Would you visit Aruba?

[platzapS]

Sure, if the vacation was free. I'm not white, suburban teenage girl. What would be the problem?

 

[Billy Batson]

i don't see why not. it's a lovely place one girl goes missing and suddenly it's the most dangerous place in the world? i think not. it's probably more dangerous in the u.s.

 

[theeyesoftammyfaye]

​

ooooh, a thread is ALWAYS better when there is a mention (or blow-up doll likeness) of divine!

anyways, i think the aruban government has bent over backwards trying to find this girl. i think so much time and effort and money has been spent to find this girl, and we will, in fact, never find her. it's tragedy that she has gone missing, but i don't think her highly publicised disappearance automatically makes aruba a dangerous island.​

 

[CarrieAg93]

My college friends and I are planning on going next summer.

 

[SuzQ]

A travel writer (female) disappeared in Jamaica a few years back, and not much was done by their government to find her, sadly. However, I still visited Jamaica & loved it. On the contrary, the Aruban government has been very concerned & helpful in this case by allowing the FBI to investigate whomever/whatever. In both these famous cases, the girl left a bar with strangers. It doesn't matter WHERE you are in the world, be it an island, European country, or even Topeka, Kansas for pete's sake: Never, ever, ever go anywhere ALONE at night, or with STRANGERS - how hard is that to understand???

Regarding the OP, Aruba is still one of the BEST & most unique places to go in the Caribbean. It doesn't matter what time of year either, as it's out of the "Hurricane Belt". Because of the wind on the Dutch side of the island, it has the coolest little "twisted" trees.

 

[Moros]

Never had any desire to. Too many tourists

 

[cutekangaroo]

A travel writer (female) disappeared in Jamaica a few years back, and not much was done by their government to find her, sadly. However, I still visited Jamaica & loved it. On the contrary, the Aruban government has been very concerned & helpful in this case by allowing the FBI to investigate whomever/whatever. In both these famous cases, the girl left a bar with strangers. It doesn't matter WHERE you are in the world, be it an island, European country, or even Topeka, Kansas for pete's sake: Never, ever, ever go anywhere ALONE at night, or with STRANGERS - how hard is that to understand???

What? That's too hard for me to understand!

 

[White Horse]

A travel writer (female) disappeared in Jamaica a few years back, and not much was done by their government to find her, sadly. However, I still visited Jamaica & loved it. On the contrary, the Aruban government has been very concerned & helpful in this case by allowing the FBI to investigate whomever/whatever. In both these famous cases, the girl left a bar with strangers. It doesn't matter WHERE you are in the world, be it an island, European country, or even Topeka, Kansas for pete's sake: Never, ever, ever go anywhere ALONE at night, or with STRANGERS - how hard is that to understand???

Regarding the OP, Aruba is still one of the BEST & most unique places to go in the Caribbean. It doesn't matter what time of year either, as it's out of the "Hurricane Belt". Because of the wind on the Dutch side of the island, it has the coolest little "twisted" trees.

Actually, although the Aruban Gov't let the FBI observe a little, they let them play no real active role in the case until just the last couple of days.

It's not a matter of whether the authorities are concerned, it's a matter of whether or not they're inept in a murder investigation. They questioned these three boys early and never retained them because the boys pointed the finger at a couple of unemployed security guards. Geeze...that takes a genius to figure out...the culprit might try to pin it on someone else...especially when the culprit is a cocky little kid who thinks he's somebody and thinks those he pointed out are nobodies.

They let weeks go before they tried to gather evidence from the car the boys were in. Do you *really* think the FBI had a hand in that decision? Or the decision to let the three go free and charge the security guards, based solely on the word of what should be your only suspects at the time?

As for being strangers, Natalee had met with and spent time with Joran in the days prior to her disappearance. An 18 year old girl who made friends with the son of a high ranking judicial official and left with him and a couple of his friends. Obviously, in hindsight, it was a bad choice. But would Joran Van der Sloot be the kind of kid you'd be susicious of doing something like this? And who's to say she wasn't drugged? There were some reports of some tourist seeing a young lady who fits Natalee's description having a hard time shortly before she disappeared. I still think there's a very strong possibility they drugged her.

Anyway, it's not the lack of concern in Aruba that bothers me, it's the complete inept way they handled the investigation and the arrogance to think they were well versed enough in something like this not to let the FBI play the lead role in looking for an American citizen, when the FBI offered to do so.

I'm also still not convinced someone on the inside knew Joran was guilty and because of who he is tried to cover it up and pin it on the security guards.

 

[Chosen One]

I went last year and it was gorgeous. After this whole last episode- I was hoping that people would be afraid to go and I could get a good deal this winter.

Hopefully this sad incident will have a positive effect for me.

 

[HeyHomie]

My theory is that Natalee got all googly-eyed and infatuated with a handsome, exotic local and started thinking with her pants more than her head. Unfortunately for Natalee, this local was not above kidnapping/rape/murder, had a few friends who were willing to help out, and had a dad with enough clout to keep his son out of hot water.

I don't blame Natalee (although I'll grant that she's probably a textbook case of bad judgment). I don't blame the Arubans. I blame the murderers and their accomplices.
Give me a free ticket to Aruba, and I'm on the first plane.

 

[SuzQ]

Actually, although the Aruban Gov't let the FBI observe a little, they let them play no real active role in the case until just the last couple of days.

It's not a matter of whether the authorities are concerned, it's a matter of whether or not they're inept in a murder investigation. They questioned these three boys early and never retained them because the boys pointed the finger at a couple of unemployed security guards. Geeze...that takes a genius to figure out...the culprit might try to pin it on someone else...especially when the culprit is a cocky little kid who thinks he's somebody and thinks those he pointed out are nobodies.

