December 5 - Ibis Styles Amsterdam
Our regular hotel when we go to Schiphol. Great place. On the way it was fairly quiet. Early rush hour due to Sinterklaas. All traffic jams were solved well before we got there.
// we've put the new house on hold. Would the thought of it keep us busy during the holidays? Or not? //
December 6 - Appingedam
Slept well and went to Schiphol comfortably. Oops. It's quite busy at the security check. Hey .... I know them! What a coincidence Jolanda and Bé are also in the waiting line! They are going to Edinburgh for a weekend. What a coincidence, we met them in Bonaire and now, on our way to Bonaire, they stand in line next to us. On the other hand, Schiphol is exactly in the middle between Maastricht and Appingedam, so it makes sense that you meet each other there.We are now 2 hours on the road. Stopover in Aruba and then on to Bonaire. We land at 7:55 pm, which is 1 o'clock in the morning for us. We have had mail from One Ocean and have booked the day room for the departure day. If all goes well, Geert will be waiting for us and the car is already at the airport.
Now coffee with cognac and then the waiting until we get there can begin.
// Petra twisted her arm this morning. She cannot make some movements. Hopefully it will pass soon. //
December 7 - House reef
The start last night was different than expected. The apartment is new, sleek and has all the features. But is also very empty and cold. Petra is very disappointed and does not feel at home there. In the morning it is still like this. She just wants to leave. Oops. And now?! On the way to the supermarket we pass by Bamboo Bali. It is still beautifully green and quiet with a great eye for atmosphere and detail. And there is another room available. But then again, we would have double costs.After breakfast to AB Car rental. Tomorrow we can exchange for a double cabin. Very handy. On the way back we sign up at WannaDive and bring some tanks. We do our first dive on the house reef. Just in front of the door. Approximately at Petri's Pillar and from there towards Small Wall. Wonderfully relaxed dive.
Jos 64 [min] / 27.4 [m] | Petra 64 [min] / 22.9 [m]
Back for lunch on our terrace / garden with a view of the blue Caribbean Ocean. I think we'll just stay here.December 8 - Foodies
Both slept well. Until almost 6 o'clock. Nice breakfast, some fiddling and then a dive. Again the house reef but then turn right. It is a beautiful garden. Nothing spectacular in terms of fish life, but beautiful and lots of fish.
Jos 72 [min] / 22.6 [m] | Petra 72 [min] / 20.9 [m]
Back in the apartment an app from Brigitte from Bamboo Bali. Unfortunately Chefs, their new restaurant, is completely full. Only tonight there is still room. The plan was to go to Foodies for lunch. So that's a little too much in one day. Unfortunately.
// exchanged the single cab for a dual cab //
The lunch at Foodies was great. Back on the coast road, enjoying the beautiful colours of Bonaire. And a lot of flamingos. We have never seen so many here.Now a siesta.
9 December - Monarch Butterfly
New tanks in the new car and to the south. We take a look at Salt Pier. Unfortunately, people are working and therefore it is not allowed to dive here. Then the next one, Salt City. I think it's wonderful, Petra is less impressed.Are we doing a second dive? Okay! After looking around we decide on Red Beryl. Nice and easy to get into the water, the reef is close by and it is beautiful. At the end of the dive I see a Great Barracuda.
What a whopper. He is not afraid and comes close to us. Just before his nose bumps into Petra's camera, he turns and swims on.
Jos 66 [min] / 26.5 [m] | Petra 66 [min] / 24.7 [m]
Jos 83 [min] / 20.1 [m] / Petra 83 [min] / 17.4 [m]
We eat in the apartment so we have to do some shopping. Petra jumps out of the car in the parking lot. There are beautiful butterflies. She recognised them immediately. They are Monarch Butterflies, en route from North America to South America. Quite a journey but they are almost there.
// 50 //
December 10 - Eagle Ray
Up early. We are expected at Sorobonne at 7:45. We arrive well in time. The boat is already there and Fred and Martijn immediately come to us. "It is very choppy today and we still have room later in the week, so if you want to move, that's no problem". The 3 Belgians who are also joining today do not yet know. We do. It will be Friday when the wind is calm again.Back to WannaDive, loading tanks, bringing our credit card back to the apartment and than off to ......? Let's try Salt Pier, Petra says. A lot of trucks on the side of the road and also some divers who are just entering. Under water it's not too bad, far from crowded. And the dive spot is beautiful. Lovely to hang here. Three more turtles on the way back.
