Another Milestone

Coca-Cola celebrates another milestone this year in Aruba. As you can see from the bottle below, the beloved elixir has been bottled on the island since 1949.

You can see that shapely bottle is sweating in the breeze there at Charlie’s Bar. Only an ice-cold container will do that and there’s no other way to consume this beverage. Let’s take a closer look at the banner.

They do a great job bottling Coke on the island. The flavor is perfect, as is the carbonation. The bubbles are a necessity, and plenty of them are required. I won’t have it any other way and have been known to fire off nasty letters to any bottler I suspect of not producing the product as intended. Yes, I am the judge of such efforts and rule accordingly.

Bon dia.

On Display

Here in Aruba, there are several “natural bridges.” They are natural stone bridges which have been undermined by the constant wave action of the Caribbean pounding against the shore. The largest of them collapsed in 2004. Immediately beside the site of that one, is a smaller one, somewhat interesting to view. More interesting to me, was the discovery of this display case in the gift shop at the Natural Bridge site.

That’s right, it’s full of Coca-Cola memorabilia. I’ve been in and out of this place at least a dozen times, yet never noticed this before. How could that be? Perhaps it is new. I asked but did not receive a good explanation. Either way, it is chock full of various items from Coca-Cola, and I suggested they move it forward so that visitors might better gaze up on the treasures therein.

If you come to Aruba, visit the natural bridge, and happen to stop in for an ice-cold Coca-Cola, don’t miss this little museum. There’s also a number of other things on view, including money from around the world, various trinkets to be bought, and a few tasty food items.

Bon dia from Aruba.

One Happy Coca-Cola Bottle

Coca-Cola can still be had in the 8 oz. bottles here in Aruba. There is a local bottling company and they strictly adhere to the formula. The Coca-Cola is perfectly refreshing, wonderfully effervescent, and never too sweet. Here’s a look at the local bottles.

Here on one happy island, that’s a happy sight. This bottle was photographed at the world famous Charlie’s Bar, my local and place of mystery and intrigue. Don’t forget, enjoy Coca-Cola ICE COLD. That’s the way it’s meant to be served.

The Pickup Truck and Life

My oldest brother once said, “You have to have a truck to tote your stuff.” He was right. I’ve always owned a pickup, typically a Chevrolet Silverado. Over the years I’ve had both new and used and they’ve never let me down. They were there to tote my stuff, other people’s stuff, business stuff, and stuff that belonged to someone I didn’t even know.

More than the utility value is the simple pleasure of heading down the road with an ice-cold Coca-Cola in your hand, the radio on, and your favorite person in the passenger seat. This is as American as Ben Franklin, the Grand Canyon, and the Stars and Stripes. I know they burn too much fuel. I know they’re big and clunky. I know all the reasons why some people think they’re the root of evil. That is until they need one. Then they’re on the phone looking for a pal with a set of keys to something with capacity to haul and horsepower.

There are ways to drive your truck responsibly and burn the least amount of fuel. Coast up to those red lights, set the cruise control on 68, and don’t jump from stop sign to stop sign. Make sensible trips by combining your tasks. Go shopping with your pal so you take advantage of all that cargo space. These methods all work. They also help to make the road a safer, friendlier place.

So life is full of contradictions. No surprise there. The pickup is one of those. But its so much fun and so darn useful that we’re stuck with it until something better comes along.