Our trip this time is a combination of diving and snorkeling. I flew AA from Phila. to San Juan and then met up with my in-laws, Harold and Francis and also Pat and Mary Murphy and my friend, Jim from LBR in San Juan. Added to the crew already waiting to go to Bonaire was this really nice couple, who we have known since we have been coming to Bonaire since the early nineties. It was sure nice having a lot of friends to hang out with, as our flight from San Juan to Bonaire on AA was delayed and we didn’t arrive till 11:30pm. The good thing was we did arrive safely and all of us got our luggage. The sad part was we had to cancel our pizza order from Pasa Bon Pizza, which we all had ordered ahead of time, but the folks at San Juan Airport were nice enough to allow us to call Bonaire to cancel. My husband, Gregg and son, Brandon joined me three days later without any delays on AA. Luggage all arrived for them too.

Accommodations: We stayed at our place at Lighthouse Beach Resort and my in-laws stayed at another unit there in the development. They stayed for a month and we got to stay three weeks this trip. Nice. We all were so glad to be away from the cold and somewhere warm.

Water Temps: The water temps were definitely a lot colder than past Februaries when we arrived. They averaged around 78 degrees. I should tell you that Harold and Fran do not dive, but snorkel and they are both in their late seventies and going strong. We had given them wet suits as a gift this past Christmas and they sure were glad to use them, first time they ever used a wet suit and did fine. The water did warm up to around 80 about half way through our trip and we are enjoyed that. Still, we all used our wet suits on either a dive or snorkel. My in-laws enjoyed the added buoyancy it gave them in the water when snorkeling.

Diving: What can I say? It was the best diving vacation we ever had in all our years. Some of the highlights were diving on the south side and getting a real surprise when a group of dolphins (6 up close) came to visit us. They were so close that you could extend your arm, add a foot and you could have touched them. They just swam with us a short time, checked us out and I swear, they were smiling at us. Truly an awesome experience, one I will never forget. We were about 46 feet on our return.

Rays: Lots and lots of eagle and southern rays were seen this trip, mostly on the south side, where we did 90% of our dives. If you go diving between 9:30 and 10:30 am, your chances of seeing them are best as that is about the time they are feeding. Alice In Wonderland was truly a wonderland this trip. Saw two eagle rays feeding and then a southern ray just cruises by all at the same time!

LaDania’s Leap to Karpata: We did this dive a few times during our trip and I think the site should be renamed - “Home of the Happy Fish”! This site had so many varieties and colors of fish swimming together all over, that my head hurt just trying to take it all in and you do not have to go deep on this dive, all the action is about 40-50 feet. My hubby and son had this really huge turtle swim with them for at least 12 minutes of their dive. It would swim with them, then in front of them, then in back of them before going off to the blue. I wasn’t on that dive with them, but they got some nice pictures.

Witches Hut: We all met up with Judy, Les, Les’s Mom and Janessa for dive there and met Marge and her hubby there diving there too. My in-laws, Judy’s mother-in-law and Judy snorkeled while we dove. Saw my first burr fish there. It was a very nice dive and would do that one again in the future. Les was on the hunt for seashorses he had seen last year there, but didn’t find any that dive. They are very hard to find.

The rest of our dives were solely on the south side, Sweet Dreams, Vista Blue, Hidden Beach,Angel City, Tori’s Reef, Red Beryl, Red Beryl North, Magate were just wonderful and the diversity of fish and such were breathtaking as well as the soft corals and sponges which are abundant on the south side. We did notice, you can dive a site many times and you just never know what you are going to see, all special in their own way.

Brandon and Gregg did a boat dive with Larry’s Wildside Diving, and saw over 20 eagle rays, a dozen turtles and three green moray eels as well as lots of other varieties of fish and creatures. Truly a great dive. Now, that Brandon has a few more dives under his belt, we will look to going with Bas next trip if he is available for more adventures on the East Side.

Most of our days were spent only deciding on what sites to dive and then what sites where we were going to snorkel.

Dining: We as always, enjoyed our regular spots:

El Fogon Latino – Small local place with really good prices and food. The fried yucca was delish that came with my snapper which was also good.

