Laundry

This is the best thing ever.  I discovered a laundry. Not a do-it-yourself laundry but one that you can drop-off and have them do it.  OMG this is the greatest.

It takes me a full day to wash sheets for our bed.  The washer is small (one sheet per load) and it takes 1:43 hours for each load.  I have three sheets for each bed to wash. It takes an hour for the sheets to dry on the line, if it doesn't rain on them.  This sounds like a story problem, doesn't it?

Anyway, the best thing about resort areas is that they have these great housekeeping services for hotels and VRBO owners.  The one I found is called Alpha and Omega. A fitting name for a sorority girl that belonged to the Alpha Chi Omega's.

The dirty laundry is weighed, put in a bag, and taken away.  I got a receipt.  I get it back in two days cleaned and pressed for $28.  I must pick it up at 4:00 pm sharp according to the laundry attendant. I think they deliver too, but I was so delighted that someone was going to do the sheets, that I didn't ask about this service. But I will next time.

Beach Tennis

Behind the Budget Marine building is our new favorite restaurant, Yhanni's. Beyond Yhanni's is a walking park that has been landscaped with reclaimed local stuff.  It's a manicured desert with cacti, trimmed trees, and a  walking path lined with rocks. This is located at kaminda djabou. 

The path leads to, what we thought, was  a recreational arena.  It looked like a bunch of volleyball courts.  There was a covered storage container which usually means its an official "building" of some sort. Netting surrounds the arena and spectator seating was sprinkled around the area. There was a billboard with advertising.

The arena has white sand with outlines that look like volleyball courts. The walls are lined with company logos sponsoring the facility. It even has lighting for night time play.

I found out that these are really beach tennis courts. Beach tennis is played on a volleyball court using stingless paddles with holes and non-pressurized tennis balls.  It has replaced beach volleyball on Bonaire. There are three similar facilities on the island. The sport is super popular with the locals.  They even have tournaments!  

 
 

First Visitors

It never rains in Bonaire...unless we have visitors or I am trying to do laundry. My dear friends Kathy, Justin and Jenn braved the travel road bumps to spend 10 days with us at our island home. They were our first visitors! It rained almost every day.  The first day it rained all day. 

The good news about rain in Bonaire is that it typically doesn't last long and it is warm.  We didn't let the rain dampen our site seeing and activities.

We visited the distillery in Rincon, ate BBQ and toured the sites. Rincon is the oldest town on Bonaire and served as the weekend home for slaves during the 1600's.  It is now a tourist attraction where many of the Antilleans live. 

 

We did new activities.  There are two casinos on the island.  Kathy sniffed out one of them because she needed a gambling fix. This one was located in the Divi Flamingo resort.  Which is an all inclusive with spas, dive shops, restaurants, and a pier that houses a fine beach bar. The casino is open from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am. These weird hours forced us to drink at the beach bar because we arrived in the afternoon.  We returned that night.  Results: Rick up by $50 and Kathy down by $80. Sally kept her money in her wallet.

We visited Gio's, the gelato store, on a daily basis.  Although Rick had a fresh supply of chocolate-raspberry gelato at home, we just couldn't resist the variety of flavors at the best gelato place in the Dutch Caribbean.  Jenn is hooked on passionfruit. 

We consider ourselves locals (Ha!) now that we have been here for a year.  It was interesting seeing our home island through the eyes of visitors. They fell in love with the turquois water, beaches, swimming, diving, snorkeling, shopping and cuisine.

We celebrated Kathy's 70th Birthday for a week.  We ate at all the great restaurants we knew and they introduced us to some we didn't know.  We drank wine and rum in mass quantities.  Rick and I will have to be on the wagon for a few weeks to sober up.

By the end of their stay, the weather had calmed down and we once again had some fabulous views.  

Our visitors left today. It was like a vacation for us to show off the island to others.  We miss them already.

 

We Never Noticed

Our visitors pointed out things that we had never seen before or noticed. We saw our island through their eyes and it opened ours.

Along the southern seashore, the salt pans and their historical roots and processes are still visible today.  There are different color obelisks on the shoreline by the slave huts.  These were used to identify the different salt that was available from the salt pans.  The ships would moor near the obelisk to load the salt that was available that day. The slaves would load the salt in baskets, lift it on a woman's head and she would carry the salt out to the ship wading through the water, current, and waves.

Looking through the slave hut windows, makes us realize that working in the salt pans was brutal. These small huts require a person to crawl into them  through a narrow doorway that is only about 2 feet tall. Even though they are beach front, they are rustic and only provide some shade.

