As if 30 years of marital bliss wasn’t enough, sharing the experience and the charm of the “ABC” islands together surely topped it off. After months of planning the surprise getaway for Shelly, simply spending time alone together made each day a dream.
All Aboard My Love
We spent our first two days on the luxury cruise ship sailing towards the coast of Venezuela and doing whatever Shelly’s heart desired. Often times, it was breakfast cooked to order on our 300-square foot deck, and then it was an hour-long workout with an 180-degree view of the turquoise Caribbean Sea at our feet. After that, it was mostly pure R&R time devoted to turning our pale white bodies into a Caribbean-gold tan, while nibbling on delicious bites and sipping tropical refreshments.
The activities on the cruise ship were endless. We did everything from attending art auctions and dancing our hearts out in the night club to watching the Academy Awards and movies under the stars. We attended formal dinners with exquisite menus, white linen table tops, and three waiters serving us at all times.
Our third day at sea put us over 1,800 nautical miles from Ft. Lauderdale to the island of Curacao (pronounced “cur-ah-sow”). Curacao is the largest of the “ABC” islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) and is rich with history.
Curacao was originally occupied by the Arawak Indians, but Spanish adventurers arrived in 1499 hoping to find gold. However, it wasn’t until the Dutch West India Company discovered the deepwater port in 1634 that Curacao stepped onto the world stage as a major trade center.
To match its rich history, the island has no shortage of entertainment and attractions. One of our favorites was the famous floating market where Venezuelan merchants sell freshly picked fruit and other local foods. And since we never pass up an opportunity to learn about the culture of our destinations, we listened to everything the merchants told us. We even discovered that the famous Blue Curacao Liquor is made from the Laraha tree brought to the island by the Spanish in the 1500s.
After spending the day exploring the island and making our own adventures, we were exhausted when we returned to our cruise ship and finally collapsed onto our pillow-top mattress. We fell asleep with smiles on our faces as our ship set sail for Aruba.
Upon our arrival in Aruba, we could barely contain our excitement. Where should we start? The beaches, the shops, the restaurants, or simply exploring this tropical paradise. Most of Aruba’s visitors come seeking one thing: its legendary beaches. So naturally, we spent the day relaxing on Palm Beach with its snow-white sand and crisp, blue water deservingly earning its place on countless magazine’s “Best Beaches of the World” list.
Oh!!! Do you hear that? Close your eyes and listen. It’s that song by the Beach Boys…
“Aruba, Jamaica, oh I wanna take ya…”
What a life we live. We are so blessed. Thank you, Lord!
Our final day on shore was spent on Bonaire, considered by most dive magazines to be the one of the best top-four snorkeling and diving spots in the world. It is world renowned for its pristine coral reefs with 30 varieties of soft corals, 50 species of hard corals, and 200 rainbow-hued species of fish. The magnificent scene creates an underwater masterpiece of color sure to take your breath away!
Naturally, in exploring new sites and destinations, we found ourselves learning more about the environment. Did you know that Bonaire is home every year from January to July to 15,000 pink flamingos at a salt water lagoon called Gotomeer? Ever wonder why flamingos have pink feathers? Their diet of shrimp and shellfish contain pigments called carotenoids which give them their distinctive pink color. Otherwise, they would be white!
As the sun started setting, we bid farewell to Bonaire and boarded the ship for a night of watching Jason Bourne under the stars and then visiting the nightclub, where we danced the rest of the night away and into the early dawn.
On our second to last night, we got dressed up for a fancy dinner at our favorite restaurant on the ship. It’s always fun watching Shelly get dolled-up for a nice evening. We were seated by our maître d’, a handsome young man, from Ukraine. We requested our favorite waiter, George from Bulgaria and his assistant Julie from Romania. All three have very colorful personalities and are trained in hospitality skills, which made the night so charmingly entertaining.
Towards the end of our meal, I excused myself to get to the men’s room (wink). Instead, I headed to our suite to fetch a gift I purchased for Shelly months earlier. It was a beautiful white gold Rolex watch with diamonds all around the bezel, diamond roman numerals, and a light blue pearl oyster face.
As I entered back into the restaurant, I gave my camera to the maître d’ and handed the watch, all wrapped up, to George. After I returned to my seat, the maître d’ pressed play, and George presented the gift to Shelly.
Shelly was surprised, to say the least. As she cried and the whole restaurant congratulated me on such a successful and well-carried-out surprise, I was immediately made aware of the sweetness that fills my life and was reminded of our family mantra, which is to create memories. After all, memories are the only thing you can truly take with you anyway.