Lion’s Den - My favorite place to go, went there three times! Once, we had a BT get together with Pat and Mary Murphy, Judy, Les and family, and us. And who do we bump into which getting seated? Cam and his lovely wife! First time I met them and they are such nice folks! I really love BT! Food was excellent as usual. Had dinner there another time with Susan Porter and I got my own copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy with her autograph! We shared a lot of laughs and had a really good time.

Bobbe Jans – Best ribs and value, went there numerous times and met up with lots of BT folks each time.

Pasa Bon Pizza - Also visited numerous times, best pizza on island IMHO, and the folks there are super special! I kept saying that I was going to try their lasagna, as I have heard it is very good, but forgot when I spelled that pizza! Just gives me another reason to go back.

Garden Café - Get the Latin Grill, went there twice and the service and food were excellent! The Latin Grill is very similar to what Casablanca offers, but without the blood sausages.

Since it was Carnival and high season, we did avoid town most of the time and places around there. We visit them more in the slower months of August and November when it is a much slower pace. City Café was jamming all the time, no matter what time of day we went by.

We did spend a day at Jibe City. Brandon did some windsurfing and had a blast. He is starting to get pretty good and they sure were having a lot of wind on island while we were there. He can’t wait till next trip to learn some more moves.

Gregg, Brandon, Harold and Fran visited the National Park one day and for those who have never visited, I would recommend it. They snorkeled there and saw some turtles and parrotfish along with some barracuda. Since I had already been to the park, I took advantage of the time to spend with my friend, Judy, for a girls day together. It was great hanging out with her. She was staying at the Plaza and her view from her room was fantastic. It was the only day the weather didn’t cooperate, but we still had fun! Rain off and on, but the way we looked at it was that it was warm rain and we were in good company! Another time we ventured into town, did some shopping together, posed for the downtown cam, and had lunch. Les took us to the Animal Shelter which was the first time we had been there. Oh, I would be in trouble if I lived on island full time as those puppies and kitties are just so cute. A very clean facility and well run. I hope all those animals find good homes. They all have such personalities, it is too funny! Wish we could have spent more time there as they were getting ready to close, but it was a nice time spent there in any event. We also got together for a snorkel at Tori’s Reef and also at Donkey Beach. Miss you, girlfriend!

We did take pictures this trip and I have a link to them here: http://www.bonairevilla.com/PicsFeb2007.html . Just click on the top of pictures for descriptions. The first picture is my new profile pic.

They are not professional or anything, but hope you enjoy them! I must give Gregg all the credit for the pictures as he took them all and he also put them all together for me to post, so thanks, Gregg!

Tried to help fix the u/w web cams with Jake and family and Pat and Mary Murphy, but as you have all read, there is a whole lot of work to be done to repair. It was my first time at web cam repair and I did enjoy a few Brights and good company even though we could not fix it. Or should I say, Jake told us, not today…. I only helped in digging up the cables to see what damage was there on the land part. He’s the brains of the operation! I was just an extra pair of hands.

BT Woodwind Sunset Cruise: I took my in-laws on this for Harold’s birthday present as he celebrated his birthday while on island and met a whole lot of BT’rs. It was my first sunset cruise and I saw my first “green flash”. Ulf and Dee are wonderful hosts and the drinks and snacks were flowing. Forgot my camera for that one, but Cam had his and so did Judy and hopefully they will post some pictures. Was a really nice way to end the day. The Woodwind had some seats in front and back and nice soft cushions on each side to sit on while you just sail on the water, enjoying good company and drinks. Very relaxing. Saw a dolphin crest right by where I was sitting, and the little flying fish are cool to watch travel over the water, not to mention the sun setting over the water, or should I say behind Klein Bonaire?

Food Shopping: We did cook in a little more this trip and we found the Bonaire Warehouse a great place to buy cold cuts, bakery items, and fresh meats. They have this tenderloin in packages of 2-3 lbs for 19 guilders that was excellent on the grill. We discovered a cute little bakery, called Larry’s Bakery. Very nice selection of breads and little breakfast pastries and sometimes cake slices. Annette’s Bakery now offers lunch for 10guilders and the menu changes daily. A very nice addition to her already delicious baked goods. Enjoyed getting some roast chicken from Carcina Latino (sp) on Saturdays. A tip here is to pre-order to ensure you get some chickens as it is becoming quite popular. Great for lunches and the chicken is hand turned on really long poles in a charcoal grill on site. Available only on Saturday mornings. More for Less was another good store for fresh produce and staples. They had some really nice asparagus and brocolli and even zucchini which we got and did on the grill.

