Shipping Furniture

Two years ago we turned our small third bedroom into a media room.  We took out the twin bed and sold it to some nice island girls. We purchased a love seat recliner from a local "Best Buy" kind of store.  The recliner was a floor model and we thought it would be fine but it didn't last long.  

Our hunt for the replacement furniture was done on line.  We located a model that we really liked but we didn't know if it was comfortable.  Keep in mind, that Rick is very tall and I am very short.  Buying furniture that fits both of us is hard. 

We enlisted the help of our son and daughter- in-law in the States because they have similar body types to ours and there was a store in their town that carried the furniture we wanted.  They tried out the recliners in the store and said that they were comfortable for both of them.  Now we were ready to order and ship.

We ordered the furniture from a store in Miami.  They delivered the couch to AMCAR (also in Miami) which is a shipping company that specializes in shipments from the US to the Dutch Caribbean. AMCAR ships by cargo boat to Racargo which is a receiving company on Bonaire. Once it goes through customs, Racargo delivers it to us.

The recliners came in one big box but it had to be assembled.  Rick, the engineer, read the instructions which were in English.  It's rare for us to see instruction in English. The items we purchase on Bonaire have instructions in Spanish, Dutch, German, Japanese and sometimes English.

Rick has seen several videos on repairing furniture as he had hoped he could replace the previous recliners. He had a good idea of what it took for assembly.

It took two of us to hold the pieces and affix screws. Rick was able to figure out the electrical.  We traded up and got electric motors that operate the chairs, Now we have to purchase a transformer so the Bonaire electric currents don't blow up the motors in the chairs.

We were very proud of ourselves for ordering furniture from the States and getting it shipped here in three weeks. We were also pleased that we could move furniture, assemble furniture, and clean the room in one day.

This is a well deserved rest in our new recliners.

Dushi Balls

Bocce league has started again. This is our group that plays every Sunday at the local Bocce lanes.  We only play each other because the Dutch play a similar game called  "jeu de Boules" and won't play with us.  The Dutch are very serious ball players and they don't appreciate our trash talking, drinking, or loud cheering. They also play with heavy silver balls and have different rules that we have yet to understand.  So we play teams of three or two depending on how many people show up.

We used to play at a bar outside of town however, they catered to the Dutch teams and had tournaments which kicked us off the lanes for a month.  Our illustrious team founder and manager located new playing lanes. 

 

We have to maintain our Bocce lanes. This includes leveling, cutting weeds, and pulling weeds.  The local recreation center has maintained the parking lot area and provided benches and some shade.  Their efforts have been minimal.  Ours, on the other hand, have been frequent and effective.  We now have  playable lanes and they are reserved just for the Dushi Balls.

Our team name Dushi Balls is made from a Papiamentu word "Dushi" meaning "sweetheart", "babe" or even "sexy. It can be used for both men and women and is a term of endearment. It can also be used in describing food as "tasty".  

You have to be willing to make your own good times. Two of our team mates made score keepers from wood food boxes and cloths pins.  So creative and very useful.  Our manager designed our logo, shipped in our balls from the States as well as our t-shirts. We all pitch in to maintain the lanes. We also bring adult beverages and snacks just like the moms do for youth team... minus the alcohol.

4 Years on Bonaire

This was my first post on Bonaire Bobs blog:

So Bonaire Bobs blog documents our story.  We (my husband Rick and myself) wanted to share our adventure in selecting an island, moving, settling in and living as ex-pats. So this is our story...

We celebrated 4 years on Bonaire February 14, 2025. This was the post of us opening the door to our new home:

Our front door. I am not going to lie, it was a real HGTV moment.  The minute we walked in we couldn't believe our dream came true.  I cried and Rick gave me a hug and kiss and we were finally at home on the island.

We love island life and our home in Bonaire.  It's the most spontaneous thing we have ever done and we have not regretted it for a minute.

Our friends visiting this week took this photo of Rick and I at the beach.  Here's to another 10 years of island living.