Day 6: The Festival of Marge
Today was the justification for our vacation: Marge’s 50th B Day! She was scheduled to take Jerry’s class first thing, but the computer died. Jerry has his presentations set up using the Reef identification program, and he has (of course) put a lot of thought and time into preparing this. Computers are great, when they work 
I cancel out on my boat dive, and entertain Marge for a while. Darrell and Sarah (his lovely wife, in case I didn’t introduce her earlier!) were also to be in Jerry’s class, so he and I plan a Bari dive in a bit, Marge heads off for her morning jaunt.
On this dive I was reminded how alive this reef is! Bari has more unusual creatures, in more quantity than any other site I’ve seen on this island. This is not an absolute statement of fact, of course – just my personal observation.
We head back in – Darrell and Sarah are taking the Cave Exploration outing, we head of to see Raja again. This time, he is not so charming. He is VERY busy! It is just he and his wife (he will tell you!), although there is one young lady helping him – but not much. This man is hustling like someone half his age. The food takes a while, but is wonderful!
Due to the Jerry’s class being postponed till Saturday, our planned guided snorkel is also postponed. I take Marge up to the Andreas for a “snorkel with Chuck”. I show her the fish and behaviors I know, and keep her well within her comfort envelope with, again, a fairly large (for Bonaire) surge. She has fun, it’s got great corals that come up VERY close to the surface. Well deserving of their reputation as (two) great snorkel sites. We look at our watches, and are both surprised that we’ve been here a lot longer than we realized!
Chuck’s note: I snorkeled for 25 years before I became “a diver” nine years ago. It is so easy to fall into the “diver’s” mentality. But snorkeling is, in many ways better! Obviously, much less complicated on many levels. Simpler less equipment, less demands on your body, no time constrictions. And the fish do not react to you – they really, really don’t! And Bonaire is one of the greatest places (tops in the Caribbean) in the world to use a snorkel!
As we return, so do the cavers (spelunkers?). They had a great time, and it certainly sounds like a very different activity. Apparently, you need to swim from one area into the next, and the formations are interesting. Another surprising aspect is that the caves are quite warm, not cooler as one might expect. Everyone recommended it as a worthwhile experience.
Dinner is at Capriccio. Fantastic! Lola and her wait staff offer a world class culinary experience. We eat at many Italian restaurants wherever we go, we have had many close friends that are Italian (and I don’t mean Italian –American) – they all cook, a couple even own their own restaurants. I think we know Italian food and have a really good knowledge base – I’m telling you, Capriccio is something special!!! We have a leisurely, multi course meal, spend nearly three hours there, and can hardly move we have eaten so much! And we take food home! I expect the bill to be large, but to my surprise -$66(US) with drinks. Not cheap eats, but inexpensive for a meal like this.
The food is lightly prepared throughout. Well, except for dessert. They surprise Margie with a piece of Tiramisu with a birthday candle! It is large enough for 4 people, easily. I stray from my diet (intentionally, anyway) for the first time this trip, and I am not disappointed. This is the real deal, the way our friends have made it for us, and it (like everything else here) is sublime. What a way to celebrate The Festival of Marge!
Day 7
I head off to do laundry, and kill time in town while the wash does it’s thing. I could tell you all what a tremendous experience the laundry is, but I think you need to find out on your own – so I won’t ruin it for you. I’m just kidding of course, it’s just laundry. But I do stop at Le(?) Brasserie for coffee once again. Not only are the gals who work there gorgeous, but I declare them to have “The Best Coffee on Bonaire”. Just my opinion of course, but I have two cups – one is not enough.
Back to BDA, and a boat dive. Darrell and Sarah were the first to sign up, and when you do this, you get to choose the dive spot. You don’t have to, of course – you can leave it up to the divemaster. Anyway, they choose Rappel, but it’s taken when we get there, so we continue to La Dania’s leap. We enter the water to find a large moon jelly right by the boat, and we all hang out on the surface for a few to take the beauty of this creature in. Jerry is the divemaster in the water with us, so needless to say unusual critters big and small are found. The corals, soft and hard are tremendous here as well.
A quick lunch at Den Laman, and off to a guided snorkel with Renee. I tried to book with Renee about a month before our trip, and she was already booked solid, except for this afternoon. We had been out with Renee on our last trip, and Marge had absolutely loved her and the experience! Renee finds lots of unusual creatures in places you would normally overlook, but to me, the special thing about her is her way of calming novices, and the fun environment she creates.