We did make an appointment to do the Blo-Karts one day, but the wind was too strong, over 24 knots, so not safe, but something to look forward to the next trip.

Enjoyed our time on island and look forward to going back in August. That is one of most favorite times of the year to go as the south side is like a sheet of glass and you can dive more of the south sites this time of year. Wind dies down too, a lot hotter, but we are in the water most of the time, so not a problem for us. The local folks on island were friendly and always had a smile and greeting when you walked by. I do enjoy feeling part of Bonaire when I am there and just want to say one last thing: Bonaire is a great place to go, no matter what your age is, there is something for all ages!

For those who may want to see my pictures, click here: http://www.bonairevilla.com/PicFeb2007.html

Great report Debbie - sure makes me wish I was there, instead of here but that's OK. It's all good! Love the pictures too - again, makes me wish I was there. Thanks for sharing.

Great report, Debbie, many details and truly wonderful pics! By the way, where is Larry's Bakery?

Debbie, Thanks for the great report. Wow; your dolphin adventure sounds spectacular!
I am more anxious than ever now (10 days) to be in Bonaire; it is getting harder to keep my mind on my work and resist going to the webcam for my daily dose of paradise.

Anonymous, Thanks! I am not so good with directions as I really don't know street names, but use landmarks as a rule of thumb on Bonaire. Easier for me, so here goes, I went from the south side of the island, and I took the road to Rincon, past Kooyman, Chinese Store, Korina Botica (sp), up the hill, past the church and as soon as you past Curoil gas station, you make a left (there are little red and white road markers on side of road, and then you make your first right and go to the end of the street and you will see Larry's Bakery. Very clean and a big sign on front. It is in a rural area. Now,if coming from the north side, go past Sand Dollar and go to the round a bout, go right on the road that has Playa Trading, Bonaire Superstore till you get to the road to Rincon, make a left, then your first right. A friend who lives on island told us about Larry's Bakery and we managed to find it. Hope you understood my directions and are not laughing too hard.

Great report Debbie & you're lucky to get down there several times a year! For us it'll be another year before we set foot on Bonaire again (Of course though we are anxiously planning/anticipating out return trip).
I would recommend next time you try the Continental red eye out of Newark. A great stress free way to get to Bonaire!
**Cam/Cheryl** If you're out there, how did the bonefishing go?

Vince, Already booked our next two trips on Continental, our February trip was booked prior to Continental's Newark start.

Very nice, detailed report!

Just curious, how did you get Brandon out of school for 3 weeks? It seems like it's getting harder and harder to take them out when you want to.

Wow Debbie - what a great report! Awesome pics too The Burrfish & bluebeard is a great shot, love the eagle rays, Queen Angel, turtles, sponges - they're all good! I'm sure you'll never forget your Dolphin Encounter either - very special.
Thanks for the shot of Les in his never-ending search for Seahorses!
I'm so glad for the time we got to spend together - it was much fun, even on that one rainy day when we just chatted away and watched the raindrops fall over beautiful Bonaire and our shopping excursion & our visit to the Shelter. And thanks for the snorkel trips & helping my mother-in-law feel so comfortable. Miss you too, girlfriend
I really enjoyed Donkey Beach & that snorkel we did.
Isn't it great that we have pictures to look at and drift away when we need a little escape?
Kudos to Gregg on the pictures AND the music!

Anonymous, About Larry's Bakery - As my wife said she is not great at directions. She does have it correct if you are coming from town on Kaya Korona which is the way we usually go but if you are coming from the Sand Dollar circle on Kaya Amsterdam I think she is a little off. I hope these are correct if not maybe someone will correct me. I believe you continue almost straight on Kaya Amsterdam instead of turning right to get to Kaya Korona (the road to Rincon). I think the road is called Kaya Cacique here. You can't miss Larry's nice bright yellow building on the right up less than 1/2 mile - I think it is almost directly across from a sports court. Well marked. Open 7 days a week 6am to noon & 3pm to 8pm.
Gregg

What a nice trip report Debbie. Loved your pictures too.