The farm house at Karpata (a popular dive site on the north end of the island) is now abandoned and in rough shape.  Accommodations were  better for the Dutch colonists than the slaves. These are large structures with separate rooms for sleeping, cooking and gathering.

The Dutch had brought over red brick for building.  They soon learned that they couldn't ship enough brick for construction.  They started using coral to create concrete, stucco, tile roofs and beautiful courtyard floors. The coral has held up and is still beautiful where it has been used.  But nature is taking over this historical site.

There is a wall fresco in a walkway in downtown Kralendijk. It depicts native birds, donkeys and the sea.  It is really quite extraordinary and is hidden away in a hallway that we've walked through many times but never noticed.

The Cadushy Distillery feeds the parrots. They flock to this area to get the goodies.  It's a perfect place to take pictures of them.  I have been sneaking up on them as they land in my trees to photograph them...with little success I might add.  Here is a place you can get photos of the birds while they eat and don't notice you sneaking up on them.

 

There is restaurant called Yhanni's.  They make arepas.  Our visitors found this place situated behind the marine building.  It's nothing more than a palapa in a parking lot attached to the pickle ball courts.  Who knew?  They serve the best food and it's cheap. 

It took us a year to notice this spot and it was right in front of us...out of sight. 

There is always something new to learn and see in Bonaire.

The Couch and the Chicken

Bonaire is a mixture of many cultures.  The island has embraced foreign languages, food, holidays and traditions from around the world.

This is a what I call the" Jamaican Park".  The picnic tables and benches are painted in Jamaican colors.  Even the trees in the park are painted.

One of the neighborhoods we frequent, has street names of American Indians.  We were surprised to see these as they are somewhat obscure refences in an international setting. In our neighborhood, all the streets are names of planets. As you may note, our address is Kaya Uranus. You can also see Kaya Kaprikonria, Kaya Saturnus, and Kaya Mercurius.  Kralendijk has named streets after major cities such as Paris, Athens, Madrid and Berlin. There are Dutch street names that cannot be pronounced:  Kaya JR. Randolf Statius van Epps, Kaya Gob. N. Debrot, and Kaya Marcanio Sint Jago. Of course you have the Papiamentu names: Kaya Nikiboko Zuid, Kaya Hanchi Amboina and Rooi Lamoenchi Kunuku Park. And, Spanish names: Kaya Monseigneur Nieuwindt and Kaya Avelino J. Cecillia.

Most of the street names are hard to pronounce and are seldom marked.  This is why directions on Bonaire sound like this:  you know where the colored picnic tables are, take a right at the gas station and follow the dirt road until it turns and then look for that yellow house with a turquoise fence and it will be on your right behind the marine salvage building, you know you are there when you see the couch and the chicken.

 

Amazon UK

 

We made our first purchase through Amazon in the UK. Here is how it worked:

We ordered smart plugs to manage our outside lights with our phone. We made the purchase through an Amazon supplier of European electronics.  They (Amazon) honored my Prime membership and shipped for free within the EU. FedEx delivered the smart plugs to our shipping address in the UK.  EZone, our shipping company, got it from London to Bonaire. It took over a month to get to Bonaire and cost $56 in customs and shipping.

These are the smart plugs.  As you will note, they plug into European plugs. They are wireless and programmed through our phone.  They are designed for outside use and are basically a timer for lights to come on and off.

The instructions for set-up and use are in 27 different languages.  Thank goodness one of the 27  was English.

"Why do we need these?", you may ask.  Well....

The timers on the house are placed near the top of the wall beneath the roof. The placement makes it impossible to change the timing without a ladder. Plus the electrical outlets are European.  We needed wireless so we could easily change the time for lights to come on and off.

We are now fully skilled at ordering things from Europe through Amazon. This little island is certainly global when it comes to getting goods and services.
 

Windows

This is what happens when you don't wash your windows in Bonaire.  The frogs drag their feet through the dirt and make you look like a lousy house keeper.

In my defense, I was waiting for our new windows to be installed.  I didn't want to spend anymore effort than I had to on the old window.

We ordered new windows October of last year. The supply chain has slowed raw material delivery to the island.  It now takes 3-4 months.  Our custom window manufacturer orders parts from around the world including: China, Italy, France, Holland and surely other parts of the industrial world. The French trucker demonstration was the latest event that slowed delivery of window handles to the island. We were told there is also a shortage of shipping containers as they are sitting on ships, ports, and storage yards around the world and not being unloaded and reloaded.

With all of that going on, I believe our new windows will be installed in March. When the installation is complete we will have to re-plaster the window sills and repaint. We will also have to replace all the blinds because they will no longer fit with the new window.