And now. Another one or ...? Yes, one more. We first take a look at Tori's Reef but turn around and enter at Invisibles. The waves roll the least here. When we are just underwater, I hear Petra banging her tank banger. That can only mean one thing: an Eagle Ray. Yes of course. We swim quite a good time with this beautiful see-saw nose, until it disappears into the distance. Another great dive. Two presents for Petra's birthday.
Jos 68 [min] / 17.4 [m] | Petra 70 [min] / 15.9 [m]
Jos 68 [min] / 15.2 [m] | Petra 68 [min] / 14.0 [m]
For the evening I had arranged dinner at Sebastian's. Often looked at, never been. It appears to be wrong. Beautiful location and delicious food. We skip desert. It was a long day and we are both very tired. 💙😘
December 11 - No Fishy Rain Today
One dive today. We decide to go north, La Dania's Leap to Karpata. We were happy to find the entrance. This place is not marked, because officially a boat dive and not a shore dive. The water was super clear, it looked like Egypt, but there was little fish. A nice reef. The exit was, unfortunately, easy to find, because it was rush hour at Karpata.
Jos 73 [min] / 20.1 [m] | Petra 73 [min] / 17.4 [m]
After the dive we drive back via Rincon. And yes, the goat farm of Aletta is still there.We're both hungry after such a long morning. We decide to have a nice lunch at It Rains Fishes. We park the truck at the beginning of the street. Have a nice walk. Hmmm, we had estimated that nice walk a bit shorter. "Due to a private party, today, December 11, we are closed for lunch and dinner." Shit. And now all the way back to the truck, and still hungry. Then to the supermarket to find some lunch. On the way back to the apartment I have the feeling that we seem to have ended up in a bad road movie. An hour and a half to do some shopping. It remains the disadvantage of Bonaire, you drive and drive and drive .... .
In the evening we go to Thousand Steps to enjoy the sunset.
December 12 - Cactus Blue on the Beach
Although we wake up early again, a slow start today. It's raining cats and dogs. As soon as the rain more or less stops, we load our gear and drive south. Sweet Dreams is our first spot. The visibility is moderate due to the rain. The dive is beautiful, especially after turning, slightly higher and the sun is shining from the back.Second dive ... well. Eventually we decide to go back to Salt Pier. The dive spot is open and it is beautiful again. Float wonderfully between the pillars with the many fish.
Jos 69 [min] / 27.4 [m] | Petra 69 [min] / 25.6 [m]
Jos 77 [min] / 23.2 [m] | Petra 76 [min] / 22.6 [m]
After 2 long dives, usually around 70 minutes here in Bonaire, we are very hungry. And it's actually too late to first unload, shower and then go for lunch. Fortunately, the food truck from Cactus Blue is on our route. Two "world famous" Kite Burgers please. Yummy!
Later in the afternoon we check out at WannaDive. We had booked 7 days unlimited nitrox. We stop one day earlier, because tomorrow we go to the East Coast, and have only used 9 tanks each. No problem. We only have to pay 9 tanks. Wow, what a service. That saves us $ 70 per person!
// The house still haunts our heads .... //
December 13 - East Coast Diving
We get up early, as we are expected at 7:45 am at Sorobonne. Big downpour. We arrive in plenty of time. A full boat today. The three Belgians are back again. Two dives. The first with Fred the second with Martijn. In itself nice dives and lots to see. Unfortunately, to say the least, the visibility is not really great. In addition, Petra's glasses consistently fog up, certainly the second dive. And the camera also fogs up constantly. It was full of water yesterday and since then it cannot be dried on the inside anymore. Fortunately, the camera itself can also withstand water, so everything still works well.
Jos 61 [min] / 27.1 [m] | Petra 62 [min] / 19.8 [m]
Jos 65 [min] / 16.5 [m] | Petra 65 [min] / 15.2 [m]
That was diving for this holiday and for this year. No diving holiday planned for next year yet ...... Now lunch, siesta and then we'll see again.
December 14 - Island Tour
The last day, no more dives, so time to make a trip around the island. First over The Queens Highway, along the coast, to Thousand Steps. To the balcony along the old footpath. Also stop at Tolo. On to Karpata and then to the Goto lake.
In Rincon we search for the Lourdes Grotto exit to find the short cut that Geert told about. What a nice route, strange that we have never found it in all those times that we have been here.
Back at One Ocean to pick up the key to the day room and to hand off over the apartment keys.
We continue to the Donkey Sanctuary. It remains a dual feeling. It is nice to see and feed the donkeys. But it is also a sad sight. Last stop: Foodies for a delicious lunch. It remains a beautiful place, our favorite since our first Bonaire visit.
A rest for 2 hours and then to Flamingo Airport. Tomorrow back home to be with Towser, Morris and Finnley.
