Grampy

We went to the US to spread ashes for Rick's dad or "Grampy" as he was known by his grandchildren and great grandchildren. We all met in Boothbay, Maine and boarded a charter.  The grandkids read poems, and shared memories. Rick gave a eulogy recalling that Grampy never complained and never gave up.  This inspired us all to be better.

On a bright sunny day at sea we spread his ashes into the sea and he joined his beloved wife Shirley who preceeded him by 30 years.

Grampy's final wishes were to be buried at sea  with all his family present followed by a lobster dinner on the wharf in Boothbay Harbor. So that's what we did!

The lobster dinner is the best when its on the wharf.  This was one of Grampy's favorite things to do. 

We went to see the Grandparents house. They live on through their family.

 

Sunday

Lazy Sunday in Bonaire.  We ate a sandwich at MG snacky bar and then off to rediscover another snack bar that we had been to several months ago on the snack tour. 

After a bit of driving around we finally found Den Baraku snack bar. It has the best funchi we have ever had and their beers are super cold. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

This snack bar is in a local area that is one block from the mansion and compound of Don Andres. He is the shipping magnate that is responsible for all ships coming into Bonaire.

Den Baraku is in the middle of Papiamentu neighborhood.  We had trouble ordering and a nice guy helped us with the Papiamentu words we needed to order funchi and eat it at the bar:  "Asa funchi kome aqui".  The bartender and cook only spoke Papiamentu.  We love the funchi which is fried polenta with a sweet chili sauce.

We were watching a televised game of the Netherlands and Germany play field hockey.  Next to the TV, we  noticed a clock that had all the continents displayed.  The ABC's were shown in black marker dots. Too funny!

You can see three dots on the top of South America just off the coast of Venezuela to the right of the "9"...that's the ABC"s.

After four beers and funchi we were happy campers.  Great way to spend Sunday afternoon. 
 

The Storm that Wasn't

Bonnie, the tropical storm, was to hit Bonaire with 12 inches of rain and winds of 50 mph with gusts of 100 mph. The Caribbean Weather Channel kept using words like cyclone, hurricane, flooding, high winds, and waves of rain. They warned us to prepare for a major storm.

It rained for a full day which is unusual but not dangerous. No high winds, no power outages, no uprooted trees, no flying debris. It was the storm of the century that never happened.

The day after Bonnie was to hit Bonaire, the sun came out and we had a beautiful day.

We had removed everything from the patio. It never looked so clean and uncluttered. We brought all the pillows, cushions and couch covers, furniture and decorations inside so they would not blow away and because our insurance only covers things inside our house.

We spent the day putting everything back in place. At least now we have tested our disaster plan and implementation. Everything worked as planned.  I was also able to practice my worrying skills.  I am glad to report that I excel at this skill.
 

Storm

A tropical storm is forming and models show it may cross over the ABC Islands.  It may just blow over (no pun intended) or turn directions or calm down to just rain.  The Caribbean Weather site suggests that we prepare for the worst and break out our hurricane kits. 

This was a good opportunity to try out our preparedness.  We have no idea how long the storm will last or if we will be without power and water.  This will be a practice run for us.  We sanitized our water storage containers and will fill them in the coming days.  We shopped for non perishable food items. We stocked up on batteries.  Our flashlights all work.

We charged every electronic devise and power storage items.  We downloaded books on our readers.  We tied down all of our hanging lights, and secured our decorator items so that they would not blow away.  All of the furniture pads, pillows and couch pads are stored inside.  We froze several blue ice blocks in case our freezer/fridges loose power.  Our gas grill has two full propane tanks.  We left our pool water level low so when it rains it won't overflow.  We are ready.

The normal people on the island, just went to the liquor store and called it good.

Fruits and Nuts

Our neighbors are urban farmers.  They have cultivated their entire lot with banana, fruit and nut trees, tomato plants, local herbs, and spinach that grows on a vine.  They have chickens and quails for eggs(they sell the eggs) and several bee hives for honey. If we ever have a catastrophe on the island we always say we will go next door and graze through their yard for food.  

This week they shared a Soursop (pictured above).  It's an awful looking fruit with a mushy pulp that tastes like grapefruit. You can't eat the seeds and the skin is covered with sharp nubs.  So you have to eat around those issues to get to the sweet and sour pulp.

