Aruba Day 5 - Parasailing Day

Monday in Aruba was a BEAUTIFUL Day! 100% sunshine and a wicked breeze. I was feeling a little down since I didn't do crap on Monday. We woke up and J went down and got me an awesome iced coffee drink. We got packed up for the beach and found a spot to sit down. We were right next to one of those tents that had everything from jet ski rentals to raft rentals. I looked at Jeremy and said, "I want to parasail today". I had never parasailed EVER before in my life. Jeremy said, "Go up to the room and get some money out of the safe, I'll sit here". So I arranged for my 15 minute $50 parasailing trip. The guy radioed for the boat, "Georgie, Georgie, come into the Marriott"....as you can see above the boat came right up to the beach. Georgie was on boat welcoming us aboard. I was not keen on the metal stairs but I made it in the boat without falling, great accomplishment for me. On board was Mom and Dad Long Island w/ their princess and two scrapper boys. Dad New Jeresey was also on board w/ two teenage girls and one boy. Georgie informs us, "Yesterday was Easter and everyone got really drunk and everyone is too hungover to work today, so Sergio will be my helper." Sergio was 10, MAYBE 11 years old. Darling little brown boy with jet black ringlets, he looked like an angel. I realized that I was putting my life in Sergio's hands.

Mom Long Island wanted OFF the boat. This was because princess, who was maybe 3 1/2 was scared to death. The boat was going fast and Sean Paul and Justin Timberlake were BLARING. Princess was screaming. We got out away from the shore and Georgie looks at Dad Long Island and says, "You Ready?"...so with the help of Sergio Dad and Scrapper (approx 5) get strapped in. They go through their safety training which I am paying attention to w/ both ears. Up they go...so this is how this works. I didn't pay much attention to them since I was enjoying the splashs of water in my face and checking out the scenery. They bring them back to the boat without incident. Princess is still crying. Georgie decides it is time to dump these folks. He radio's a boat full of people to meet us. Mid water the two boasts come together...held together by Sergio as Team Long Island walks from one boat to the other. Dad helps transport the two scrappers, then gets mom over. I hang on to Princess, who is now very calm, they should have given her to me in the first place. So off they go.

Sergio looks at me and says, "Lady, you ready?". I had my underwater camera off to New Jeresey Teen, along w/ my sunglasses. I step into the harrness, Sergio tells me, "DO NOT HANG ON TO THE METAL CLIP"..there was a little fear in his eyes, I make a mental not to NEVER touch the clip. There I am in my life jacket and clip. Sergio informs me that when I go up I should sit like a swing, he shows me as he squats, holding a pole to steady himself, "See lady, like a swing". I nod that I understand, Georgie cranks the music. New Jeresey points the camera and says, "Smile!!"..I have to get these pictures developed.

The breeze catchs the chute and I can feel an upward tug. Georgie releases the line and up I go, just like a flipping kite. Up, sidesways, down, sideways, up again...a couple times I was down so far I was sure that I was going to touch the water. OMG, I could see all the dive sites and I was up SO high...Then the up the down...I was SO done. I did the sideways arm wave, I was ready to get down. Sergio and Georgie were too busy getting the NJ Teens getting ready for their tandum ride. Hmmm, Lady high in the air white knuckeling the whole thing or two tight body teenagers in bikini's...You see where their priority was. 5 minutes later down I go, it was really a smooth ride back down and very uneventful. Sergio was there for me, "STAND LADY, DON'T SIT"...I did as he said.

Total time out on the boat was at least an hour, I guess I got my $50 worth. I can't wait to see these pictures.

I get back to Jeremy who tells me that I was SO far up and so far away from the beach he really couldn't tell when it was me up there. Then he tells me the story about when he was in Mexico and the guy's thingy broke and he flew up, then back down into a reef, they had to take him away in an ambulance. Glad J waited to tell me. I was also glad I did that on an empty stomach.

Now I'm famished, we eat a late lunch then go up for a nappypoo. Poor J forgot to put sunscreen on the bottom of his legs..burt.. I feel refreshed! J says, "Lets go for a walk and hit that bar you want to go to". Off we go. We go to the Soprano Piano Bar, Kati our bartender was from Columbia, very pretty girl. We are there before Barry begins his set, there are only a couple people in the joint. We chat about music with Kati..then Barry comes out. I wave, he asks, "Mary Pat Killmer from St Louis"...I smiled. Of course I emailed the Piano player before we went!! Barry was amazing, great selection of music and an awesome player. Somehow w/ my glow in the dark, malibu rum drinks I racked up a $80 bar bill. Damn. Thank god J's cokes were free refills.

Walk home was uneventful, I still had my whirlpool bath then crashed...what a great sleep that was.