Day 22

I started Day 22 at the Salt Lake City airport and that evening / early morning boarded a red eye flight to New York City. I've never had much success trying to sleep on airplanes in the past so trying to sleep for 4-5 hours on a cross country flight was a challenge... However, Jet Blue did a nice job of trying to make everyone comfortable with free sleeping masks / ear plugs to try and shut all the sights and sounds out. It worked okay for me and got a few hours of sleep before they greeted everyone with coffee and a hot towel as we landed in New York City.

I had a couple hours to kill into my next flight and took some time to enjoy Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Having seen my fair share of airports over the last several years; I have to say this terminal is among the best I have ever seen. This terminal is purely for Jet Blue and there are several things that I really like about it:

1. Wi-Fi / Charging Stations: The entire terminal is covered with free and very fast Wi-Fi which is much better than most airports that charge a ridiculous rate for 24 hours of access. In addition, there are these bars with stools all over the terminal with dozens of outlets for charging cell phones, ipods, laptops, etc. Super convenient place to charge devices and browse the internet.

2. Tons of great restaurants / food options in the terminal that are 'reasonably' priced for airport food anyway. Full sushi bar, breakfast options, sit down restaurants, and more are all available. At the aforementioned charging stations, each seat has a touchscreen that links to a restaurant where you can order food, pay for it with a credit card swipe, and have it delivered to you.

3. 'Ask Us' Desks: There are several of these stations in each wing of the terminal staffed with Jet Blue representatives whose sole job is to help with whatever you need. I had to get assistance with a couple issues during my trip and every time found these people exceedingly friendly and helpful. With some many big companies providing abhorrent customer service it was a pleasure dealing with Jet Blue at JFK.

Later that morning I boarded my flight to another Caribbean destination, this time the Dutch island of Aruba. This trip was not part of my original agenda but after a hiccup trying to get to Costa Rica and rave reviews from another person on this Jet Blue pass I booked the flights. Aruba is down on the very southern edge of the Caribbean maybe 20 miles off the coast of South America and has a very different feel from what most people thing of as 'The Caribbean' which you will hear about later.

After a nearly five hour flight we hit Aruba and after I grabbed a taxi to Club Arias my hotel for the next several days. This was a bed and breakfast that has absolutely rave reviews on Trip Advisor and something off the beaten path. I wanted to stay away from the big chain resorts and get something a little quieter with a little more character. This place was everything I hope it would be and more with beautiful grounds, comfortable rooms, and a fantastic staff truly dedicated to making sure everything was perfect.

Shortly after checking in, the owner of the hotel Arias came by my room and we talked for an hour about my trip and what I would like to do in Aruba. He also shared with me his story as a stock broker in New York and after doing very well in the early 2000's decided to quit and build houses / apartments which he enjoyed doing. Over time he got sick of dealing with tenants in the states, fell in love with the island of Aruba, and decided to build a Bed & Breakfast over a several year period.

I couldn't imaging moving thousands of miles away to start a business in a foreign country in an area he didn't have much experience in.... However, in talking to him you can tell he genuinely loves what he is doing and that kind of passion is truly fantastic. How can you not be inspired by someone who takes risks, chases their dreams, and enjoys the results when those dreams come true! After chatting with Arias he made a restaurant recommendation for dinner; 'The Flying Fishbone' which was supposed to be a unique restaurant, with delicious food, and great sunset views. A reservation was made for 6 PM and after getting settled in my room; headed off for dinner.

'The Flying Fishbone' was a seafood restaurant right on the beach overlooking the western Caribbean. What made it particularly unique was most of the tables are actually on the beach with the first couple rows of tables actually in the water... So you sit down and let the cool blue water of wash over your feet / legs depending on the tide levels at the time. I heard stories of people who would have tropical fish and other forms of sea life tickling their feet while enjoying fresh seafood and a the beautiful view. A few pictures from the evening are below:

View from my table at the restaurant; the empty tables are for low tide. Right now the water would be up to most people's waist.

Sunset that night, little too cloudy for a great sunset but wanted to try,.

After a delicious dinner of a fresh seafood curry I went back to Club Arias, enjoyed the hammock looking over the pool while reading a good book, and eventually hit my bed for a restful night of sleep. Thanks for reading my blog and as always any questions / comments please post below or email me at chris@pricelessperspectives.com