These are Moringa seed pods.  They grow on trees all over the neighbor's place. They cultivate them for the seeds that they dry and press to get a fine oil that they sell.  The oil is used to lubricate things like watches and sewing machines. 

Our neighbors don't need the money from these crops, they just like growing things and living off the land.  She is a school teacher at the Dutch school and teaches English.  She is an American from Alamosa, Colorado.  Her husband is a nursing administrator at the medical clinics.  He is Dutch.  They met while working in Chile.  They have two kids, both born in Denver.  All of them speak English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamentu fluently.

This week, our neighbors, who we affectionally refer to as  Earth Muffins, also gave us Star Fruit. This is a nice normal looking fruit that tastes like a pear to me. It grows on a bush in their yard and is covered with the fruit.  

So there you have it...fruits to nuts.

Chagogo

A new resort opened on Bonaire called Chogogo.  It was built by Tui (Dutch airline and travel company). There was a lot of threats to fine the resort for not having a permit to bring in sand for their fake beach.  The national park agency was going to fine them one million dollars for their faux paus.  I think all is forgiven and they opened up despite the complaints.

We went to check it out.  You can buy a day pass for $25 with a $10 rebate for food and drinks. So for $15 bucks you get to use the resort and their amenities all day.  We ate lunch, had cocktails and laid in the shady lounge chairs.  There is a Lazy River running all around the resort which we tried with inner tubes. It was fun but you really had to embrace the lazy concept because it was a slow river.

The sand was brought in from the French Guyana because Bonaire does not really have sandy beaches. They have a nice walkway along the sea.  The coastline is coral so it's really hard to get in and out of the water.  We saw two old Dutch women on their hands and knees trying to get into the water to snorkel.  We found that quite amusing as we sat in our sun chairs and watched.

The pool is freshwater with chlorine and has a gently sloping entry that makes it more like a lake than a pool.  The sea gulls really enjoyed taking baths in the pool.  Fresh water is a rare commodity for the wildlife.  I am sure the designers never intended this huge pool to be a bird bath.

Festivals

Bonaire summer festivals are super fun.  Since we have been in lockdown for 2 years, everyone is anxious to get out and party.  And they bring their party hats with them!

The Bonaire Culinar is like restaurant week in a US city.  The restaurants offer a special three or four course meal at a cheaper price than usual so that people will try them out.  This is how we learned about many of the best restaurants on the island.

Our favorite was Rum Week.  There were events all over the island featuring rum. The Caribbean is ground zero for rum making and drinking. Rum week attracted distillers, distributors and connoisseurs.  We attended a rum tasting event at one of the fancy resorts. There were rums from all over the Caribbean and they poured rum in our glasses all afternoon and served appetizers... all for free!  Nothing is better than drinking rum on the beach for free. 

Taste of Bonaire featured food and craft booths lined up in Wilhelmina Park. The streets were so full of people that you could hardly walk.  We ate our way through the park, listened to some local bands and made our way home. The highlight was getting soft serve ice cream which is a rarity in the hot weather.  I always had my hands full of food,  so I forgot to take any photos of the event.  

 

Italian Wine

We dropped by our favorite wine bar and restaurant in Playa (downtown Kralendijk) to gather information on Italian wines and vineyards for our Europe trip.

Well two glass of wine later we left Grandi with three bottles of wine and a list of agritrourismo vineyards to visit in Italy. These are vineyards where you can spend the night on the property and visit the vineyard to learn about their wines and production. 

Grandi imports wines from Italy and has an extensive wine room for tasting and purchase.  They specialize in pairing wines with small plates.

Manouk, the owner of Grandi, couldn't resist having a impromptu wine tasting with us.  She brought out some of the best wine wines we have ever had. She always pours a glass and then says: " If you don't like it, don't worry because I will drink the bottle myself."  That's how confident she is in her wine selections.

She keeps catalogs of the wine she buys and imports.  She has business relationships with the vineyards in Italy. She is Italian and Dutch with family in both Italy and Holland. She really knows her stuff.

Now that we are armed with vineyard contacts and locations, we are securing vineyard tours in Italy.    

 

Airco

Airco (air conditioning) in Bonaire is a whole different set-up than in the States. Central air and heat ( which we never need) don't seem to be available on the island. Probably because all the buildings are made of concrete and there is no place to put ducts and vents.  At least that's my working theory.