One thing always leads to another when doing house renovations.
 

Lots of Pickles

I know everyone is wondering if we ever solved our pickle problem. The answer is: well sort of.

We went to the "Costco" of Bonaire, Pieters, where everything is sold in large quantities. This store supplies the restaurants.

We found a gallon of dill pickle slices. We will probably die before we eat all these pickles.  We were desperate.  So now I have enough pickles to last our lifetime.

I know this puts everyone's mind at ease.
 

Pickles and Jalapenos

Shopping on the island is like a scavenger hunt. We scour all the stores on a regular basis mentally logging what they have and don't have in stock. Each of the grocery stores and Chinese markets carry different band items.  What they have one week does not equal what they have the following week.  It depends on what comes on the boat.

The latest was a search for dill pickles.  Part of the problem is the packaging is all in Dutch.  When I use the translator it doesn't tell me if its dill, sweet, sour, or sweet and sour.  I have asked other shoppers (the Dutch speaking kind) to tell me which ones are dill and they have been unable to locate them.  We have found American brand dill pickles in the past. It has been a month of searching and waiting for deliveries and restocking.

When one store is out of a fresh item they all are out.  I was hunting for Jalapenos.  Searched store after store to no avail. We also employ the use of other expats intel to find item.  It is a regular conversation among expats and is like playing "Go Fish".

This supply system creates hoarders.  Once you find something on the shelf you buy as many as you can because you never know when you will see it again.

I am off in hunt of pickles and jalapenos....

 

Entertainment

We have been out and about experiencing the entertainment on the island.  Now that the "no singing and no dancing" rules have been lifted, the music and bar scenes are staring to recover.  The rules for bars required everyone to be seated at tables with no more than 4 people. The tables had to be 5 feet apart. The rules put a real damper on people having a good time at bars.

We recently went to a pool side bar that had a band.  It was pretty interesting hearing Dutch speakers singing Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones songs accompanied by an accordion. There was even an Elvis looking guy that sang Elvis songs with a Dutch accent.  What a hoot!

We toured the local snacky bars...again.  These are really just huts/shacks or peoples' homes that serve beer and homemade food. Each has unique servings like "funchi" which is fried polenta dipped in a spicy sauce. Goes great with beer! Others serve ribs, goat stew, meat sandwiches, and fish dinners. These are located in local neighborhoods.  It is difficult to find them without a guide which is why we take tours.

We toured with a retired orthopedic surgeon that looks like a beach bum, a retired California social worker, a professor from Anchorage, a retired oil and gas landman who is really a land woman, and a retired equine dental veterinarian.  They all live on the island and are becoming our circle of friends. 

 

Valentines Day

Valentines Day has special meaning to us.  It's the day we arrived on the island 2021 to start our new life in Bonaire.

This is a professional photo of love birds (Loras) published for Valentines Day on the island. The right is a picture I took of two Loras in our back yard. Notice that I am a terrible wildlife photographer.

We celebrated our milestone at our favorite place "Grandi" on Grandi Avenue in downtown Kralendijk. They serve small plates of interesting food...seafood, veal, chicken, beef, vegetables, pasta and desserts.

We love to linger in this restaurant.  We watch the people, drink wine, and have a cappuccino. The owner is Italian and Dutch.  She is a fabulous sommelier. The chef always has something new and interesting to offer.

We toured the wine room.  The wines are from Italy that the owner imports specifically for the restaurant. She always has the best suggestions for wine pairings with food.

She also gave us the name of the guy that provides knife sharpening to the island chefs.  We have been here a year and its time to get our chef knife sharpened.

The bill comes in a love book.  This was so appropriate for Valentines Day and our one year "on the island" celebration. (Rick is not pointing, just holding the pages for the picture).

Happy Valentines Day.  Happy one year anniversary of living on Bonaire.

 

One Year

We arrived on Bonaire February 14, 2021. Oh what a year it has been! 

We have successfully navigated the Bonaire government bureaucracy to obtain residency, drivers licenses, car license, and health care. We know where every government office is located (and there are a lot of them).

We bought a house, a car, insurance, furniture, appliances and wine...lots of wine. We really love our new home in Bonaire....maybe it's all the wine.

We love, love, love the weather.  It is perfectly warm and breezy...except for September and October when it is crazy hot, dry and miserable.

We know that Fall is the time to travel to escape the heat.

We have experienced Bonaire, Dutch and American holidays. We have celebrated birthdays and our wedding anniversary on the island. We have missed Carnival due to cancellation because of Covid. 

We are still trying to get to all the restaurants. We have our favorites and some places even know us by name.

