Ahhh...MUCH better...

So, we're back from a great vacation in Aruba. When we were planning a vacation several months ago, here's what we decided:

1. We DID NOT want to learn anything, see anything, or tour anything. We didn't want an itinerary, and we certainly never wanted to set an alarm clock for fear of missing any of the "sights."
2. We DID want to roll out of bed every day at the crack of noon, lay on the beach reading trashy novels and drinking rum-infused frozen cocktails, only leaving to eat and sleep.

Decision: go to a great beach we've been to before. Mission accomplished.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for culture, learning about the indiginous peoples, etc. But not this time. I just wanted to relax, and so here's just about everything I learned on this trip:

• The people of Aruba speak four languages; their native Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish. I can understand one of those.
• However, Dutch isn't really that hard of a language to figure out. For example, "Pannekuikhoos" is "Pancake House." I figured that one out quick.
• Balashi is a local beer brewed in Aruba that in any other climate would probably be considered fairly weak. However, I found that after a day of 90 degree weather and the accompanying dehydration, this was the little beer that could.
• Europeans hate cinnamon, and don't understand why Americans like it. If you order cinnamon on your pancakes at the Pannekuikhoos, the Dutch waitress will shake her head and laugh, and remark that she has heard that Americans even have a gum with cinnamon in it called "Beeg Red." How can you hate cinnamon?

That's about all I learned, and even that veered way too close to "culture" for my tastes.

We'll take a trip involving museums next time.