We arrived safe and sound with no problems on the AA route from JAX to MIA to CUR and on to BON via Exel.
Well, one small problem, our gear spent the night in CUR. Little Guineverre the AA Bagaage clerk on duty tracked it a later flight from Miami and forwarded on to us. Good job on her part as AA and Exel do not have a formal forwarding agreement.

We are housesitting for friends who are on vacation and out of the internet zone but if they do check in...all the animals are happy. Big dog is sleeping on my foot as I type.

Off to do the webcam realignment now so should be corrected and clean in 1 hour.

Yay Wally!
Yay Eva!

Keep on posting and we look forward to MOre More MORE!

Mare

Yoohoo Wally! Just caught you live at the webcam! Woohoo, wish I was there with you two! Hey to Eva!

Wally & Eva
Thanks so much - the u/w cam is perfect now.
Enjoy your trip - looking forward to your pic's.
Judy

Judy you have mail!!:-)

Wally and Eva, Glad your STUFF got there... Have a wonderful time and Dive Safe!!!

Wally, How come you didn't fly Divi in from CUR?

We tried but all the flights on Thurs were full. We got a late start on tickets....this trip was unplanned and evolved fast in response to our good friends need of house sitters. And Divi doesn't have a early AM flight BON to CUR for return. So we had to use Exel this time. Still got to the island earlier then going through SJU

First, since I'm basically yakking about what we are doing vis-a-vis BT'ers and our host's house and our real trip report will be done later....if the modest Moderators think that this thread belongs in Community Chat, please feel free to move it.

Second, a fairly new BT chatter really put in a huge effort for us when I emailed him about our lost bags. I tried calling the phone number for AA Baggage in CUR every 30 min for 6 hours and no one ever answered it. I used my host's internet phone (no log distance charges) to call AA USA toll free customer service 5 times. They faxed, called and emailed AA CUR each time with no response either. They had no idea what to do at that point and said that my bags would probably one day show up back home in Georgia. Great, I can see Mighty Dog eating my scuba luggage while I'm on BON.

I emailed Davidson Mourillon. I had seen his post on BT in the past answering CUR air questions and remembered that his profile said he was in the air transportation business some way. David emailed me 5 times with updates and reports on his progress tracking the bag down, and even made a trip to the airport on his day off to ask around. He did find out the bag had been sent to me in BON and emailed me with that news.

Now for the the shameless promotion section. Since David can't promote himself on BT and he did me a big favor ....here is the gist of his last email to me. Moderators are encouraged to come straight to BON and spank me with a wet noodle if I'm in violation of our policies.

email posted in entirety.....
Hello Wally,
I am glad all worked out fine with your gear - Wish you a pleasant diving vacation.
Thanks for the compliment my BT postings - maybe you can check out my temporary website at http://www.CuracaoCharterAirwaysBV.homstead.com - above the MD80 you will find the destination chart doc. - My Company will be flying all of those destinations - By this wednesday I shall receive a final word from the Minister of Traffic & Transportation - I will be associated with two airline companies and once the total strategic plan is completed I shall have a base in Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten and Holland - In the US I shall be connected with major tour operators.
If all goes well I shall be flying my first charter to Miami during this summer and definitely in October.
The flights will be made with a DC9-31 which carries 100 passengers.
With a Fokker F-28-1000 I shall be flying between the islands It carries 63 passengers - I prefer all jets (even though we have two Cessna 402) for the convenience and it also saves flying time for the passengers who come down for a short week..
Anyways,
Good luck, happy diving and God bless and a Happy Easter
Davidson

End of shameless promotion section and I wish Davidson all the luck I can that his business venture takes off well. Wouldn't it be cool if we could organize a giant BT Carter out of MIA...think of the thonga line we could do at the reef cam.

On to other news....Our esteemed host had an unpleasant room experience in St. Maarteen, but was able to correct it the next day. They should be on the boat now so no email, cell phones or internet. Knowing our good friend as we all do.... he will check in at an internet cafe in some port....even if he says he won't.... so the home report is....big and little dogs quite happy, cat is happy, bird is happy, rodents sleep a lot and are safe from cat, everything at house works, honey do list is about done (except the painting...still thinking about that), reef cam fixed, finally figured at the dad-blame TV, no important mail, no messages, no calls, nothing else to report. No worries.

Smack....Our local cell number is 8929. When is your plane landing Monday

Wally, This thread belongs exactly where you put it.

I for one see no problem with your posting Davidson's e-mail.

Enjoy your vacation.

Think I will call and wake Smack up.

Wally and Eva,
I'll be arriving on Excel from Aruba at 5:40pm.(if all goes as planned). Otherwise, I'll get there when I can. See you soon!

Smack

ACCKK! Whatever you do, DO NOT click on the link above!! Wrong URL, site full of ad ware!!!

Try this one instead: Curacao Charter Airways BV

-c.

quiet island right now...did a little dive at Klein

Free swimming moray at the start of the dive....I also have a film of it.

Someone said later that this grouper was in sleep state
I have no idea what that means....his eyes were open but he wasn't seeing

Your basic aquarium scene of sarges

and Puff Daddy

a nana me

The Blickster

Goldentail eel (I think)

Wally, thanks for the photos.

You made me LOL when you typed a nana me!

Seb and I went to Maine, Acadia National Park. We were told not to miss the Enemy Cave.
We asked around and found a cave -- not from World War II where the Mainers hid from the Enemy -- but a tidal pool cave filled with anemones.

We blamed our misunderstanding on that noo ingland accent.

Mare

Lovely pics Wally. What kind of camera/strobe?

Using an Olympus 5050 with the built in flash (strobe is next purchase).
The pictures are all blue shifted and I open them in photoshop and hit image..auto levels.
Fast and lazy editing. That's it

Same rig I've got! No strobe here yet either. I kinda want a strobe, but kinda like the small package that I've currently got.

I haven't gotten the same results from Autolevels though - most of mine take a quick run thru the 'underwater' action before they can be publicly displayed! Yours are great!
c.

Sunday it's a must do to go to Jos's place for BBQ, drinks and a bon fire.

Just follow the purple rocks east of town.

Jos's Place

Fly to Bonaire........$1800
BBQ and beer at Jos's place for 2.....40 guilder
... your wife's name on a dirt road...............priceless

(picture removed by moderators)

crumb catcher at Wanna Dive

Gee, Wally, good thing your wife didn't insist that "Evangelina" be spelled out! ;) You could be seriously dehydrated!

(Message edited by alpine on March 27, 2005)

Wally, In case you did not get my e-mail, Smack got bumped in Newark. He hopes to be on Bonaire tomorrow. He will be in need of a cold brew or three.

Great pics Wally...gee, what a manly tribute to your woman! Looks like a trap for poopy shoes to me!

of all places to be stuck ... poor Smack :-( he'll be all the happier when he gets to Bonaire !

Waldo, so glad you are having a great time. I missed you over the Christmas break. Glad you made it down. Photos are outstanding.

Why... James T. McPeak... how the heck are you?