My friend, Jody*, was in Aruba several years ago. She got back to to Boston with a tan, regrets about being back, a slight buzz from the pina coladas, and a stories of how beautiful that place is. White sand is overrated, I thought - actually envious that she was able to go away one token week in winter. With her were an array of photographs with wonderful sights that made me want to pack my bags in a huff. We were laughing at the picture above and deliberated on sending it to Jay Leno - chances are they'll discuss it along with the other weird sightings they get. She gave me a copy and I treasured it along with my "English is not my first language!" ticket that I use whenever I get a grammar slip. No fail, it has turned into a conversation piece for it is an oddity... "[Perplexed look or double take from co-worker] Sorry we're... whaaat?"
I saw the picture of the bar about two weeks ago where Natalee Holloway, Alabama teen missing since May 30th, was last found. CNN had a quick shot of the entrance to Carlos N' Charlies and I saw the all-too-familiar door. For a moment, it didn't seem too funny anymore.
After a week of being out of town (was out of touch - felt like I was in a different planet altogether... will explain more later), I get a hold of the news that no concrete progess has been made. Sure, there were arrests - but what's the validity behind keeping both father-and-son van der Sloot behind bars if no details are leading them closer to where Natalee really is? There are speculations that the arrests were fueled by media and US government pressures. Aruba is less than 200 sq. km of land - one can't help but wonder how much can the sand, sun, and palm trees conceal in a relatively small area. For her family's sake, Natalee needs to be found before more vague connections are made, and worse - before the media drops the story for the next big one.
I was told before that the best parties were the ones laden with details that you cannot clearly remember the day after. Put aside the cocktails for a bit to get answers - this hangover in Aruba had lingered long enough.
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