Day 4

Butterfly Farm
Mom didn't want to go to the Butterfly Farm, but I guess she thought it was better than doing nothing, so we went this morning. (Also, she thought it was a better alternative than going to the Donkey Sanctuary where I wanted to go.) It wasn't very big, but it was very informative.

When a butterfly lands on you, it is supposed to be good luck and you have to make a wish. Well, all of the butterlfies kept landing on me! At first I didn't want them crawling on me, but since it was good luck, I didn't flick them off. No one could believe how they kept coming to me, so I guess my wishes will all come true.

Westin
We walked across the street to the Westin to see if the hotel shops were open. They were, but they were too expensive. We walked to check out the beach and then followed the sidewalk to the Radisson. I like the Radisson resort so much better. We checked out their shop again becase they had a lot of clothes that I really liked, but they were still a little expensive. We kept following the beach down past the RIU and came across Bugaloe's, which is a bar/restaurant on the pier that I wanted to go to.

Bugaloe's
This is your typical island bar/restaurant. It's decorated just how you would imagine a bar in the Caribean to look and they have very reasonable food. I ordered the drink special, which was called the Bugaloe. It was a frozen concoction of Peach Schnapp's, Champagne and it was topped off with Sangria. After I finished it, I was spinning, so I quickly devoured some Swedish Fish. Otherwise, I don't know how mom would have gotten me off that pier. Oh, yeah! She would have just fed me to the sharks!

Lunch
We decided to get lunch after visiting a few more hotels and it was super hot out, so we didn't want to just eat at an outdoor cafe'. We decided on air-conditioning or something on the beach. We ended up eating at the beach-front restaurant at the Holiday Inn where I thought of Mandy because I had her favorite lunch....a Chicken Caesar Salad. Afterwards, I walked the beach for a really long time (all the way to the fisherman huts) and mom stayed and gambled. While I stopped to take a picture, one of my flip flops floated off into the ocean and I must have looked like a real sight trying to chase it (with my skirt on and camera and purse in hand). When I turned around, I saw a man walking behind me and I asked him if he saw me chasing my flip flop, but he said he hadn't noticed (lucky for me). Then, I discovered that he is from Delavan, WI....couldn't be any closer! When I finished walking I went to the casino to get mom and she won another $120 (I guess I can't win if I don't play).

Pool
We went back to the resort and headed to the pool because it was super hot out. I even sat in the pool for a while to try to cool off because it was intense. Then, I told mom that I was going to go across the street to the little Lottery store. Well, that store literally only sold Lottery tickets and it wasn't open. Then, I saw another one about a half a block down, but as I was walking there, I spotted a department store.

Giselle's
I walked into Giselle's dressed in my bathing suit and cover-up. When I realized what good prices they had and how close they were to our resort, I ran back to get mom.

It was absolutely mobbed because everyone was doing their Christmas shopping. I did my Christmas shopping for myself! I spent the money I won at the casino and then some on three dresses and a top. That is really a good deal though (and we are in Aruba!). Those dresses would have cost a lot more at the hotel shops. I was really pleased with my purchases.

Caribbean Palm Village Treats
When we returned to the resort, they were serving some appetizers and drinks complimentary. It was a nice treat. Everyone staying here has been very nice so far. We keep talking to this one lady from Michigan who is here with her husband, her son and her husband's son. No one is snotty or snooty at all.

Dinner
We were just going to go to one of the restaurants a couple blocks away, but mom decided that we should walk further to the hotel zone (it wasn't as hot out by now).

I'm So Dog-Gone Mad!
On our way to the hotel zone, we saw a car hit a dog. The dog looked a lot like Harley too. It was an SUV and the dog flopped around then got up and ran into the weeds. I couldn't see where he went, but I know he was badly hurt. The driver didn't even flinch....just kept driving. I saw the whole thing and was afraid that would happen because they drive so fast and don't even slow down when they see the dogs at the side of the road. You can't predict what they are going to do. It made me want to throw up!

The weird thing is that there's a Chinese restaurant on our walk with a house next door that has about 20 dogs and we joke that they serve dog there (but it's probably no joke!).

Mom ended up choosing a place called Tomato Charlie's and we shared Meat Lasagna and an Italian Salad, which was very good. Our waiter was excellent and the people sitting around us were very friendly. One group was from the Wisconsin Dells area.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and here I am blogging again.