Internet Cafe

Next stop will be finding the Internet Cafe. Of course I find out there are several internet locations in downtown Oranjestad. Hopefully I would find the one where Deepak worked. I actually needed to get on line myself. I needed to check my emails and perhaps post a little bit about my trip on the Freedom of Blog site. They had told me they were going to start some thread called Medleyrelay in Aruba, or something like that, and hoped if time permitted I would tell them how my visit was going.

I found an Internet Cafe in a very nice location the Marketplace. I went in and spoke briefly to a young man behind the counter. He told me how to begin my on-line session which I did. While I was sitting there on line, I kept glancing over at him and I realized, my goodness, that indeed must be Deepak. How many times had I seen Deepak's face on TV, but there is something for me to actually see someone in person, that for some reason I was not completely sure. I wanted to be sure before I said anything to him.

I finished up and went to the desk and then I saw something that made me a little more sure. I saw the basket of I Love Aruba bracelets that I had actually wanted to find and purchase. I knew they were sold at the Internet Cafe where Deepak worked, so that gave me the sign I had found Deepak. Bravely, I said, "are you Deepak?" And he responded that he was. I introduced myself, my internet name and also my real name. I think he actually knew who I was, because he seemed to know about the "Open Letter Project" that Scrux had participated in, which I actually ran. I felt I was warmly received by Deepak.

We had a nice chat, and once again I guess it all brought this case down to a very human level. Here was this young man that had been thrown into a media circus, especially with the whole Jamie Skeeters/Dr. Phil Show and I just felt rather sad for him. Honest impression, he just seemed like a fine young man, rather quiet and shy and certainly not evil. I bought several bracelets from him, gave him a generous tip and left, more frustrated and confused than ever about this whole case and those that were still considered suspects.

Where Deepak worked

Carlos 'N Charlies for dinner

 

It was now time for dinner, so where else would I go but Carlos 'N Charlies. Since Mexican food is my favorite I was actually looking forward to it. My first impression, was this place was as I had mentioned previously, right in the heart of the city. It was not in some dark and sinister, off the beaten path area of Aruba. It was right down town around the corner from some lovely shops and other great restaurants. It seemed a little smaller in size than I might have thought. It was a spot very much like a Hooters, only Mexican. There were lots of young people, having a great time. There were older people in there too and even some families. It was definitely a mixed crowd.

I got seated and began to observe. My waiter said that he had not been working there back in May of 2005. He said that the staff changes frequently and he was not sure if very many people might still be working from that time period. Every so often the band would start a chorus of some crazy wild song ,someone would blow a whistle and a group of the workers would begin to parade and sing approaching the patrons with some liquor they would squirt down ones throat while they put a big Mexican hat on their head and clap and sing around that person. They would do this to young and old alike and again it was festive and not sinister.

 

Click on above images to see enlarged view

All in all it was a delightful dinner, and I came away just not believing at all Dave Holloway's words, of covering your drink if you go to Carlos 'N Charlies because someone might slip a date rape drug in it. That idea seemed ridiculous when I read it in his book and it seemed completely absurd now.