~jg3

Things to do in Aruba

May 6th, 2006

So, by now I’ve got the basics down, I’m looking for adventures to take in on the days we feel like getting up off the beach.

Hooiberg is a volcanic formation, not Mount Hooiberg, just Hooiberg.

Arikok National Park sounds like an interesting place to check out the island’s desert geography.

The Aruba aloe factory sounds interesting. The link that mentions it also mentions a lot of other interesting stuff.

I think I have to see the much-talked about natural bridge even though it has now collapsed.

The Quadriki Caves sound like a cool place to check out.

And oh yeah, this place is described using the words “secret” and “total relaxation”. I will definitely be checking out that spot.

I think I’d like to check out the ruins of the Gold Mills purely for historical intrest, but defunct and unmarked they may not be very exciting.

The butterfly farm sounds like a fascinating place.

And if all that fun in the the sun gets to be too much, some enjoyable hours can be made dining in the restaraunts there.

Filed under: adventures

No Comments »

Arubahhhhh!

May 5th, 2006

Hello! You have reached the weblog of Earlax. I’m sorry I can’t tell you clever or interesting stories right now, I’m propped up on a sunny beach with a funny rum drink in my hand. Oh, don’t be tricked, that paper in my hand may say that it is BCP 84, but I’m just holding it there to shade my eyes as I gaze out into the topaz water.

In anticipation of your visit I have prepared this colorful weather banner to tell you about the temperature where I am (and so you can see if your attempts to make it cold and rainy on my vacation have any effect whatsoever). However, in researching where to spend my holiday I ran accross this fascinating blurb:

In Aruba the newspapers almost never publish a weather report. They don’t need to. Around here, “sunny and warm” is not news. With an average rainfall of less than 20 inches a year, an average daytime temperature of 82° Fahrenheit (27° Celsius), a location completely outside the hurricane belt, and the constant cooling influence of the trade winds, Aruba is one of the most temperate islands in the Caribbean. And just as comfortable in July as it is in January.

The difference between median day and night temperatures, and between summer and winter temperatures, is just 3.6°. The rainfall occurs mainly in short showers during November and December.

Aruba’s weather in a word — perfect.

It sounds very nice and I’m sorry that you can’t be here too! Instead you’ll just have to wait to hear our tales of adventure when we return, far too soon!

Filed under: adventures

No Comments »

PostSecret Exhibition

January 5th, 2006

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the PostSecret exhibition in Georgetown. Hundreds, thousands of secrets publicly displayed on postcards. Wierd, cool, public, personal. It was all kinds of things. Each postcard was an image, each image a thousand words, each one describing a journey. Through life, to realization, through the postal system, through the pile of mail, to this show.

I highly recommend it for anyone within a couple of hours drive.

Postsecret Art Show from December 15th until January 8th
Wed, Thurs, Fri 6pm-10pm
Sat & Sun 2pm-10pm
Former Georgetown Staples Store,
3307 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007

Filed under: adventures, local

2 Comments »

Welcome to Back

January 2nd, 2006

I’ve returned. At times it seemed just barely possible. At times I couldn’t get back fast enough. But now here I am. Back to where it is just a few degrees above freezing and drizzling rain here, home in the US of A, safe and sound.

Tales will be told, all of them based on actual events as closely as can be comfortably told in the Internet. Stay tuned.

In the taxi on the way from the airport to work, where my car was parked the driver asked if we were arriving at the destination or returning home. I told him we were returning from Mexico and we were glad to be back, to which he replied: “welcome to back!”

Filed under: adventures

1 Comment »

¡hola amigos!

December 27th, 2005

Okay, no time for extensive posting now, the connection is slow and the use of the computer is by the minute (MX$.50/minute), but we are here and doing well. Christmas had us basking on the beach in Tulum and now we´re in
Akumal in a beach house awaiting the arrival of the last 2 of our party.

Yesterday we explored the ancient Mayan runins at Tulum and did a little snorkeling around the nearby reefs.

I´m taking detailed notes of our great many adventures, but now is the time to be out making the stories not typing them in this cafe.

