadn't made it to their glass) will develop in a glass this shape. So Jay and Trev added the cloudy debris to their glasses. I had one, it's very neutral. Jays favourite beer of all time he said - he can be very dramatic.

This one was Jays favourite. 

And in a dramatic turn of events Jay and Trevor shared dinner!  Beef rolled with pickles and onions with gravy and chicken schnitzel Hawaiian. While I had regular schnitzel. 

And the girls had chicken schnitzel digitized as chicken fingers. Lol. 

As we finished off our dinner a lounge singer began to croon on the little stage. I took one look at Jay and said "you need to leave, right now". The singer looked the part in a black tuxedo but he was very bad. Sad bad. When we got home Jay said "you know me so well, I was about to lose it". He would have started giggling and not been able to stop.  They would have stayed for a few more beer if he hadn't started singing, lol. 

When we got home we had piña coladas for dessert and got ready for bed.

Tomorrow I won't bother writing - we get up and head out to the airport so we will just be home.

Baby Beach

We had breakfast and packed up to go to Baby Beach this morning. Sophie still wants the guitar so was trying to convince us NOT to go to Baby Beach today because the guitar is her primary focus and though Paige didn't want to go yesterday now she's upset we aren't going to Baby Beach (which we are because I want to try a restaurant down there).

Baby Beach is at the southern most point of the island just south of the Refinery!  It's a pretty beach that is shallow a long way out. We got there early so it wasn't busy yet and we got a palapa to set our chairs and stuff under for shade (which is key in Aruba because the sun is HOT but there's also always a breeze which is nice).  The girls weren't actually in the water that long, they spent a lot of time doing long jump on the beach. 

I found a restaurant online called Kamini's Kitchen that specializes in curry and roti so we left the beach at noon (because that's when it opens) and went to the restaurant. We would have left the beach earlier probably but I really wanted to try the restaurant. We got there and Kamini said she was closed for a big party in an hour so we can come in but we have to eat fast. She said she would be disappointed if she couldn't cook for us. She let 3 more people in after us. Lol, she couldn't turn anyone away. I was glad because I had called Tuesday morning to see if they were open and they weren't because she was cooking for some tour groups. 

They had these coasters so I said we would keep one so that whenever one of the girls starts to freak I can just say "Chill". Which is a local beer

I had the shrimp curry roti for lunch, it was so good. I asked for the hot sauce and our server, Kamini's daughter brought it over and said "it's hot". So we tried it and it wasn't super hot - she had said this was about an 8 but the sauce they make this sauce out of is hot hot. So then Jay went over to her at the bar and asked for the "real" hot sauce and she came out with a big juice jug and poured a teensy weensy bit onto Jays side plate. He started to sweat. Jay said this was his favourite meal so far and considering it was curry and I wasn't sure he would even have a curry that's awesome. Jay and Trev both had the chicken curry roti. Kamini's says she makes 75 roti a day by hand for the restaurant. 

As we left the restaurant Jays asked if we were going to go home the fast way or the long way. I said the fast way. "Really? I thought we would go off roading". I asked if everyone would be ok without a bathroom for however long it takes us to get home that way.  Paige said she was ok. I said "I was really talking to Daddy and Uncle Trevor after the curry". Oh. When Jay said "I'm fine" Trev said maybe the fast way would be better "you're only fine until you're not fine with curry, there's no warning shot from the bow...you're just not fine"

A lot of the sidewalks are made from interlock throughout the island, we assume they make them here. 

Also every grocery store has a Chinese name but we have yet to see an Asian person on the island (though we haven't been to any of these local markets either). We think there is a grocery store conspiracy. The boys mentioned a triad. 

Back home and Trev has assumed the position. I played frisbee with the girls in the pool. Now I'm drinking sours while Jay naps too. Repeat. 

When the boys got up Sophie convinced them to take her and Paige back to the tacky gift store and is smitten with her new crappy guitar. Big mistake. Huge. 

Trev, though it goes against everything he is, has fed the baby chicken. Now it loves him. 

I BBQed chicken and made a salad. The salad had Sophie's leftover fried rice in it, a hard boiled egg we had in the fridge - basically the kitchen sink. The chicken was not great, but we still had some leftover meat from the Argentinian night so I warmed it up on the grill too and it was delish with the chimichurri sauce. 

Pina coladas for dessert and off to bed at 8!