Picture of the day

Had a great day diving in Bonaire yesterday. Today we are packing up and setting sail to Curaçao. Can't wait to see Michelle!

Diving in Bonaire

There are more than 50 dive sites along the coast of the island of Bonaire. We had booked a dive trip to the island of Klein for Saturday morning, but when we arrived at the dive shop they informed us that they did not have enough divers to warrant taking the boat out. It seemed it was just Jens and I. They couldn't get hold of us to tell us. This is the problem with not having a local phone and now that we have decided to stay in one location for longer than a day or so, I will start investigating how to get some kind of phone service.

Since we had nothing else planned for the day, and I was desperate to get in the water, we decided to do some dinghy dives. Well, snorkeling actually. We could rent dive gear and go along the coast with our dinghy and may still do that, so we thought we would check it out first. We wanted to see if we could get in and out of the dinghy from the water and with gear on, and whether or not the dive site moorings were safe and easy to use.
We set off with snorkels, mask, flippers and our dive flag. Jens tied the dive flag to one of the oars and hoisted it using the engine handle. That worked perfectly. The dive moorings are easy to find. They are like a string of pearls along the coastline. The southern coast of Bonaire has a short and shallow beach which is mostly rough rock and coral, with some sand beaches. After about 20 meters, the sea drops off suddenly creating a wall which makes for great diving. Shore diving is popular and many tourists rent a small truck and dive gear and spend the week exploring the dive sites.
Bonaire is also popular for wind surfing and kite surfing. There always seems to be a nice breeze. If you are into water sports and activities, this is a good place to visit. Also, because much of the island has been designated as a nature reserve, there has not been the influx of the big hotel chains. Mind you, tourist prices are finding their way here nonetheless.

The other tourists to Bonaire arrive on the cruise ships. This week, there was a new ship in port every day. They usually arrive at night and come into port in the morning. The passengers have the day to explore the island before heading off to their next destination. Hardly enough time to get a feel for the place. We notice that some of them come off the boat in the morning, find the closest bar, sit with a view to their ship and have a few, head back to their boat for lunch (I guess because these cruises are all inclusive) and then walk along the harbor front in the afternoon heat before they have to be back on the boat for a 6 pm departure. Some are smart and take the option of an island tour, but they still only really skim the surface of what there is to see.

Bon Bini Bonaire

Welcome to Bonaire! We have been here four days already. The time is flying by but we are surely enjoying the Island. We are already 'regulars' at Karel's Bar. We either stop by for lunch or a late afternoon drink while we sit and do a bit of email and catching up with friends back home.

Yesterday we rented a Motor Scooter and did a driving site seeing tour of the island. The Western part is very wild and hilly covered with cactus. Driving along the coast you see another dive site every 500 meters or so.

Bonaire has 16 species of lizards on the island. We saw so many quickly crossing the road as we scooted around the island. This one has a beautiful turquoise tail and back feet.

We stopped for lunch in Rincon at Le-Mas-Se where Norman makes a pumpkin soup that is unrivaled. He is the master of soups and although we didn't have one, he is also famous for his milkshakes. We liked the soup so much that we bought some to bring back and share win Liz and Eric. We had a nice and relaxed stop and a chat with Norman before heading on our way.

Norman, the soup master.

Bonaire is also known for its flamingo sanctuaries and is home to a still operating salt flat now run by Cargill. The mounds are not piles of snow as you back home might think when you first see them, but piles of salt.

Slave huts used for the salt workers ... no longer in use :)

Colorful buildings, typical of the Caribbean

French Fry Guy

Catching up with a few photos

A beautiful rainbow to welcome us to Bonaire

A few photos from St.Martin. The lovely Segwun, leaving St Martin, and St Eustatias off in the distance.

And, of course ... A sunset