Hot

It's hot. It is always hot in August, September and October. The trade winds stop, the sky is hazy and leaves fall from the trees.  The pool, heated by the sun, is almost 90 degrees by noon so it's not much fun to hang out  in the pool.

We spend our mornings getting our chores done and then retreat to the air-co.  Those blog followers from Arizona can fully relate to this pattern. Those in Colorado can relate to being trapped inside during snow storms. We love Bonaire but September is our month to leave the island.

We are heading back to Colorado (this is a picture of our Colorado pool) to sell our house and liquidate our belongings.  When we moved to Bonaire, we were not sure this island thing was going to work out.  Our plan B would have been to return to Colorado.  Plan A has been a success and Bonaire is now our home.

We hope Colorado will be cooler but not snowing!

 

Sun and Moon

We gathered with friends to see the sunset and moonrise. Its a monthly phenomenon that allows viewing the sun setting and a full moon rising within a few minutes of each other.  It was an exceptionally clear evening and the viewing was spectacular. 

We began with drinks followed with a BBQ on the beach.  Everyone is set up for beach gatherings.  Our friends have a homemade bucket BBQ, folding tables and portable lights.  We all bring our own chairs and we are set for a great evening.

 

The moon comes up and its a big golden ball rising over the salt pans as the sun set finishes with a glow.

Flamingo Airport

The 150,000 people that pass through Flamingo Airport Bonaire annually probably don't see the crazy stuff we see.  We have  spent a lot of time this summer picking up and dropping off visitors at the airport. I thought I might share some of our observations. 

The airport is open air.  On the ceiling is the biggest fan. It's not just any fan it is a "Big Ass" fan. That is the model or brand. Each blade is about 10-15 feet long.

 

Naturally there are flamingo decorations everywhere.  These happen to be in the restaurant. The restaurant features a glass wall where you see the visitors walk by on their way to immigration.

The entrance to the airport features a large plaster/concrete sculpture of an iguana. It is super ugly.  It's been there a long time overlooking all who enter.

The airport has new sun/rain shades on the loading ramps/stairs.  I don't know if its to protect passengers from the sun, rain or wind.  But they are covered all the same.

Our drop off area is called "Kiss and 

Ride".  It's one lane that is guarded by a friendly security guard that tells you to move on before you even get your passenger out of the car.  Forget the kissing...they want you to move it.

We often pick up passengers here because it saves us the $1.00 for parking...which is ridiculously cheap for airport parking.

There is a map of miscellaneous islands that covers an entire wall near check in. I think it is an advertisement for phone services.  It doesn't list Aruba which is part of the Dutch Caribbean but it does show St. Kitts and Nevis which are not. We have never seen Chippie on the the island.

Kayak Trauma

Kayaking always looks so peaceful, calm and fun.  That is why we reserved three kayaks for a nice paddle in the sea. We put on sunscreen, our hats, sunglasses, rash guard/sun shirts and water shoes . We were ready.

We took off from the dock and it seemed calm.  Rick and Donovan were paddling along and I was zigzagging (not on purpose but because of my poor skills) in the channel trying to keep up. I was enjoying looking at all the houses and boats along the way.  We reached the channel that opens to the sea.  The wind picked up and it became super hard to paddle and not get carried out to the sea by the current.

I met the boys as they turned around at the mouth of the channel that opens to the sea.  The wind was strong and they we paddling hard.  I got carried by the current and was heading out to sea.  Rick tried to save me but I was hysterical and exhausted and was no help in the rescue.

I finally made it to shore. I dragged the kayak up on the rocks and told Rick to come back and get me.  I sat on the shore with shaky legs and arms thinking that I could have been totally swept out to sea and I would not be able to paddle back. I was traumatized.

Rick and Donovan paddled back to the dock bucking a head wind the whole way. They were tired as well. Donovan claimed that Grandpa could keep up with him but I think they both struggled against the wind.

I saw a coast guard boat go by and I was mortified to think they came to rescue me. They passed by without stopping....thank God.

My rescue team showed up and loaded the kayak and me in the back of the car. 

 

Donovan sat in the back holding the kayak named "Frenzy" (seemed appropriately named). The kayak hung out of the back of the car by about 1 foot.  One big bump would have sent it flying out the back taking Donovan with it. 