Our house has an airco unit in each bedroom.  The kitchen/lounge area is not air conditioned.....yet. It is efficient because you only turn it on when you need that room cooled. It's sized for the area of the room and operated by remote control.

Each unit has an indoor component with a  compressor placed outside.  A hole is carved in the wall for the connection between the two pieces. Not air tight or attractive but works all the same.

We just replaced one of our four airco units in our new TV room.  Apparently these units only last about 6-8 years. We purchased a Daikin which is an international company out of Japan. We saw brands that I usual associated with electronics or cars:  LG, Panasonic, Gree, and Mitsubishi.

I am sure this is more than you ever wanted to know about airco in Bonaire. It's an essential item for living here.  This summer when it reaches 90+ and the trade winds stop I am going to be lounging in my newly decorated and cooled TV room...or at the pool...or the beach.

 

George and Gracie

The climate on Bonaire deteriorates almost everything: metal, wood, rattan, painted surfaces, shells, rubber and plastic. It's no wonder that our Indonesian carved wood statues that we affectionally call "George and Gracie" have succumbed to the outdoor conditions.

Even though most of the wood items outside our house are shabby chic or distressed with peeling paint and faded surfaces, there comes a time when they need to be cleaned up and renewed.
 

My trusty friend, Brenda,  accompanied me to the art/paint store to buy supplies. It always amazes me that you can find things on Bonaire.  Brenda knows all the places to buy things whether you are looking for dryer sheets, sewing material, fancy art from Italy or acrylic paint.

I sat down to start painting the figures.  It took only a few hours to get the job done.  I am pleased that George and Gracie have been rejuvenated. 

I am pleased with the results.  Now I am going to tackle some of the wood furniture items that need attention.

Retina Repair

I had a retinal detachment in my left eye. No pain just had floaters and flashes.  Since I had a detachment in my right eye many years ago, I recognized the symptoms.

Off to my GP for a referral to the ophthalmologist. Because of the urgency of the issue, they got me in to see the specialist immediately. Usually it takes months to get an appointment. There is only one ophthalmologist on the island.  When she is on vacation they bring one in from Aruba.  Through the repair procedure, I got to see both.

I was very impressed with the level of treatment and at no cost.  The Doctor identified a small tear and was able to use a Laser treatment for the repair.  The procedure was done in the office and took only 15 minutes.  No pain from the procedure just bright lights that make you want to slam your eye shut but you can't because it's dilated and forced open by clamps.

I have periodic check ups over the next month.  I can't lift anything or bend over too much or do anything that puts pressure on my eye.  In 30 days it should be all better and I can get back to my life.  In the meantime, I will just float in the pool and let Ricky-Bob bring me cocktails.

Fly Overs

Twice a day we have been on the travel route for parrots crossing the island.  Rick took this photo of 8 of the 30 some parrots that were resting on the power lines. 

The fly overs occur in the morning and evening and are accompanied by high pitched loud squawking from all of them. 

It was such an amazing sight that neighbors were calling to alert us to the event that they were seeing.

The Flamboyant tree in our garden, blooms with red flowers year around.  It attracts humming birds and parrots.  The parrots eat the seed pods on the tree by hanging on the limbs upside-down. Part of the fly overs include feeding on the the seed pods since there are no ripe mangos on the tree.

Even though we have had Mango Wars with the parrots, it is always an amazing site to see them in the wild.  They are very vocal birds and always travel with their mates. We always hear them coming before we see them.

 
 

Reconfigured bedroom

We converted the small bedroom to a TV lounge. I really missed our recliners and a place to watch TV in the main house.  It is now my favorite room in the house.

We found a couch that has two recliners which is a perfect for us and oh so comfy! 
 

At the other end of the room we moved our printer and wine cooler and placed the TV on the chest of draws.  We kept the small, orange Dutch chair, foot stool and African art in orange. These our our accent colors along with storage for a case of Bright (beer) and Coke Zero.

We put our printer and office supplies in the reconfigured armoire.  We found a little Ikea case that fits nicely next to the armoire that holds our little wine cooler. Rick is a master at putting these things together and finding 110 outlets for all the equipment. 

If we ever need to convert the room back to a bedroom or need an extra bed we got it covered.  The twin bed went in the storage closet in the apartment. 