We have explored the island, seen the sights and experienced the adventure. Sailing, snorkeling, touring the parks, walks in the Mundi and meeting the locals and other expats. We have seen ONE sunrise and a bunch of sunsets. 

Oh what fun it has been!

 

 

Mexican Food

It's hard to find Mexican food on the island. There is Columbian, Suriname, Dutch, Indian. Venezuelan, American, Japanese, Chinese, German, and French.  We have not located Tex-Mex tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, chips and salsa. 

We found something close when we dined at El Bigote. 

It's an open air bar and restaurant in a residential area with a small bed and breakfast hotel for divers.

They have all of our favorites and serve them with a plate full of sauces: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and chimichurri.

They also served a mean Margarita with fresh lime.  Rick swore off Tequila years ago (after spending a night in the bathroom getting acquainted with the toilet) and opted for beer.

Although the fare is sort-of Mexican, their spicy ribs were voted "Best on Island". We will try those next time.

 

House Sitter

We needed a house sitter.  

We talked to our neighbor who gave us a reference.  She works part time with Asko at King Kong burger food truck.  She was already booked for July. We asked our Canadian tour guide and she was booked but had another referral.  That fell through too. 

So, I posted on "Bonaire House Sitters"  Facebook group (yes, there is such a site). Within minutes I had replies: a teacher from the UK that spends summers on Bonaire; a local Dutch woman who has children; a US school teacher with a dog; and a couple in the US that were planning a vacation. One stood out as the perfect candidate.

M.De (name is not used to protect privacy), lives half time on Bonaire and half time in Holland, apparently is wealthy, in her 60's and has two sons that live on the island.  She owns a condo(s) on the island but they are rented and she needed a place to stay.  She and her husband own businesses on the island. She has outstayed her visa on Bonaire and must return to Holland (where she owns a 5000 sq. meter lot with a house) for a few months before she returns. She came to our house for a meeting.

House sitting in Bonaire is not a paid service. They live in your house and sometimes pay utilities while they watch your house.  The house sitter stays in your house while you are gone, cleans when they are done and no money changes hands! There are many people on the island that do not have a place of their own. They simply go from one house to another as professional house sitters.  Who knew that you could do that?

M.De thought our house looked like a resort and was very excited to house sit. This is the first time she has ever done house sitting. She and her husband will watch our house while we are in the US.  

 

 

Insurance

 

Insurance is an interesting industry in Bonaire.  Mostly, it's unusual to us because it is different than insurance in the US.  We have a broker (not unusual) : Crooij & Flipse. This company of 2 individual brokers has our home and car insurance. Our insurance is through two different companies Guardian for the house and Ennia for the car. 

  Each year you have ask to renew your insurance with Ennia through our broker.  They send us a letter in Dutch (which we can not read or understand) explaining the coverage and fees.  Our car is so old that we only insure it for liability. The first time we got insurance from them we had to pay cash at the Banc de Carib (not the Ennia office as they don't accept cash or credit cards). This time we have no idea how to pay.  Since we have a bank account on the island we could probably do a transfer.

We upped our home insurance due to the break-in. We are now insured for replacement value.  Insured for fire, hurricanes and the other stuff that can go wrong with a house. Our broker said that at the time we make a claim, the insurance company will make a determination of the value of our house and its contents.  If they think we are over or under insured, they will pay us what they determine as the replacement value. The insurance only covers what is inside the house and the structure.  Our broker told us to move everything inside the house if we think a storm is going to hit.  That way everything is insured.  

Whatever. Insurance is a racket no matter where you buy it.

Appliances

We brought some appliances with us to Bonaire.  Many of the small appliances came with the house.  There were a few items, however, that we decided after a year that we could not live without.

The salad spinner is  equipment that we did not ship.  We have spent a year trying to rinse and dry basil, lettuce and vegetables but it hasn't been very successful. 

We use a coffee grinder for grinding spices.  We found this little grinder at City Shops which is the Best Buy/Costco (minus groceries) of Bonaire. It's interesting that the grinder is 220v. When we got our microwave it was 110v.  You have to confirm the voltage on appliances because they offer both in the stores.

Several months ago we invested in two coffee makers.  These are not cheap. About $45 each and they are all plastic! 

The cooktop in the apartment has never worked.  We called the seller and he said he never used it and didn't know it didn't work.  So we ordered a new one.  We ordered it through our electrician who deals with Holland on appliances.  We ordered it in October of last year and it still hasn't arrived.

Note to file:  When you move to a different country bring small appliances with you.  They are cheaper in the US than Bonaire.