rjchandler
Contributor
My annual sojourn to Bonaire was bookended this year by those who borrow gas in the nighttime.
I was unable to pickup my rental truck at the airport because the rental companies are having a bit of a go around with the government. They were booted out of the airport and then booted out of their new facility across the street so I had to catch their shuttle to their temporary base at the Plaza to pick up my truck. Drove it down the street to my accomodations and parked it til the next morning. When I went diving the next morning I noticed that the inner liner of the wheel well had been ripped apart and when I went to Lisa Gas I was told that the hose had been cut and it wasn't possible to put gas in the tank. (Rental trucks on Bonaire have a rubber hose from the cap to the tank, with no anti-siphon protection, that sits behind a plastic wheelwell liner). So it was off to the Plaza to get another truck with a full tank. Next morning I was again greeted with a ripped out wheelwell liner and an empty tank so it was off to the Plaza again for a third truck. Things settled down after that.
Until our last night when I filled the tank to return the truck in the morning. I parked in the lot on the street directly under the spotlight that illuminates the resort sign and next to the streetlight that had been installed just that day by the Government ( no doubt to keep the streets safe and secure) -- and went to bed early. When I happpened to awake at 1:30 I glanced out the window and saw someone squatting by the my gas tank - can in hand. I ran out the door and chased him off and waited around to make sure he was gone. I saw a police van head into the Divi and was about to go talk to them when my wife appeared and pointed out that I had forgotten to put on my pants. So there I was, half naked, pacing angrily up and down Kaya Abraham at 1:30 in the morning with a large rock in my hand. Decided it was not the best time to talk to the police. Went and put on pants and spent the night in the bed of my pickup watching the traffic go by.
But the rest of the trip was great.
We went to the Belnam dive site because a friend told us there was a seahorse right on the mooring line. Now those are directions I can follow. I was excited because, in all my years of diving, the only time i had ever found a seahorse it was dead. We suited up, got to the shore and along came the marine park boat and replaced the mooring line while we watched in dismay. One of many reasons why I don't chase fish from site to site. Did 10 dives at Red Beryl and 10 at Witches Hut - these are my favorite sites.
Did Lac Cai once. Tried Somethin Special for variety - this is an easy entry, short swim site right in town with a lot of interesting fish activity. Hilma Hooker was pleasant enough early in the morning with just me, the tarpons and the green moray. But gosh, if your going to sink a drug smuggler's ship, can't you scatter some empty vials around and maybe have Jaqueline Bisset swim by once in a while? Night dives at Carib Inn/Divi and Buddy Dive were diasappointing. Wasn't much out and about.
Worst dive was Tori"s Reef. We were trying to convince boat diving friends of the glories of shore diving. We had just taken them to Red Beryl where they were knocked down in the surf, the lobster wasn't home, the crinoid had moved, the blenny wouldn't dance and the four turtles from yesterday were nowhere to be seen (don't chase fish from site to site
). Tori's is a non surf entry. Turbid would be too good to describe the viz. And there was a thermocline (or at least the Carribean version 82F to 77F) complete with blurry viz you see with a thermocline. Oh great I thought - they're really gonna be impressed. Then we saw two huge cuberra snappers. Then we saw a field of sailfin blennies dancing away. Then we saw 4 eagle rays in a feeding frenzy. We watched them for about 10 minutes. They acted like we weren't even there. Our friends were shooting video from 3 feet away (except when the camera jammed).
There are no bad dives on Bonaire.
New fish seen: gold goby, black brotula, harlequin pipefish. saw 3 frogfish in one dive at the divi. saw more eagle rays than I have ever seen before on Bonaire.
Food: Donna&Georgio's is a favorite. Donna made us a cheescake for our anniversary.
Kon Tiki has slow service but good food and a nice location. a good place for lunch if you drive around the island on your last day. Casa Blanca's mixed grill for two yielded two additional meals at home. Fogon Latino has a nice steak and eggs dinner at a fair price. Chinese carryout - enough chicken fried rice for two for 13F isn't bad. And of course there is that old favorite -- gouda with peanut butter and jelly.
Stayed at Carib Inn. Nice and quiet by the water. Serves my diving needs quite nicely.
And if you see a beater silver Mitsubishi pickup with one tail light hanging around in the middle of the night - keep your eyes open. ( that prolly describes half the vehicles on the island.
Yea - I'm gonna go back. PBD PBD
I was unable to pickup my rental truck at the airport because the rental companies are having a bit of a go around with the government. They were booted out of the airport and then booted out of their new facility across the street so I had to catch their shuttle to their temporary base at the Plaza to pick up my truck. Drove it down the street to my accomodations and parked it til the next morning. When I went diving the next morning I noticed that the inner liner of the wheel well had been ripped apart and when I went to Lisa Gas I was told that the hose had been cut and it wasn't possible to put gas in the tank. (Rental trucks on Bonaire have a rubber hose from the cap to the tank, with no anti-siphon protection, that sits behind a plastic wheelwell liner). So it was off to the Plaza to get another truck with a full tank. Next morning I was again greeted with a ripped out wheelwell liner and an empty tank so it was off to the Plaza again for a third truck. Things settled down after that.
Until our last night when I filled the tank to return the truck in the morning. I parked in the lot on the street directly under the spotlight that illuminates the resort sign and next to the streetlight that had been installed just that day by the Government ( no doubt to keep the streets safe and secure) -- and went to bed early. When I happpened to awake at 1:30 I glanced out the window and saw someone squatting by the my gas tank - can in hand. I ran out the door and chased him off and waited around to make sure he was gone. I saw a police van head into the Divi and was about to go talk to them when my wife appeared and pointed out that I had forgotten to put on my pants. So there I was, half naked, pacing angrily up and down Kaya Abraham at 1:30 in the morning with a large rock in my hand. Decided it was not the best time to talk to the police. Went and put on pants and spent the night in the bed of my pickup watching the traffic go by.
But the rest of the trip was great.
We went to the Belnam dive site because a friend told us there was a seahorse right on the mooring line. Now those are directions I can follow. I was excited because, in all my years of diving, the only time i had ever found a seahorse it was dead. We suited up, got to the shore and along came the marine park boat and replaced the mooring line while we watched in dismay. One of many reasons why I don't chase fish from site to site. Did 10 dives at Red Beryl and 10 at Witches Hut - these are my favorite sites.
Did Lac Cai once. Tried Somethin Special for variety - this is an easy entry, short swim site right in town with a lot of interesting fish activity. Hilma Hooker was pleasant enough early in the morning with just me, the tarpons and the green moray. But gosh, if your going to sink a drug smuggler's ship, can't you scatter some empty vials around and maybe have Jaqueline Bisset swim by once in a while? Night dives at Carib Inn/Divi and Buddy Dive were diasappointing. Wasn't much out and about.
Worst dive was Tori"s Reef. We were trying to convince boat diving friends of the glories of shore diving. We had just taken them to Red Beryl where they were knocked down in the surf, the lobster wasn't home, the crinoid had moved, the blenny wouldn't dance and the four turtles from yesterday were nowhere to be seen (don't chase fish from site to site
). Tori's is a non surf entry. Turbid would be too good to describe the viz. And there was a thermocline (or at least the Carribean version 82F to 77F) complete with blurry viz you see with a thermocline. Oh great I thought - they're really gonna be impressed. Then we saw two huge cuberra snappers. Then we saw a field of sailfin blennies dancing away. Then we saw 4 eagle rays in a feeding frenzy. We watched them for about 10 minutes. They acted like we weren't even there. Our friends were shooting video from 3 feet away (except when the camera jammed).There are no bad dives on Bonaire.
New fish seen: gold goby, black brotula, harlequin pipefish. saw 3 frogfish in one dive at the divi. saw more eagle rays than I have ever seen before on Bonaire.
Food: Donna&Georgio's is a favorite. Donna made us a cheescake for our anniversary.
Kon Tiki has slow service but good food and a nice location. a good place for lunch if you drive around the island on your last day. Casa Blanca's mixed grill for two yielded two additional meals at home. Fogon Latino has a nice steak and eggs dinner at a fair price. Chinese carryout - enough chicken fried rice for two for 13F isn't bad. And of course there is that old favorite -- gouda with peanut butter and jelly.
Stayed at Carib Inn. Nice and quiet by the water. Serves my diving needs quite nicely.
And if you see a beater silver Mitsubishi pickup with one tail light hanging around in the middle of the night - keep your eyes open. ( that prolly describes half the vehicles on the island.
Yea - I'm gonna go back. PBD PBD