She picks us up at Den Laman, and Marge gives her a big hello hug. We bring along another couple, Wade and Nancy (staying at Sand Dollar). I don’t know if Nancy dives at all, but she certainly doesn’t dive a lot, and they were looking for an experience such as this. We then head into town, for a Renee snorkel right off the main drag. Lots of unusual critters abound, but I find an unwelcome one on my way down to get a closer stare at a seahorse: A jelly gets me right around the mouthpiece – both lips and my hand get stung – I never saw it! Renee tells me that it’s that time of year, that there are quite a few around – she has something for first aid, though. We head in, the sting begins to subside after 15 minutes or so (less on my hands, more on my lips). We’ve been in the water for an hour – it seemed like 10 minutes. She offers us drinks (non alcoholic), and takes us to Renee site #2, just across from the airport. So this is where the sand from Pink Beach washed up! This site has a beautiful sandy entrance, with Elkhorn coral beginning in two feet of water. There is a sand channel just beyond the first corals that leads out and around. I sit this one out, I’m still stinging and a bit waterlogged, and this is a beautiful place to just sit and take in the beauty of the sea and land. Too soon, everyone else returns raving about the coral and (of course) the creatures.
Renee takes us back to Den Laman, another round of hugs, and we promise to contact her sooner the next time we come. Marge instructs me; Next time, plane reservations first, Renee reservations second. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is that Marge is as excited about the sea as I am, and to a large degree that is due to Renee’s spirit and style.
Find Darrell and Sarah at the bar, have a drink, and ask them to join us for dinner. Several people have strongly recommended Bistro de Paris, and we decide to give it a go. Let me say that our second day, in line at Warehouse grocery, we had met Patrice (sp?), the owner/chef. He had 4 quarts of heavy cream and 2 dozen eggs. I told him that I had heard nothing but good things about his restaurant, but food such as his was way off limits to me! He is warm and charming, and he tells me not to worry – I will find plenty of choices on his menu, and he will prepare the food in any way that I need.
We enter the restaurant, and it is charming. It is a house, with a French country feel to it. A beautiful, sweet young lady seats and serves us. Patrice stops in to answer any questions first, and to further explain the menu – of course, with his big smile and warm manner. He prepares the catch of the day for me – yellowtail snapper, with oil and no butter or cream. It is served surrounded by vegetables that I haven’t seen on Bonaire yet; baby carrots, cauliflower, asparagus and more. It is delicious! Marge reminds me that it had a roasted tomato and artichoke sauce as well. Darrell and Sarah have lamb and filet respectively, Marge also the snapper, everyone loves their meal! Darrell runs triathlons, so he feels no guilt when he orders the homemade banana caramel ice cream, which is declared to be out of this world! Marge is looking over my shoulder as I write, murmuring wistfully “that is a WONDERFUL restaurant”. Need I say more?
Day 8 last day in paradise
A no dive day for me. Some push it, but I see no need. My bicycle needs to be returned by 12:30, so I head south at 8 AM. I head past the airport (pay the departure tax in advance), and explore the shoreline a bit. The terrain is flat, but the wind is your constant companion, or nemesis, depending on which way you’re going. The building just continues….. How much more, I wonder, before things really start to change?
I return to town around 10, but the Brasserie is closed on Saturdays, so my favorite coffee is not to be had. I loop through town a couple of times, and return to De Freewheiler.
From there I walk back along the water, drinking in the local flavors, and for the second day a pod of dolphins are cavorting between Klein and the island.
Lunch at Buddy’s – I remember the Lion’s Den, but lunch is served by what I believe is a different outfit. Good nonetheless, with a distinct dutch flavor.
A long snorkel up and down Bari is the afternoon’s activity. The highlights were finding more of the little bastards that stung me the day before (but I saw them first this time!) and listening to the dolphins gabbing amongst themselves. This has been a very busy and pleasurable day, and I think it will be etched in my memory for quite a while. I hope so.
Dinner is with the incomparable Annie Phelan, travel agent extraordinaire, at Capriccio again (awwww, do I have to?). We spend 2 ½ hours in the blink of an eye. The food is tremendous, again – what else would you expect? She heads off to a social engagement, we head back to pack. The trip is over, it’s gone before we know it. Time flies when you’re having a GREAT time.
Trip back
AA to San Juan 2 ½ hour layover. SJ to Miami 2 hour layover. Miami to Baltimore.
All flights on time and packed. 1 (out of two) bags lost. No call, back to airport in the morning, there it sits (along with 200 other lost bags!).
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By Chuck Stein (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Thursday, April 5, 2007 - 10:01 pm: 