Filed under: adventures

2 Comments »

Mexico

December 22nd, 2005

We, and by we, we mean
m, j, dd, h, boo, & I,
All have the same question: After Wilma, Is Mexico Ready For Some Fun? Signs point to yes. And, although rebuilding is going slowly it sounds like they are progressing much more quickly than New Orleans (N’awlins), at least in the services that gringos demand.

To answer this burning question, we are headed to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, to the state of Quintana Roo along the Caribbean Sea.

I’m armed with Fodor’s guide for 2006 a link to Cancun weather, and a link to some good maps of Mexico. To make transactions easier I’ve used a recent exchange rate to put together a little dollars to pesos cheat sheet that I can carry with me along the way.

For a few days we’ll stay at the Retiro Maya in Tulum, Known for centuries by the ancient Myan ruins overlooking the Carribbean, it also is said to host Mexico’s funkiest shopping street. Hmm..

Then we’ll, head south to for an adventure in akumal at the Casa Palapa in Akumal. Here’s an aerial view! They ask “Because this is a major turtle nesting beach, please follow turtle protocol.” Cool!

There’s plenty to do in Akumal including the Centro Ecológico Akumal (which boo is very excited about). And lots of other stuff, should we feel like getting off of the powdery, white sand. Not terribly likely, but it could happen. I know that I probably want to get into the water at least once.

There is at least one Internet Cafe in Akumal so hopefully we’ll be able to provide reports from there.

---

Weather statistics based on searched dates from 1996 to present. Probabilities (chance of) statistics indicate the chance of an event or condition per day (ie. a 30 percent chance of a cloudy day indicates that each day has a 30 percent chance of being cloudy).
Temperature
Average High Temperature is 82 F
historical range 73 F to 89 F
Average Low Temperature is 66 F
historical range 48 F to 78 F
There is a 0% chance of a Hot Day (temperature over 90°F) (0 days out of 108 in historical record).
There is a 0% chance of a Freezing Day (temperature below 32°F) (0 days out of 108 in historical record).

Daily Precipitation
Average Daily Precipitation is 0.48
historical range 0.00 to 17.72
There is a 9% chance of a Precipitation Day (10 days out of 107 in historical record).
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 1

Cloud Cover
Average Cloud Cover is mostly sunny
There is a 17% chance of a Cloudy Day (18 days out of 108 in historical record).
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 3

Wind
Average Wind is 6 mph
historical range 0 mph to 12 mph
There is a 8% chance of a Windy Day (average wind over 10 mph) (9 days out of 108 in historical record).
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 2

Humidity
Average High Dew Point is 71 F
historical range 61 F to 79 F
Average Low Dew Point is 63 F
historical range 48 F to 73 F
There is a 57% chance of a Sweltering Day (dew point over 70°F) (62 days out of 108 in historical record).
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 9

---

misc junk:

Here’s a quick little map of Cancun:
Here’s a quick little map of Cozumel:

Google maps aerial view of Quintona Roo

Playa Del Carmen information

Filed under: adventures

No Comments »

Yucatan & I can too.

December 12th, 2005

• Ancient People
• Cenotes
• Turtles

Filed under: adventures

No Comments »

Tree Farm

November 27th, 2005

Today I had the good fortune to be able to revive/continue a long-loved tradition, a visit to a christmas tree farm! Only this time, it was slightly different. Instead of the antique pick-up truck with the four (or more) of us crammed into the cab, we were in the mini and there was just two of us. The logistics of carrying a seven foot tree on a car with a somewhat shorter cab worked out suprisingly well.

(Thanks to mijoy for the snapshot)

By the way, the Ticonderoga Farm where we got the tree was fabulous. The people were friendly, the prices were better than buying a tree at a home supply or grocery store the selection was good. There was probably a lot more available than what we saw, but we were too impatient to wait for the hayride. There were pre-cut trees or you could saw your own (same price).

Filed under: adventures

5 Comments »

Progression Sessions

September 15th, 2005

Last night I did something I rarely do, I went out to a club. I have been to club Five before and I really like it. The sound is nice and loud, the lights are, well, clubby but not too overcheesy, the rooftop hangout is sweet, the second level overlooking the dancefloor/deejay booth is awesome, the people seem to be there to have a good time and they ain’t frontin’.

