Wrapping it up

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Our last morning in paradise. After another wonderful breakfast buffet we went to take a walk on the beach. The gentle sound of the waves and the soft white sand is something I will really miss. However, we got caught in a passing shower! It started out as a light mist and quickly turned into a downpour. We ran under a tree, which offered little shelter from the rain. Once it stopped we quickly walked back towards the hotel, having to stop under a palapa at the Ritz as the rain picked up once more. After dodging the rain, we decided to sit by the pool for a while. Then back to the room to sit on the balcony for a bit, grabbed some lunch at Starbucks and then had to head down to the lobby for our shuttle to the airport.

The nice thing about flying back to the US from Aruba is you go through immigration in Aruba. However, the process is a little weird. We checked our bags and proceeded to Aruba customs. Once through we had to pick up our bags that had just been checked and proceed to the US side. There are conveyor belts to take your checked luggage based on the airline you are flying. Then it’s through US immigration and you finally get to the terminal. On the US side there are 8 gates, a few different souvenir shops and plenty of food options. Renee flew back to O’Hare so she went to her gate while I continued on to my gate to fly back to Miami where I would spend the night and then fly on to Merida Mexico for week 2 of my vacation.

The Miami airport is huge and my plane came in to about the farthest away gate from baggage claim. Once I finally got my bag then I had to locate the airport hotel. The signs weren’t the best in the baggage area but I eventually found it. I checked in, grabbed Subway and went up to my room. I chose the airport hotel because it was the easiest option and basically the same price as an Airbnb away from the airport. I had the single room which had a twin bed, TV, bathroom and that was basically it. The sheets were scratchy but the bathroom was clean. After 5 nights in the Marriott it was certainly a change of pace!

Aruba is a beautiful country and the people are so friendly! This wasn’t where I would have picked to go in South America but I really enjoyed it, even if it was a work sponsored trip.

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