Debbie & Gregg, thanks for the directions, I'm sure I'll find now, it next time I'm on Bonaire. Sorry to react so late, but I was asleep - I think in Holland we are at least 5 hours ahead of you on the East Coast.

nice flash gallery

nice report too;)

Nice report, Debbie - and I loved the slideshow thingie. You got some good pics!

Gail, we have been taking all of kids to the Caribbean since they were little and the school used to give us a hard time, but saw that they were honor roll students and they maintained that even while on vacation, which they all do homework in evenings to stay caught up while on vacation. Brandon, being the last one has had the pleasure of getting some of the same teachers as my older ones got and the first thing the teachers ask me on Back To School Nite, is "Does your family still go the islands"? LOL! So, it has been o.k. up to now. Next year, Brandon goes to another school and I hear they give you a much harder time going away. Brandon is still in school the required number of days and we always get a doctor's note if he is sick. When he goes to High School, then he will not be able to join us during the school year as that would be too hard to stay caught up, but elementary is a doable thing, just hope I get good teachers next year!

Debbie, great report, will check out the pictures Have you ever done Esmerelda? That is now one if my favorite spots. Lots of soft corals and sea fans in the shallows, and a great reef.

Great report and pictures :-) thank you for sharing !!

Wow, Debbie, you're really lucky to have such a great relationship with the schools. High school is another story, so enjoy it while you can!

I think the personal growth with this kind of travel is a school credit in itself!

International Travel 101, Scuba 101, New foods 101, Living geography 101, etc. = lots of classroom credits!

I agree Gail and I have argued my case to a lot of principals, jeez, they have climbed volcanos on St. Kitts, went to class in Ms. Caren's Ocean Reef Program, experienced so many different cultures, got certified for diving, and have learned so much more by travel than a text book. Brandon has two more years till High School and I do plan on enjoying that time to the fullest. So far, they have been to Tobago, Roatan, Anquilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Croix to name a few, but Bonaire is now our return always spot.

Debbie...great report! We have got to be on island at the same time. I still have not found the mark on the road for LaDania's Leap. I need someone to take me to it!!!! I so want to do that dive. I never thought about it being too windy for the Blo-Karts, but I guess that could be a serious problem. Also glad to hear that the Wildside dive went so well. We enjoy going out with Larry. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for all who posted here!

Tribs, That would be fun to be on island at the same time. Do we get to stop for ice cream on the way back or maybe a hot dog at the snack stand?

It was so windy that I think those blo-karts would have been a real life Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the sky! LOL!

Cynde, Brandon and Gregg did the Esmeralda dive and there is rumor I am told that there is a huge turtle the size of a BMW that hangs out there. Never seen it, but a cool rumor. Nice dive. Didn't do it this trip, but find that dive best in summer months, better viz. Next trip I will have to do it for sure. Something to look forward to.

I just want to know when you are going to adopt me Debbie. If Brandon can't go next year I could probably be free to be adopted for that time...and I promise not to give you dirty looks or huff about like many kids do. I'll do as I'm told, pick up my room and make my bed. I might even cook dinner a few times.

Is there a line for this adoption thing?? I want to be on it if there is.. lets see.. I can pack the truck for diving each day...and make sure we bring the frozen water bottles to drink and the warm water bottles to rinse off with.. and......

There you all go trying to rob me of my place. That was spoken for a long time ago. HAHA

Three weeks? I think I'm gonna be sick! That's just not fair to the rest of us. I'm not waiting for an adoption list, I'm just gonna call my lawyer and get it done. Debbie, upon receipt of the paperwork please send a spare set of keys. That way I won't have to ask to borrow yours.

Smack, I just got tea all over my screen from laughing so hard. You guys are great! Thanks, and oh, adoption list noted and denied. You are welcome anytime I got the room!

In case you all don't understand that, it means there is no need for any list, you all are welcome to stay with us anytime we go and there is an empty bed!

Very kind of you, Debbie, but you are on dangerous ground here - next time you go we might be standing in line...

Anonymous, no need for a line. Recall Goldie Locks and the three bears? I'll be baby bear shortly.

Sincerely yours,
John "Smack" Anderson-Babcock

PS. Hey Mom! Can I borrow the keys to the truck? Bas wants to play. I'll need money for gas too.

Hi Debbie!! Thanks for the great report and photos. Not helping my PBD though

Tom, the squid picture there is for you!

Thanks Debbie