BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Trip Reports: Trip Report May 1-9
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 05-01-10 to 08-31-10: Trip Report May 1-9
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Honzel (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonaire May 1 – 9, 2010. This trip was my wife’s gift to me for my 40th birthday. We Left O’Hare 6:25 pm and arrived Newark NJ. Left Newark at 11:55 pm and arrived on red-eye Continental at Flamingo International Airport at 4:25. Our luggage did not make it. The same for 2 others on the flight. Well, that’s why we fly with our mask, fins, snorkel, computer, camera, and swimsuits. We planned on renting BC’s and regs at Toucan Diving during our stay at the Plaza. Oh well, things happen, we were not going to let a little thing such as no luggage which contained our clothing, wet suits, flashlights, emt shears, batteries, chargers, all out personal items stop us from having fun.

Our room was not ready when we got to the resort, but, we expected that. Its seems that many people that were on our flight were upset with the fact that the rooms were not ready… I really don’t understand why, its pretty well understood that check in is not until 2pm. We did our dive orientation and checkout dive from the beach, got some lunch, checked on our room… not ready yet. No prob, we were signed up for the 2pm boat dive. We checked our carry on luggage with the desk and went on our dive.

A note to all red eye flyers… When you check your luggage with the desk at any resort, watch them put it in a room and lock it. Make sure they lock the room. We almost had an incident with what little luggage we had, but fortunately all turned out ok. Enuf said on that topic other than to say that the Plaza Management was very concerned and took care of matters in a timely manner.

Breakfast every morning was included with our room special. Breakfast at the Banana Tree at the Plaza Resort was very good. Good selection of fresh fruit, cereals, breads, made to order omelets….. No complaints.

Our lunches were almost always peanut butter or schinken and cheese sandwiches in our room between dives.

Dinner on Sunday May 2 was BobbeJans. Love BBJ’s.
Dinner on Monday – Mona Lisa. Our absolute favorite place!!!! Wahoo carpaccio to start was wickedly good.
Dinner on Tuesday – Beach BBQ at the Plaza Resort. Good Food.
Dinner on Wednesday – Banana Tree at the Plaza Resort.
Dinner on Thursday – Unbelievable. Our first time here and we will come back. Very nice establishment, good food, good service, nice people, nice décor.
Dinner on Friday – Richards. Another of our favorites. Had a nice conversation with Richard, he is a great host and always has good food. (Richard, the stingray video is on its way)
Dinner on Saturday – We tried to go to Mona Lisa again, but found they are closed on sat and sun. We went to Wil’s after reading many of the posts on this website. We were not steered wrong. Wil’s was GREAT!!!!! Home smoked blue marlin for starters was unbelievable. I had prosciutto wrapped, grilled shrimp with tomato basil marmalade and my wife had the Dorado special. We ended with fresh strawberries with fresh passion fruit custard and a glass of ice wine. Very, Very good. Wil’s made our “Must Eat At” list.

We mixed up our diving with shore dives and boat dives. A big thanx to Caroline, Alex, Jackson, and especially Jan and Sherman from Toucan Diving. Jan and Sherman took us on some phenomenal drift dives. I know, I know, I know…. Drift Dives on Bonaire? Yes. We did 2 on Klein that were the highlight of our trip. Our last ended with a spotted eagle ray at 25 feet at the end of the dive. I have a great video from the dive, I just have to figure out how to upload it.

Weather was about 89 all week, water was 82. We saw no lion fish, but heard of sightings… We did a night dive at Small Wall and my wifes dive light crapped out on her as soon as she entered the water. I gave her mine and just drifted along behind her. I turned around at one point and wondered what the dive shop filled my tank with. I thought I was getting nitrogen narcosis or some other malady. I was drifting, in the dark water with no light, and I was surrounded by green winking lights. My first experience with Bioluminescence. What an amazing experience. I waved my hand back and forth and it looked like sparks shooting out of my fingertips. This lasted until I came up through 20 feet and then ended. Truly, one of my most memorable dives.

We did a dusk dive at Salt Pier. Shore dives at Red Beryl, Alice in Wonderland, and Salt City. Boat dives at Small Wall, Cliff, 1000 Steps, Margate Bay, Captain Dons, Joannes Sunchi, Nearest Point, Rock Pile, Hands Off and South Bay.