Our big adventures with kayaks has not been what we had envisioned.  Our first kayak trip in the mangroves found Donovan frustrated with the oars getting caught in the trees and roots. Our second attempt almost sent Grandma out the sea. We are all exhausted and our muscles are sore.

We have sworn off kayaking...it just isn't our sport.

The Real Dutch Bakery

Our quest to find sweet pastries on the island leads us to many places that advertise donuts, sweet rolls, cupcakes, and bread.  We have been to many of them seeking donuts, cinnamon rolls or any sweet pastry.

Since we dropped the grandson off at scuba certification class in the early morning, it gave us to time to visit yet another bakery in the morning as they close in the afternoon.

This is "The Real Dutch Bakery".

We think that the Dutch do not have a yearning for sweet pastries.  We have never found them on the island.  They are big into bread. They had loafs of bread and muffins. This bakery caters to the Dutch and makes the Oliebollen (a grease ball of dough and powdered sugar) that everyone eats at New Years. 

We did find a box of "Toppers Van Oranje". These are bread rolls filled with vanilla pudding and topped with powdered sugar. We got a box of 4 and brought them home.  It was the only sweet thing we saw in the bakery. Not exactly what we have been searching for but it was a pastry done Dutch style.

The search continues...

 

Visitors

We have had a steady stream of visitors this summer. We like to commemorate arrivals with a photo.

The is BJ and Jim friends from Denver who visited in May. They reminded us that Bonaire is a beautiful place.
 

Son Phil, Daughter-in-Law Eliza and Grandson JB visited in April.  Seeing our grandson experience snorkeling for the first time was priceless.  Sharing our island with them was a visit we will cherish forever.  

My old friend, Kathy, from our water skiing days and her son, Justin, came in June as a second visit to Bonaire.  We ate and drank everything Bonaire has to offer.  They reminded us that we live in Paradise and that friendships can last 40 years plus.

Grandson Donovan came for a couple of weeks. It was his Christmas gift from us to get scuba certified.  We had to work to keep up with him. We were busy diving, snorkeling, kayaking, land sailing, swimming and eating. It was great to get to spend time with him.  He reminded us that we are not old, just out of shape.

It's been a great summer of visitors and we look forward to sharing our island with future visitors.

Mules

Mules: humans that carry goods (sometimes contraband) to those of us who miss American goods and need them hand carried. 

Our mules have gone to great lengths to bring us goods. They have frozen food items carried in cold packs in their luggage, brought extra suitcases filled with requested stuff and even surprised us with special goodies. 

I needed aluminum foil because I can only get Chinese foil that is paper thin.  I asked for Reynolds Wrap that I thought would be one roll of 50 feet.  Instead, I got two rolls of 500 feet each. The luggage weighted a ton and required checking instead of carry on. I will never need to buy foil again!

I asked some friends who where traveling to the US for a short trip to bring back Vitamin B-12. My buyers (mules) had many questions including the size, liquid or capsules, three pack or just one bottle. I need to know more about what I am asking for before I expect my mules to make purchases.

One mule brought me a surprise of green chili from Santiago's in Arvada.  We loved it so much that the next visitor who came was asked to bring more green chili.  It became their mission to find it and bring it to me.  This was not without difficulty.  It was hard to find due to supply, they used a cold pack to carry it and even put it in a freezer in Miami on a layover.  They brought not one but two packages of green chili. The mission was completed. I now have a freezer full of green chili.

And then there are the surprises. Our recent mules brought our favorite girl scout cookies. It one of those things that we just can't get on the island. It's very American to have girl scout cookies. What a nice surprise! 

Sometimes you just need an Amazon delivery to make your day.  The Baggallini was a welcomed replacement for my worn out cross body bag.  Mules lend their address for shopping and then hand carry the Amazon order to Bonaire.  It's not one day delivery but it is still magical to receive an order within a week. 

Dutch chocolate is good but not as good as the orange chocolate we add to Rick's gelato.  This was hand carried by a Mule (visitor), two actually, at our request. It's our favorited chocolate.  Now we have a supply that should last us a week or two. 

Thank you to all The Mules that have transported goods to Bonaire.  We love your visits and the all the stuff you bring! 

Land Critters

We have a herd of wild goats that have been hanging around our neighborhood. They are very shy and run away the minute they see us.  They eat everything.  We often see them on their hind legs eating leaves off the tops of bushes. Their free roaming numbers are an ecological issue for the island.