Last night was extra special though. I took two friends who are not familiar with Drum&Bass but are intrested in trying new things. We arrived just after 11 and scoped out the place, stopped by the rooftop bar for a drink but they were playing 4×4 techno up there and I was in a D&B groove. So back downstairs we went to the middle level and found a sweet spot on the corner of the balcony overlooking the dancefloor with a good view of the DJ booth. Around 11:30 the guy who was playing sweet D&B when we came in (Bobby Jae?) went off and the next guy (Godfather Sage?) came on to play something between Drum&Bass and HomoHouse with screaming queens. I personally cannot stand any music — from gospel to garage — with yelling vocals. Some tracks were pretty good, but it seemed obvious that he was just keeping the peace until Bukem came on. I should also note that until about 12 the dancefloor was lit entirely by a couple of candles and ambient light from the bar upstairs. Someone brought in a rack of lighting controllers and about then the lights came to life. This brought up the energy level on the dancefloor considerably. A few minutes of house-divas-and-dnb-breaks later, into the booth steps a scrawny bald guy and a broad chested black man. Progression sessions time, boys and girls! As Bukem dropped his first needle, Conrad started to bellow out, not emceeing or rapping but singing. Full on crooning from Conrad. Definitely not what I expected. I know that he’s gotten more musical since Progression Sessions vol. 1 but this didn’t really suit my tastes. The singing started to wane a bit and he dropped more into the MCing lyrics about positivity that I am accustomed to (although to say that I could really understand the words at first would be a stretch). Another 45 minutes into the set and I and just about everyone else in the house were bouncing. Sometime after this H turned to me and said “I really get it now. I understand what he’s doing and that’s really complex” referring to the mixing that the DJ was performing. From the balcony you are afforded an excellent view to see the mixer’s hands and vynil. Knowing that she’s probably not seen live mixing often and probably never paid close attention to it, this was awesome to hear. A layperson’s new appreciation is perhaps more relevant, more of a complement than props from a journeyman.

A and H were watching from the balcony and noticing how everyone on the dancefloor fell into one of three categories: Really Good Dancer - they have particular repeatable distinct moves, Fun Flailer — they don’t really move so much as be moved by the music sometimes organized by an overall wiggle or foot-step, and the Gawker — they don’t really try to dance, they may be dazed and confused, standing on the dancefloor mesmerized by the sound and the lights and the dancing going on around them. After watching me bounce around on the balcony the entire night, H said to me, “you really need to go down there and just cut loose.” I instantly realized that she was right and even if she didn’t want to go, she could stand there with A and laugh at me (if they wished) and so off I went to carve out my space in the middle of the wooden floor and give my spine a good shake. Another twenty minutes later after I’ve moved up to almost the very front (where space was a bit more plentiful) and A & H magically appear to stand behind me and lean against the wall and giggle at my silly flailing. No problem, as long as you are enjoying yourselves. At some point I turned around and gave each of them a poke to try to get them to wiggle their spines a bit too, but I was afraid they had inopportune footwear for that. Down on the dancefloor there was the normal array of craziness to enjoy and be distracted by. Some girl standing on a speaker grooving and talking on a cellphone. A doughy asian office-worker type dude in slacks and his undershirt making mad sillyness up on the bassbins in the front of the crowd. The wicked dancer spinning and moving in ways that don’t always seem possible, and the groovers wriggling in a trance as if their body was the stylus bouncing in the record’s grooves. The next time I turned around, I almost couldn’t believe it, A and H were — can it be? yes, they are — DANCING! Oh my. This is momentus indeed. It is almost two o’clock Thursday morning and here they are giving it up for the rythm, keeping steady with the beat, and relaxing through breakdowns. I guess that shows the lack of attitude in the place. They were not made to feel selfconsious about dancing. In fact, they could have been self conscious about being on the floor and not dancing. But no matter now. A few minutes of feeling silly and their arms caught up to the drums and they were confidently and expressively grooving in their own way. It was difficult not to watch, but I didn’t want them to become self conscious. I wanted them to do exactly what they were doing: moving, grooving, and having fun.

And then, the next most important thing that happened all night .. when we got outside they both said independently and in different ways, “I had a lot of fun.”

So did I. :)

Filed under: adventures, music

Comments Off