Hi all!
I've been trying to put together some sort of trip report to write out some of my thoughts and experiences on my first trip to Bonaire... but where to start? At the beginning? How did we end up on the island, anyway??? Hmmmm...

Last fall, my guy (Teddy) and I hosted my sister and her husband on an elk hunt in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. We spent a week at Ted's mom's ranch and stayed in the cabin. We had lots of laughs, good food, sunsets over the Hills, deer in the pines and experienced chilly early morning visits through the frost to the outhouse... brrrr. Oh, but the outhouse has the BEST view of any bathroom I've ever seen, as the door is hanging off by only one hinge and faces a gorgeous valley.

The Black Hills is beautiful country with pine-covered hills and towering limestone and granite cliffs. Having the opportunity to watch a herd of 300+ elk flowing over the side of a hill is an awe-inspiring sight - it looks like the entire hillside is moving.
At the end of a successful hunt (and with enough meat to fill a freezer!) My sister's husband, aka my 'other-brother' Johnnie, said,
"You've shown me your world, now I'd like to show you mine.".

Did I mention Johnnie is a master diver and has been scuba diving for 35 years???

This is where Bonaire comes in.

You know, half of the fun of a dive trip is the preparation. Over the months before our trip, there were daily phone calls and emails flying between my sister and I as we discussed things like diveskins, sunscreen, and solar showers. We exchanged check-off sheets, and packed our dive bags three months early! Then unpacked the bags just to look at everything and pack it all up again.

Departure date finally came and I was able to experience my FIRST time in the ocean - ever. Ya'know, I had always thought the ocean was water with a little salt in it... oh no! It is SALT with a little water in it!!! That was a BIG surprise for this square-state girl.

And diving the reef! How wonderous! How beautiful! I can't wrap words around what it was like, the brilliant colors of the fish and the coral, the teeming life everywhere I looked, the warm water... If you haven't been there yet - hey, you are in for a treat! And if you've been there, you already KNOW. Wow.

We arranged our trip through PADI and stayed at Buddy Dive. I'd do it the same way again. As soon as possible! The shore diving is just steps from the room, truck rental comes with the room so one is never stuck at the resort, and the whole place is designed for divers. Many thanks to my sis and her husband and to the friendly folks we met at every step of the way. "Bon Dia!" to Estephanie (probably spelled that wrong!) in the restaurant and Lourdes in the dive shop. And "Hi!" to the Brazillian folks that helped us get on shore easier at The Lake. (The language barrier is no problem when diving!!!)

The only negative I have to report is that I had to come home. Bleah. To work. More Bleah. So I can earn enough to get back on the island and under the water again. Oh yeah! I can see the value of setting the next trip up right after coming home, at least then, your island daydreams will have somewhat of a focus point. I love my Black Hills home, but a part of me is still on the island, pulling me back again.

you are hooked, you are hooked, YOU ARE HOOKED!!!!

Just a question. Did you certify in Bonaire or had you certified previously?

One cannot fully appreciate the beauty and fragility of the coral reefs until we swim with the fishes

Welcome to BT, Connie Fish! You are now "one of us" and are totally addicted!!! The PBD (post Bonaire Depression) will set in immediately but you are on the right track...planning the return trip which is the only cure.

Your story is fabulous and so well written..I had to check out your profile page to see if you are a writer, by trade...very, very well written and just flowing with fun and appreciation for the great wondrous things Mother Nature has let us enjoy on land and under the water.

Welcome and we hope you stay around and have fun with all of us! Ayo. Carole

Welcome to BT Connie, Loved your story and your first trip to Bonaire. You will be back, almost everyone returns because the island and her people are so beautiful.

Great well written report.. Another case of PBD..
There's really only 1 cure..
You seem like a natural to be underwater (especially with your last name) ;-)

Connie, welcome to the world of the addicted! Thank you for sharing how your trip came to be. I think my next stateside vacation may just need to be to the Black Hills! So glad you enjoyed your first visit to the ocean and that you fell in love with Bonaire.

I love to hear "newbie's" stories.
The discovery of a place we here all love, thru someonelse's eye's. No better place to experience the ocean for the first time.
Masha danki for sharing your trip.

I really enjoyed reading your report, thank you for sharing it! Glad you love Bonaire, hope you get to return real soon!

Welcome to BT and those of us with continual PBD (as soon as we leave the Flamingo Airport tarmac).


Very nice report. For those of you that have not traveled to the Black Hills of South Dakota...beautiful - a must see and we will... on the back of our bike in July.

Thank you for all the positive postings! Yeaow - everybody posting messages is just as fun and friendly as y'were back on the island!!!

This is NOT making my Post-Bonaire-Depression any better. (I feel a need to breathe some of that compressed air out of a tank to help me feel better.)

You left me with a few things to reply to:
1) Yes, this Fishy is HOOKED! Bigtime.

2) Professional writer - uh - no. I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to be when I grow up.
OLD, probably...
but I guess I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it.

3) Dive Certification - "Ah!", you say. "Now, she gets to something that is Really Important!!!"
I got my Open Water certification (SSI) through the local dive shop in Rapid City in June of 2004. We are currently working on advanced courses; stress and rescue, deep diving, wreck diving, night diving, navigation, and boat diving. By the time I see Bonaire again, I'll be an Advanced Diver.

Oh, one more thing - The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Races is going to be August 7-13 in Sturgis, SD. Google "Sturgis Rally" or email me for some good Sturgis sites and the Sturgis web cam. Be sure to check out the web cam before the rally while nothing is happening, then again in the middle of the week. Its rather like the donkey cam - either they are all there, or they are all gone! The official site is www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com, but there are others that are just as fun and informative. The great thing about Sturgis is so many bikers come into town for the rally that one of the big campgrounds actually becomes the THIRD largest city in the state for two weeks. Like they say - Un-Freakin'Believable!

Bon Dia!
Connie

Connie,

It is rare that I read a post on any message board from someone that also resides in SD. We live across the state in Sioux Falls. We have been west river many times for the pleasure of the Black Hills.

We are going to Bonaire for the first time in November. We have been to many of the caribbean islands to snorkel and we have high expectations for our Bonaire trip.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. SRT

Connie,
Great report, I can feel your enthusiasm all the back in NE Ohio. Isn't Bonaire just as it says on their plates "diver's paradise"? Are you going back? It is the only cure for PBD!

what a great story ...enjoy your new find under the waters of bonaire .....i found that for the first time in 97 ...still my favorite place .

Connie
I was just curious about your dive certification, given the fact that your trip report indicated that this was the first time you had been in salt water. My congratulations on your endeavor and best of luck in your future accomplishments. I applaud your enthusiasm.

Regards

mtnest, Connie lists her diver certification about four messages about yours.

Very well said, Connie! Welcome to BT and glad you had a great time.

Connie, Very nice report! Thanks for sharing your story with us, love to hear it!

From one Connie to another, terrific report! Sounds like you had a fabulous trip. Nice to see a fellow midwest diver on the board. We're going to Bonaire for the first time in January (I'm sure it won't be our last), can't wait!

Andy and Dave
I had inquired about the dive certification much earlier in this thread.(Actually it was the message immediately after Connie's initial post) My second message was in response to Connie's reply. Sorry if it appeared that I was asking after her posting it.