Our flight home was uneventful. Oh, our luggage did come on Tuesday afternoon. It was nice having it, but we found we could have made it thru the week without it without too many problems. It was better to have it but it gave us some insights on packing.

While shopping for souvenirs, we found a shop, darn it, cant remember the name. Next to and upstairs from Harborside Mall on Kaya Gobernandor Nicolaas Debrot: take the same staircase up for the Indonesian Restaurant and go to the right, behind the bar. Its all handmade, local art and jewelry. The owner was making necklaces when we came in. As she was ringing up our purchases, a teenage Bonarian girl came in and the owner sat her down and showed her what they were working on. She was teaching art to the girl in the middle of the shop as we were shopping. Another woman in the shop made the Bon Bini door sign that we purchased. I wish I could remember the name of the place, I would recommend you look it up and give it a try.

Hello to Michael and Crystal, Bob and Sue, and all the others we met on the boat and at the resort. We cannot wait to make the trip again.

Bon Bini!!!
Pics can be viewed at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50086668@N02/show/


(Message edited by k9diver2 on May 12, 2010)

(Message edited by k9diver2 on May 12, 2010)

(Message edited by k9diver2 on May 12, 2010)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Honzel (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

our photos from the trip

(Message edited by k9diver2 on May 12, 2010)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By judy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 6:18 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Awesome pix. Thanks for sharing the report also.

73 days til touchdown

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Carvalho (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 8:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Awesome shots! Can't wait to get back to Bonaire, but it won't be until October! 8~(

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By "Barbie"Ruth******Ken's forever love (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4326) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 9:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

You got some terrific shots there! Thanks for sharing them! Can't wait til Aug 1st!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By RObert Carter (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 9:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mark,
Great report. My wife and I had our luggage lost back in December. We went three days until it finally arrived. Luckily Buddy dive provided all the gear free of charge until ours made it.
Our count down is just over 200 days. We can only really make it during the high season because of us being teachers.
Robert

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KOB (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 9:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mark -- nice pics. What were you shooting with?

128 days 'til BON!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eric M. "CamMan" (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1087) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 10:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Loved the pictures. Seahorses, turtles, a frogfish, and I think you mentioned you got video of some rays. Plus a nice variety of morays. Very nice.

And I loved how you didn't let little problems ruin your trip. Reminds me of us. Wish more people could learn to roll with the waves like that. World would be a much better place.

e.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By brenda (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #476) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wonderful shots Mark, thanks.

You've a great attitude about traveling. My motto...it is what it is. Upside to losing luggage, great way to find out exactly what you need to pack, more importantly, what you don't! Bet you'll travel allot lighter next trip.

Kudos to Buddy Dive for their gear donation. Many ops will do this for their clients, when they can. I no longer stress about my gear making it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #552) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great trip report . Other than your luggage sounds like you had a great trip with no adversity , refreshing . thanks

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise K (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2691) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Lots of great pics. I especially like the turtle swimming with lots of little fish around him.

Thanks for sharing :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bill a.k.a.Mr. Bill...(**********) (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14988) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wonderful pics Mark and a great attitude toward travel :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Honzel (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 5:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Camera is an Olympus 550UZ in an Olympus housing and Olympus strobe.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary Allman (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 7:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Mark,

What is the latest on permission/guide/nothing with regard to diving the Salt Pier?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R J (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 7:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mark,
Thanks for a great trip report.
We have stayed at Plaza and dove with Toucan on previous trips. It reminds me why we have enjoyed our visits so.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scot Ward (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #196) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 8:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great Pictures. Your trip report was great also thanks for sharing!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Honzel (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 9:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Salt Pier is unrestricted as long as there is no boat there. No permission needed. We still dove it with a dive master as an after hours dive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Honzel (BonaireTalker - Post #25) on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 9:33 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

New videos from our trip. Enjoy. The videos were shot with video mode on a digital still camera with only ambient light.

Two Spotted Eagle Rays at Red Beryl


A school of tangs at 1000 Steps

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bill a.k.a.Mr. Bill...(**********) (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #15206) on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 2:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Nice vids! That's amazingly well done with a still camera! Beautiful to watch. Thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Parachute (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 6:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Mark,

I dove with you and Donna @ Salt City.

Those are great pics and video.

Nice meeting & diving with you, and nice to hear everything worked out with your luggage!

- Paul

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration