Easter

I didn't know there were seasons on Bonaire.  But the last few days I have seen everything blooming. Even the palm trees.  I think it is Spring time in Bonaire. 

This is the Kebrahacha tree only found on the ABC Islands.  The natives say it is good luck for the island when these bloom every spring.  These trees cover the island in yellow blooms.

This Century Plant is blooming next door. 

It is also Easter.  The island usually goes all out for Carnival with parades, passion plays and festivals.  Except this year.

Roman Catholics make up 60% of the island. So the island observes the religious holidays related to Catholicism. There are also a Mosque, LDS (Mormon), Pentecostal, Seven Day Adventist, and Presbyterian churches.

In addition to closures because of Covid, everything closes on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Everything...grocery stores, Chinese markets, restaurants (only opening in the evening serving fish for all the Catholics), government offices, banks, service companies...I mean everything closes.  Sundays are usually very quiet on the island.  Easter with Covid makes the place a ghost town.

It's tradition here to go camping for "Spring Break".  The schools are closed for a month and everyone heads to the hills and the beaches to relax. However, the lockdown does not allow for drinking in public places or gatherings of unrelated people.  This has put a damper on outside activities. The beaches are quiet and the roads are not loaded with vehicles. Everyone is staying home.

After snorkeling, we observed good Friday with a red snapper fish sandwich from Pablo's downtown.  We took our meal to the boulevard (across the street from Pablo's) and ate seaside.  We ended the evening on the beach in our lawn chairs watching the sunset.

Happy Easter Everyone!