Day 5

Island Tour
We weren't able to go on our island tour as scheduled because we waited over an hour for the bust to show up and when it did, it had no air conditioning. It was very hot out and I knew there was no way mom would be happy (and this is one happy island!).

Taxi
We hired a taxi driver to give us a private tour and it took a total of 2 hours. We saw many places including the lighthouse, the Natural Bridge, the rock formations and the chapel. He told us about some of the famous people he has met here including Paris Hilton, Ben Affleck and Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise came in on his yacht and took a limo to the villa he rented (sounds like Tom, doesn't it?). Our tour ended in downtown Oranjestad where the driver dropped us off for some shopping. He took us to Main Street where all of the locals shop (and it's behind the Renaissance Hotel where Paris Hilton stayed).

And Soon it Will Be Christmas Day
Everything is decorated for Christmas (I even saw a car going down the street with reindeer antlers) and Christmas carols are playing. I've done plenty of shopping for myself including a new pair of jeans and a skirt/top set. I will be all set for my next vacation! Mom already told me that I can't gain 1 lb. when I go home or I won't fit in any of them. Isn't that complimentary of her? That's from the woman who only looks at watches because nothing fits her!

Iguana Joe's
We had lunch at Iguana Joe's in downtown Oranjestad. I had a $6.50 Pink Iguana to drink and was very disappointed. If you are paying for a fancy drink in a Caribbean destination, you expect it to be larger than a small water glass and it should at least have some sort of garnish (even if it is a stinkin' maraschino cherry). So, for all of the Trip Advisor members who complain about drinks at All-Inclusive resorts, you better think long and hard!

Shopper's & Gambler's Anonymous
When we get back, I will be checking into Shopper's Anonymous and mom will be checking into both Shopper's & Gambler's Anonymous. Anyone who drops everything they are doing because they think that a perfume store is a casino needs serious help!

Shopping & Casino Time
I went shopping and mom gambled at the Crystal Casino at the Renaissance hotel. After I went back for her, we went and shared a banana, Nutella and coconut crepe at the hotel.

Mom wanted to gamble more, so we went across the street to the casino at Seaport Marketplace and I shopped some more, but there's very few stores and nothing else that was exciting, so I sat outside and waited for her.

Caribbean Palm Village
We took a taxi back to the hotel and relaxed for about a 1/2 hour before Happy Hour at the Coco Loco bar. We met the people from Michigan there as well and they were encouraging people to karaoke, but no one was willing except for a few of the employees. We had fun watching and drinking our 2 for 1 Coladas without alcohol!

Marriott
Mom wanted to gamble at the Marriott, so we headed that way and once we found out where the casino was, we decided to have dinner first. The only way to get to the main street from the Marriott (or the fastest way) is to walk along the sidewalk by the beach to the Holiday Inn and cut through. While we were walking, we saw a couple of restaurants and decided on one that really had Caribbean ambiance.

Moomba Beach Bar
This is an open-air restaurant on the beach. It has tiki torch lights in the sand and the bar is all lit up. You can either sit in the sand or inside. They have a variety of dinner options. They had a pre-fixed menu special, a la carte, or an Indonesian buffet.

As I was walking around taking pictures, a guy came up to me and said he would take a picture of me. He took a few with my camera (and they were ugly...I'm not very photogenic). Turns out that he was the manager of the restaurant, Marcelle. He's a very nice guy and we told him we would definitely return!

A little boy and his dad were talking to us and the dad thought mom was from Cherry Hill! LOL Then, the people sitting next to us starting talking to us. They were very friendly and had just arrived from Houston.

Marriott Casino
There was a butterfly slot machine, so I though I might be lucky on it considering the amount of butterflies that landed on me the other day. Unfortunately, I lost $5.00 and gave up. The guy next to me was from Texas and was very friendly. Then, mom tried that machine, but she wasn't very lucky either.

I walked around a bit, but there really wasn't anything to do, so I went back and mom was ready because she wasn't having any luck. We were going to walk down the street, but it started raining again, so we headed back to the hotel.

Dad
While I was blogging, mom came in to tell me that Grandma told her that my dad was at the Emergency Room. We never can tell if he's crying wolf or not because he always gets sick when she goes away. He already missed work the other day because of the ice storm and today he went home because he didn't feel well.