Hey gameboy

I sent you a message. Let me know if you didn't get it.

Just saw it, I'll reply in a minute

Since this is a Hey Gameboy thread...

What island is it you live on? Is it one of:

Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten?

I've been thinking of taking a vacation some day. That is, one that doesn't involve a 2 thousand mile bike ride. Know anything about "touristy" stuff at any of those places?

^"Touristy stuff" is basically about the same regardless of the island you go to.

I've never actually been on a vacation like that. My "vacations" are usually long bike rides or car rides to see family, which I'm having more and more difficulty describing as "vacation." I've been around the world 3 times, but that usually wound up being 20 miles outside of any town so that if your ship blows up, no one will care. That is, I've seen the worst dive bars all over the world. Not sure I'd even know what to do on a Caribbean island vacation. But I'm thinking about it. I want to use my new language skills, and as near as I can tell, The Netherlands no longer exists. South Africa is a bit of a mess today and the language is a bit far off modern Dutch. So, that leaves the Caribbean. It's also closer. I wonder if they have a Caribbean accent there? Like: Waar is de kroeg, mon?

Well, Aruba is the Netherland Antilles, and everyone who isn't native looks Dutch. It almost never rains because it's a desert so it's not sensitive to season for planning. It's REALLY nice to look at (albeit a tad windy) and there is plenty of "touristy" but you can rent a jeep, ATV, bike... or a horse and go hoon in the sand if that is more your thing. You can also be in Caracas with a 90 min single engine puddle jumper flight if you want to see what's going on over there or maybe join the rebels ;)

I've been to Venezuela. Pass.

Do you book these things through tourist travel agencies or do you just get on a plane or what? Like I said, I've never been on a "vacation." They used to have to pay me ten large a month (mid 80's dollars) to go to these places.

Dr. Hess wrote: Since this is a Hey Gameboy thread... What island is it you live on? Is it one of: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten? I've been thinking of taking a vacation some day. That is, one that doesn't involve a 2 thousand mile bike ride. Know anything about "touristy" stuff at any of those places?

Not on any of those. I stopped in Aruba once, it's a tiny desert island, you can almost see the other side from the top of the cruise ship. They have a few nature tours etc. but not much that sets them apart I must say - sadly it's true that all the Caribbean islands offer a lot of similar tourist experiences (nature tours and typical partying/relaxing-oriented tourist trap stuff), islands only have a few that set them apart. Barbados has the submarine tours, top-notch nature tours including the offroad tours, and many tourist-accessible motorsport experiences I'd pitch in for a kart race!

I know St. Maarten has that beach where you can watch the planes land right over your head, a woman got herself killed doing that a little while ago so you might want to catch that while you can.

Dr. Hess wrote: Do you book these things through tourist travel agencies or do you just get on a plane or what? Like I said, I've never been on a "vacation." They used to have to pay me ten large a month (mid 80's dollars) to go to these places.

You can book it all through travel agencies but I'd recommend you handle it yourself, for the purpose of keeping off the beaten path, because the beaten path is littered with tourist traps

So you'd book your flight and hotel (can all be done online) then look at what you want to do and book those things where applicable.

I remember seeing that. Was that St. Maarten? Man. I've been next to a jet engine at full bore (LACV-30). Pass. It was almost as much fun as Venezuela.

Lessee: Waar is de VVV?

Dr. Hess wrote: near as I can tell, The Netherlands no longer exists.

Uh what? Pretty sure it's still there. Amsterdam is supposed to be a good time

Yep St. Maarten...yeah I should've remembered that you've probably had your fill of that by now

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Gameboy never did answer Question Number 1...

STM317 wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: near as I can tell, The Netherlands no longer exists.

Uh what? Pretty sure it's still there. Amsterdam is supposed to be a good time

No, The Netherlands as it was is no longer. I have kin there and have kin with close friends there. The culture was destroyed.

STM317 wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: near as I can tell, The Netherlands no longer exists.

Uh what? Pretty sure it's still there. Amsterdam is supposed to be a good time

I think he means in the context of the Dutch-speaking Caribbean...yeah there's not much of it, and where they do speak it, most everyone speaks English anyway.

WildScotsRacing wrote: In reply to Dr. Hess: Gameboy never did answer Question Number 1...

Yeah, I noticed that also.

Barbados, it's easy to remember, the one closest to the middle of the Atlantic and the only one with a beardy name

Hey Gameboy. You coming to the Challenge this year hurricane permitting?

I hope so. I owe him a fun run or 7.

Yeah I think so. I'm on track to have the money saved up again, although payments on that Elise could stop me

Skip elise. Come to challenge. Break other peoples cars, get drunk, go for seafood. Its the same amount of return on investment with less stress and more to show for it....

In reply to GameboyRMH:

1.) Come to FL for the Challenge

2.) Rent/buy an Elise from Wirewheel

3.) Sell/give back Elise after Challenge since you'll be in pain from ingress/egress

4.) No longer desire to own an Elise

2.5.) Have Elise totaled by dumb berkeleying kid in a Jeep.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

I was waiting for that reminder.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Check out Highbourne Cay Bahamas

They don't speak Dutch, but it's the best place we've been in the Bahamas. Take Dr. Mrs Hess and rent a cottage, no tourist traps there. You can rent/hire a boat and do the touristy stuff like pig beach or thunderball grotto, or just relax on the beach.

You'd fly into staniel Cay and take a boat ride over to the island.

Edit: also check out the book Life on a Rock written by a couple that used to live on the island.