After a year of living here, we a finally making things comfortable for us.

International Drivers license

A friend of ours who has traveled internationally for 20 years, suggested we get an international drivers permit for our upcoming trip to Europe.  Seems like an easy task when you are in the US but not so easy if you are in Bonaire.

Once again we set off to the drivers license office.  We asked to speak with Lionel, the head dude. He said they could issue the license.  

He sent us out for another scavenger hunt to get all the things we needed: passport picture and a receipt for the fee.  Sounds simple.  We went to the photo shop to get photos and the power went off in the store.  They asked us to return when the power came back on.  We went to the government office that issues licenses and idenfication cards to pay the fee.   They would not let us in the office without a appointment that has to be made on line.  We return home empty handed.

We made an appointment to pay the fee.  The first available time slot was August 2...two months from now! This office is the slowest, most under staffed office on the island.  Yet everything you need has to go through this office.  As a result it takes weeks and months to get anything completed from the government. 

We called the photo shop and the power was back on so we head back to get our photos taken. Paid our money and got 2 passport type photos.

Monday, we go back to see Lionel to get our international drivers license. Since we haven't been able to pay the fee we hope to talk them into giving us the license and trust us to pay later.  Doubt that will work.   

 

Land Sailing

We went land sailing today.  Well actually, Rick and our friends went land sailing.  I was grounded because of recent eye surgery. I cheered them on from the side of the track.

A couple from New Zealand, who are competitive land sailing professionals, opened up a track on Bonaire several years ago.  Since the wind always blows in Bonaire it was perfect spot for them to open a recreational land sailing site. The track is on the northeast side of the island.  The location has spectacular views of the ocean with waves crashing onto the rocky shore.

The carts (called blokarts) have no motor just three wheels and a sail.  It is all powered by wind.  A rope is used to control speed with a steering bar for maneuvering the corners. They give you a briefing, helmet and gloves and you are off to enjoy the track and sailing.

You can go a fast or slow as you wish. The track runs clockwise which is the New Zealand way ( Americans only have clockwise tracks for racing).

Its a nice long track with two turns, a pit stop area, and shortcuts. After the first couple of laps you are an experienced land sailor. 

The owners say any age person can do this because it is relatively easy and safe. They also give discounts to residents of the island.  For $20 you can have a great time.

Next time, and there will be a next time, I will join the group in lapping the track.

 

Containers

Shipping containers are everywhere on Bonaire.  Everything that comes on this island comes in a shipping container. Many people own a container that they keep in their yard. Containers are used for storage, tiny houses, office buildings, workshops, garages and  extra bedrooms. 

A used shipping container costs about $3500. They are delivered and set in the yard with a crane.  Some people paint them to match their house. Some are rebuilt for a new purpose.

There are few garages and commercial storage places so this is a perfect selection for the least beautiful way to store stuff. 

Our window supplier said there was a shortage of shipping containers worldwide after Covid.  He could not get timely orders for steel, glass, and aluminum. It seems to me that shipping containers don't just disappear.  The shortage must indicate that the containers are just not where they need to be in order to efficiently move goods around the world.

We have also heard that shipping companies are hording containers to affect prices.  What ever the cause, I think I have a solution.

Come to Bonaire and pick up the thousands of containers that litter the island and let get things moving again!

Night Sky

Rick has a fascination with the stars and night skies.  We  watch the constellations move in the night sky  and try to identify them using an app on his phone. The constellations and stars we see in Bonaire are different than the ones in Colorado. 

Most recently we stayed up late to watch the lunar eclipse. It was so cool to see the orange moon and the shadow pass over it. We had a very clear night which is a rarity recently because of cloud cover and dust storms.

Bonaire also has areas with no city lights.  When it is dark it is really dark.  This enables us to see not only a bright orange moon but also the Milky Way.

One of our fascinations is seeing the southern Cross which lies at the southern end of the Milky Way band. We only see it this time of year as it is usually below the horizon. It appears in the southern sky low on the horizon.

The cross serves as a convenient pointer to the south celestial pole, making it useful in navigation. The constellation has been used as an insignia on the flags and stamps of many southern hemisphere nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and regions of Chile and Argentina.

Every time I see the Southern Cross in the sky I recall the lyrics of the song by Crosby, Nash and Young:

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time

You understand now why you came this way