By joe chandler on Tuesday, December 12, 2000 - 8:54 pm: |
It strikes me that evey trip report usually has
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By Kelly Hirsh on Tuesday, December 12, 2000 - 11:27 pm: |
Way to go Joe!! I have flown ALM round trip from Miami to Bonaire for more years than I care to admit and have nothing but praise for their ground and flight personnel. In Miami they make sure my connection from Curacao to Bonaire is confirmed. If I have a stop in Curacao it is usually pleasant, often running into old friends coming and going, sometimes long enough to permit sightseeing and a meal on Curacao . Some time ago I became aware of ALM's policy of getting the passenger to their destination first and if possible their luggage will accompany. On those rare occasion my luggage did not arrive at Flamingo International is was usually on the next flight or the first flight in the morning. I used to love ALM's in-flight meals, they are still good but cannot compare with the fish, chicken or mystery meat (probable goat). I read my tickets and always re-confirm at least 72 hours in advance at the the terminal and arrived no less than 2 hours before my flight. I ease the pain of my departure in the cafe with egg and ham (???) sandwichs and a dose of "jet fuel" (Dutch coffee). Most ALM's emloyees have been known to work even when their pay is in question, only the baggage handlers in Curacao have affected the flow. Oh sure ALM has cancelled an early afternoon flight due to equipment problem but they always made sure I was on the next flight, and when I missed my Miami to New Orleans connection because of departure delays in Curacao I was provided with a motel room, meal vouchers and transportation. Not bad for an airline that sometimes does not know when they are going to get their next paycheck. Try this stateside... and best of all THEY GET ME TO BONAIRE !!!!
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By Mike Musolf on Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 2:16 am: |
I've flown twice this year (March and just this past week December) Had absolutely no problems. The island-mode idea might help for those with short fuses though ha ha.
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By Glen Reem on Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 4:20 am: |
A couple of things I have done in the past that
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By Kelly Hirsh on Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 9:43 am: |
Glen you too have learned the ways of Flamingo Airport !!! It makes the pain of leaving so much more bearable.
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By Dara Walter on Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 3:10 pm: |
I cannot agree more with the compliments mentioned above for ALM. I would include their accounting office staff as well, who were patient and accomodating when I had trouble with my current credit card which had been newly issued by a different "agency", resulting in a whole boatload of people with credit cards denying purchases for no apparent reason....my only complaint was that they wouldn't let me send a cashiers check directly. But they held the reservation until my credit union got the card mess all sorted out, so I can't complain.
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By De Etta on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 10:38 am: |
What a refreshing exchange of ALM stories.
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By Glen Reem on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 11:15 am: |
Dara,
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By Dara Walter on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 7:41 pm: |
Hmm, if I can make some of my sketches digital I'll share them.
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By Dara Walter on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 3:13 pm: |
Well, I'm having a SSSLLLLOOOOWWWWWWWW (feet in the molasses) sort of day....being buried by an Alberta Clipper outside, everybody I need to accomplish work inside is on vacation.....so, here goes......I had the watercolor sketches in my office scanned, then I shrunk them to approximately the size of the reef cam pix (at least from a memory standpoint) and I hold my breath as I post this, hoping that they are the appropriate size and will not mire anybody in megabites :-)
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By Robert Deal on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 4:47 pm: |
Dara:
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By Kerri Freeman on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 4:55 pm: |
Lovely. The gentleman is correct. Colour me envious.
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By Niki Harris on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 5:09 pm: |
Dara, splendid watercolors! Really terrific scenes, and brings up more good memories!
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By Carole Baker on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 6:05 pm: |
Absolutely breathtaking, Dara! Are you the talented artist? Kudos to you, if you are. Simply lovely...wish we could all be there now....Oh, to be in Bonaire at this moment...Carole
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By Dara Walter on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 6:09 pm: |
Thanks for the compliments (I blush) - I'm glad to share and wish we were all at Karel's raising a glass right now! I dream of someday sailing off into the sunset to teach big people to dive, little people to swim and ski, to paint portraits, to write poetry and novels....
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By Jan Klos on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 6:47 pm: |
Dara,
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By Kerri Freeman on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 6:52 pm: |
Happy New Year to you too,Dara. Do you know we're practically kith and kin? I used to put words in the mouth of the big green fella that says Ho Ho etc,and his little green pal. At one point I think the agency also handled "dough balls".You'da loved me walking in with the AD and a request to bake up about a thousand for a test shoot,so we could figure out something nice to say. C'est la guerre. Drink a little. Laugh a lot. Peace to you. Kerri
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By bob routhe on Thursday, December 28, 2000 - 10:24 pm: |
Thanks Dara,your watercolors are a delight to the eye and tweak fond memories of past vacations.Your prose paint vivid and humorous mental images of your experiences.Perhaps now,you could honor us with some poetry.I live about 125 mi. south of you in Winona and we're now in the heaviest snowfall of the year,about 4" on the ground and still coming.
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By DARLENE ELLIS on Tuesday, January 2, 2001 - 3:18 pm: |
Dara,
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By Lorraine Meadows on Tuesday, January 2, 2001 - 9:12 pm: |
Wondeful sketches, Dara. Your a very talented lady in many ways!
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By Glen Reem on Wednesday, January 3, 2001 - 8:23 pm: |
Dara,
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By Dara Walter on Thursday, January 4, 2001 - 12:06 am: |
Ha, I'm flattered! Maybe someday when I'm 'good' I will be lucky enough to have people pay me for my pictures, instead of me paying people to sit still so I can paint them! I think that's what all of us artist wannabes dream of :-) Now to plan my next ALM adventure......
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By Glen Reem on Thursday, January 4, 2001 - 9:43 pm: |
Dara,
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By Barry Baker on Friday, January 5, 2001 - 5:52 pm: |
Dara, I myself would love to have an "early Dara" in her "Bonaire period". My wife, who does water color and pen & ink is currently working on her reef scapes and fish in hopes that one day it will be able to supplement retirement and pay for more trips to Bonaire. Please do not lightly brush (no pun intended)aside others admiration of your work. I beleive the great people of this webcam community are just the right ones to judge what your water colors of Bonaire mean to them. Think about the possibility of marketing some of your Bonaire art to those of use who would appreciate it.
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By Robert Deal on Friday, January 5, 2001 - 6:10 pm: |
Hear! Hear!
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By NikiH2 on Friday, January 5, 2001 - 7:48 pm: |
Dara, are you blushing?
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By Dara Walter on Friday, January 5, 2001 - 8:31 pm: |
Yeeessss, I am blushing! I really appreciate the enthusiasm and I really don't know what to say....
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By Mike Eberhard on Friday, January 26, 2001 - 9:20 pm: |
Flew ALM (Curacao/Bonaire & Bonaire/Curacoa) on January 11th and 23rd respectfully. Everything went well.
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By Chet Wood on Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 7:24 am: |
Flew ALM (Miami/Curacao/Bonaire & back) on January 14th & 25th; only minor issue was 1 hour late into Bonaire.
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By Gail Currie on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 5:26 pm: |
This is one of my favorite pictures that I've taken.
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