Most of the frogs sleep during the day and come out at night.  They sleep in our plants, flower pots and behind furniture.  I have even caught them sleeping behind the pillows in the cabana.  This guy was out during the day.  He must be a wild teenager and is out partying during the day while the family is sleeping. 

This handsome fellow is a Caracara, the only bird of prey we have on the island.    We often see this one from our house  with a fish in his beak eating dinner around twilight. He is of the Falcon family. We often hear them as they enter the area. Very majestic. 

The crazy parrots are always a source of amusement and frustrations.  As you may recall the "Mango Wars" in a previous blog details the constant watch to save our mangos. The parrots hang upside down on the wires for our amusement.  They are always in pairs and they come early morning and late evening as there is a roost nearby. They are loud and raucous as they enter our yard and do fly bys....casing the joint for mangos

There are many different lizards on Bonaire. The large iguanas, Blue Whiptail lizards (locally known as Blau-Blau's or Blue-Blues in English) which are medium sized lizards and then these gray guys that are small lizards.  I can seldom get photos of lizards because they move too fast and seldom pose of me. 

The iguanas start out bright green, like Kermit green. They age into gray green with black stripes.  They are notorious for visiting pools and lounging in and around them. Our wall keep the iguanas out of our garden.

The progeny of donkeys left by the Spaniards and Dutch who farmed and mined the island are still here in large numbers.  There are 800 + donkeys in the donkey sanctuary and another 1,000 freely roaming. They too create an ecological problem because their numbers can't be sustained on the island without damage to the soil and plant life. Although cute and loved by the tourists, they have a tough life on the island with little to eat and limited fresh water.

Our famous flamingos, which are protected so well that you can't get photos of them, are native to Bonaire.  They fly back and forth to Venezuela.  The scientists recently discovered that the flocks in both country are linked as they share breeding grounds and mates. Once in a while, we are lucky enough to see a few near the road where we can get a photo. 
 

Rum Week

Rick really enjoyed Rum Week this year. 

This is the second annual Rum Week on Bonaire.  Rum makers from throughout the Caribbean (one from the Netherlands) bring rum to the island for us to taste. Every night of the week they have events at the resorts where you can drink (I mean taste) rum for free!

Rick tasted everything...a number of times.  We really liked the blonde Rum, sherry cast Rum and the coconut Rum. We liked the coconut Rum so much that we had seconds, thirds, fourths....you get the idea.

Rick talked to the distillers, organizers and everyone else. He sampled everything many times and made friends with all the servers.  He was the life of the party.

 

The venues were spectacular with views of the sea and sunsets. Our local distillery, Cadushy, sponsored a rum tasting and featured their premium Rums.  We tasted them all and stayed for dinner at the resort. By this time Rick was a little off and drank water most of the evening.

By the end of the week Rick was out.  He gave it his all and then crashed.  We got him home and he crawled to the chaise lounge and spent most of the night outside trying to recover from having such a good time.

To remember this momentous event, he purchased a ball cap, t-Shirt and poster after drinking many, many, many samples. 

We had a great time at Rum Week and look forward to next year.  I think we can only live through this event once a year.

Tex-Mex

We love fixing rum and Pepsi Max drinks on Friday nights.  This cocktail goes really well with Tex-Mex.  We have tried many rums and have found that we like spiced rum the best for mixing cocktails.  This next week we will be attending Rum Week here in Bonaire.  It's advertised as the biggest rum week in the Caribbean.  Hopefully, we will find some more rum for our weekly ritual.

One of the foods we miss from the States is Tex-Mex. We can't buy tomatillos, jalapenos with flavor or refried beans. Our restaurants do not serve Mexican food.  Our friends make authentic Mexican food but we feel bad inviting ourselves to their house to cook for us all the time. 

One of my good friends who recently visited brought green chili from Santiago's, a Colorado Mexican restaurant, as a leave behind gift. Rick and I planned all week to have burritos with green chili.  We shopped for the stuff we like, we cooked together, had some drinks and used the green chili.

These were some of the best burritos we have had in the last two years. It's all because of the gift of the luscious, spicey green chili. They were so good that we had some the next day too!

It was one of the best meals we had since we came to the island. YUM YUM YUM