Starlink

We got Starlink! They recently got their permit to provide services on Bonaire and all of us are ordering it.  We are happy to have consistent and high quality internet services.  

The local internet is really weak, slow and inconsistent.  Worst of all, the island internet companies don't care that their service is poor.  They have not invested in upgraded infrastructure.  I think the whole system is held together with duck tape and bad cable hanging from the power poles. I think Starlink will hurt their business because many of the expats have made the shift.

We hope Starlink will add telephone services as well.  That will solve many of our communication issues.  We currently use eSims to get service on the island and when we travel.  In addition, we have a local telephone with service and Google Fi. It would simplify our communications if it could be through one source. 

It took only 10 days to get shipped to us.  It came through DHL.  When we went to pick up our order, the entire back room of DHL was loaded with Starlink boxes. Everything came in two boxes.  It included cables, a flat panel receiver, instructions, router and mounting equipment.

Rick (and a sailor friend of ours) evaluated the house for the best location to mount the flat panel.  The panel must face north-northeast. and have a clear line to the sky.  I expected a dish but Starlink uses a flat panel. Since we have trees, a tall roof and various other obstacles it took some time to identify the best location to mount the equipment.  

Starlink makes hook up and connection easy. There is a phone app to determine the right direction for the panel.  They provided picture diagrams to connect all the pieces and the cabling to the house. 

We are slowly becoming self sufficient with our utilities and lessening our food insecurity.  Our solar is up and running so we don't have to totally depend on island electricity.  Our freezer is humming along making food storage possible and we are less dependent on local grocery stores on a daily basis. Now we have consistent internet services which improves both the quality and quantity of our communication. 

Life on the island keeps getting better and better. 

Venezuela

We had a little excitement on Bonaire a week ago. The air space around Bonaire was closed for big commercial flights for 24 hours.  This was due to the US extraction operation in Venezuela. As you can see from the map, we are close to Venezuela, about 60 miles to be exact.  We did not see any military activity as we are about 150 miles from Caracas. 

It did cause a food and gas panic on the island.  We stood in the checkout  line for 1 hour.  Of course we were with everyone else on the island that was concerned about cargo ships getting into our port to bring supplies.  We had no information from the Island government which is not unusual.  However, we did have US news and a press release from the US Consulate in Curacao.  Apparently, the news traveled fast and we all showed up at the grocery stores not knowing how long we might be without supplies.  This panic left the grocery stores bare for about 2 days.  They restocked quickly and we have had no food shortages.

We were not totally isolated during the 24-hour no fly time, Cruise and cargo ships came in and the inter-island small planes kept flying. Nevertheless, there was a calm nervousness. Buying food and fuel was our first concern (although we were well stocked with both). We didn't worry about our safety because there is nothing but tourists on Bonaire. Certainly, no military or commercial value.

Flights returned within two days. Many people were stranded trying to get to Bonaire and trying to leave. And before you know it, we were all back to normal.

We are safe and sound in Paradise.

 

New Years

New Year's fireworks is a big deal on Bonaire much like most of the  countries around the world. I have always wanted to see the show from the water looking back at the coast line because it lights up with fireworks at midnight.

We boarded the Lady Bellais at 10:30 pm with about 75 others for a New Year's booze cruise. We had the best time.  Many of our friends came too! We cruised around the waters off Kralendijk's coastline.  We drank, we toasted, we kissed and watched the fireworks which went on for 2 hours. It was an incredible show.  Big, really big, fireworks lit up the sky from one end of the island to the other. Its was a magnificent sight.  We even managed to stay up until 2:00 am when the boat docked at the harbor.

New Years day started with our traditional orange cinnamon rolls, eggs and orange slices. Believe it or not, we didn't drink anything but water.

Happy New Year! We welcomed 2026 in grand style.  We hope all of you have a healthy and happy year.

 

Christmas Trip

One Friday evening Rick and I were drinking rum and probably had more than we should have. We thought it would be interesting to find out where our rum was made.  We discovered that the Dominican Republic (DR) is the biggest producer of rum in the Caribbean.....sooo we decided to go and see the distillery, learn about rum, and drink lots of it. 

That's what happens when you drink rum....your end up in the DR having the time of your life.

We will call this our Christmas trip to hide the fact that we just wanted to go and drink rum.

Our first stop was in Santo Domingo, capital of the DR, which is only a one hour direct flight from Bonaire.  It's the oldest city in the Caribbean. We toured the historical old town portion of the city and it was  delightful. 

We had planned to stay at a resort in Punta Cana which is a 3+ hour drive from Santa Domingo.  The drive is a little like Kansas wheat fields only it's sugar cane fields that line the highway for miles and miles. We knew sugar cane means rum, so we were on the right path.

Punta Cana is a beautiful tropical area and boasts a clear water beach.  Although its pretty and the water is blue, it can't compare the water in Bonaire. However, they have lots of rum. Our resort was about 30 minutes north.

The all inclusive resort where we stayed was spectacular.  I suspect it's is like a cruise boat only on land.  It had 10 restaurants, a million bars, planned activities throughout the week, a beach with palapas and a service staff that brings drinks ( in our case it was always rum).  Swimming pools were everywhere and enough lounge chairs for everyone.

The resort was decorated with  spectacular Christmas trees. We even had a visit from Santa. To celebrate our birthdays, the resort delivered a bottle of Prosecco and a HBD birthday cake.

We took a snorkel boat trip which was really an excuse to drink more rum.  The ocean water was warm but rough because of wind and rain.  It was fun all the same because there was dancing, drinking, snorkeling and a shore trip to drink rum out of a coconut.

Our travel companions and good friends helped us celebrate the week of Christmas in fine style. They even drank some rum along the way. 

Merry Christmas to all and Ho, Ho, Ho and a bottle of rum.