They let weeks go before they tried to gather evidence from the car the boys were in. Do you *really* think the FBI had a hand in that decision? Or the decision to let the three go free and charge the security guards, based solely on the word of what should be your only suspects at the time?

As for being strangers, Natalee had met with and spent time with Joran in the days prior to her disappearance. An 18 year old girl who made friends with the son of a high ranking judicial official and left with him and a couple of his friends. Obviously, in hindsight, it was a bad choice. But would Joran Van der Sloot be the kind of kid you'd be susicious of doing something like this? And who's to say she wasn't drugged? There were some reports of some tourist seeing a young lady who fits Natalee's description having a hard time shortly before she disappeared. I still think there's a very strong possibility they drugged her.

Anyway, it's not the lack of concern in Aruba that bothers me, it's the complete inept way they handled the investigation and the arrogance to think they were well versed enough in something like this not to let the FBI play the lead role in looking for an American citizen, when the FBI offered to do so.

I'm also still not convinced someone on the inside knew Joran was guilty and because of who he is tried to cover it up and pin it on the security guards.

Hardly inept when it wasn't even sure if any harm had been done, since she left with supposedly "new friends". However, they DID arrest the boy's father & grilled him - thus being convinced of his son's guilt as a result, and are now draining the pond behind their home. That was BEFORE our FBI even got to the island to assist. It's not like the goverment was "protecting" this "high ranking judicial official", as you put it. Just the opposite. That's the nice thing about Aruba's laws - they are a small country & can arrest ANYONE they want to, without going through the bureaucratic nonsense we would have to do here in the states.

As far as defending Natalee's judgement when she may have been drugged, you do have an excellent point. I guess I will tack on "never leave your drink unattended" (who doesn't know about date rape drugs or "roofies" these days, too?? Sheesh.) to my "never go out alone at night" & "never go anywhere with strangers" - even if you know someone for 2-3 days, they are STILL strangers!! A lot of women trusted a handsome Ted Bundy, too, unfortunately.

 

[White Horse]

Hardly inept when it wasn't even sure if any harm had been done, since she left with supposedly "new friends". However, they DID arrest the boy's father & grilled him - thus being convinced of his son's guilt as a result, and are now draining the pond behind their home. That was BEFORE our FBI even got to the island to assist. It's not like the goverment was "protecting" this "high ranking judicial official", as you put it. Just the opposite. That's the nice thing about Aruba's laws - they are a small country & can arrest ANYONE they want to, without going through the bureaucratic nonsense we would have to do here in the states.

As far as defending Natalee's judgement when she may have been drugged, you do have an excellent point. I guess I will tack on "never leave your drink unattended" (who doesn't know about date rape drugs or "roofies" these days, too?? Sheesh.) to my "never go out alone at night" & "never go anywhere with strangers" - even if you know someone for 2-3 days, they are STILL strangers!! A lot of women trusted a handsome Ted Bundy, too, unfortunately.

Just curious...how closely have you been following this case? Your recollection of the chain of events don't jehive with mine, and I've watched and read about it on a daily basis. The family and I have mutual friends.

*addendum* Just in case you haven't followed it from day one, here's fairly good collection of articles, although not comprehensive by any stretch of the imagination. This is a small portion of what I've used to follow the case.

http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/missing/?archive.html

 

[MichaelFJF]

Would I go? Sure. Looks like a fun place. Would I let my 17 yr. old daughter go? With part time adult supervision? Not now - not before the incident either.

 

[ClaireZ]

Of course I would go!

I doubt my husband would though, he hates the beach, and the heat.

 

[praying]

So would you take a vacation to Aruba this year? Next year? or anytime soon?

Yes but I wouldn't wander off with strangers in the middle of the nigh, there or here or anywhere.

 

[MichaelFJF]

Of course I would go!

I doubt my husband would though, he hates the beach, and the heat.

Hates the beach? Is that possible?

 

[Justin Horne]

With it's current reputation, no.

 

[JPPT1974]

I wouldn't at all go unless I got with my family!

 

[ClaireZ]

Hates the beach? Is that possible?

Aye very possible.

He hates the heat, the sand, the crowding, and he burns easy.

A few years back we went to DisneyWorld, and spent one day at Typhoon Lagoon, and you would have thought by the way he acted someone was torturing him with hot pokers. He was mean and nasty all day, even though I told him he could stay at the hotel or do something else.

 

[White Horse]

Yes but I wouldn't wander off with strangers in the middle of the nigh, there or here or anywhere.

I agree, but let's keep in mind she's not quite as mature as you and I. But she was a very intelligent girl, intelligent enough to have earned a free ride to college to study med, and what if she was drugged? I have no idea if she was or not, but I'm certainly suspicious of the possibility.

And it's also worth noting that she had already established some sort of relationship with van der Sloot in the previous days. He wasn't really a "stranger" to her anymore, and you do have to consider the fact he came from a well respected family in the community. It's not like she left with a bunch of crackheads on skid row.

And I think they were just supposed to be giving her a ride to her room.

Again, do I think the island is safe? Definitely. Do I think I'd let their criminal investigation department oversee the case if my dog came up missing? Probably not. I certainly wouldn't want them handling my murder case. Unless I was the culprit of the crime. Then they're probably the first people I'd want handling it. They're not well versed in such crimes...obviously. I'm hacked off they didn't allow the FBI to play the lead role from day one, instead of just having them there "to observe" but not call any shots.

They botched it. Bigtime, and if I were Holloway's family, I'd be so mad about it I couldn't see straight right now.