We returned this morning at 1:30 am to 35°F weather and our "Christmasy" neighborhood. So please excuse if I tend to ramble, I am still a bit tired.

Well we took AJ via Newark airport and arrived 3 hours early as suggested (climbing out of bed at 2:30 am was VERY difficult) Check in was easy, and we were satified with security checks. They made us wait at the entrance to the gate area until 45 minutes prior to our flight departure. We checked in, had a leisurely coffee and bagel, waited a bit and started down to the terminal. We waited with only about 25 others for about 1/2 hour than went down to the security area where they checked all of our stuff. Everyone was very understanding and didn't seem to mind that many people had to basically strip down (belts and shoes included) until the metal detector gave you a go ahead. (Believe it or not they had a man with a prostetic leg remove hit to exam it, in private of course). He was ok with it, stating he felt a bit safer. State Police and National Guard were all over the place. Boarding was fine (only 25 people). We all basically sat where we wanted to. They did hand check our carry on in Montego Bay, but it was on line waiting to board the plane. Food, movie and flight were all great.

We arrived in Bonaire 15 minutes early (Yea!!!) The flight from Montego Bay was great.

We got to our house, put the bags on the floor and rushed out to get some things. We went to Green Submarine and got our dive stuff (Great Staff, VERY ACCOMMODATING), then went to Cultimara....the place was a ghost town as we forgot it was after 5pm on Sunday, as was most of the island. We ended up going to a Chinese place called Peking something or other, right down the street from Kooymans. I got Chicken w/cashews and Ed got Egg Foo Young. We took it back to our place as we were tired from the day of traveling. Food was pretty good, lots of it!

Unfortunately we didn't get to dive as much as we would have liked due to "home owner" problems. We ended up doing repairs, upgrades, etc...that we promised ourselves we wouldn't do but couldn' tbe helped (e.g. the propane leak, toilet and airco problems.

I will be back with part 2 soon...have to run some errands!

Bonaire finally got MUCH NEEDED rain the first 3 days we were there. We saw many, many iguanas, the donkeys were friendly as usually. We haven't seen so many iguanas before...I mean at least 10-20 a day. They must be coming down out of mountains for food and water because of drought.

Let's see. We dove Andrea 1 & 2. It looks as though they are trying to fix the area up...started putting up frames for shade umbrellas, drip system and land scaping done. Still quite a bit of damage, but DEFINITELY seeing life coming back. We then did a drift dive from North Belnem down past Windsock. Nice dive, really starting to regenerate itself. My favorite dive and last was Vista Blue. The south side of the island remains magnificent. The soft corals along with bowl, tube, etc. were magnificent. We saw a wonderful large green turtle swimming around, then suddenly out of the depths comes this giant 6-7 foot tarpon. Both the coral and fish were abundant at this dive.

I don't know if it was the full moon or if something is changing on the island, but we could not drive out to many of the sights due to the water level. The waves were almost lapping at the edge of the road, from the salt pier down to Vista Blue.

Things also changing very fast in Bonaire. St. James Medical School gearing up, heard of selling of of alot of Sand Dollar stuff, Its Raining Chicken opened and closed already, Mi Poron closed, heard rumor that an American University is going to put a satalitte campus in Bonaire, they are now building houses south of Lighthouse Beach... So much change...hopefully for all the best.

Oh, Friday night town was HOPPING! I haven't seen it like that in a long time. Then Saturday night, the Heinken Festival (cutie kids Jake!!!, local island music, Lover's Ice Cream...Karels... it was great!


Sunday came too soon, and it was time to leave. Ed and I went for the 3rd time this year because airfare was so cheap. But we have made an oath to each other...Nothing less than 10 days...We just love it so much!

The flights home were great! Thanks AJ! We will probably be back down in April or May with our new grandson!

Take care all!

It Rains Chickens has closed out already? Doggone -- I really liked the logo on the front of the place (these really goofy looking plucked chickens with grins on their faces, trying to fly...

Faith

Glad you had fun on your trip Liz. Can't believe there were only 25 on the AJ flight! Every time we go it is overbooked...of course, that was Pre 9-11....was that a Saturday or Sunday flight? Did you actually get to see the entire film to include the ending?? The only thing AJ does that really irks me is that they always pull the plug on the movie five minutes before the ending! (preparting for landing at that time) Maybe when the flights are packed, they lose track of time and don't start the film early enuff and have to stop running it before it finishes. Just curious. Can't wait to get back down in May for two weeks. One week is definitely a "tease" on Bonaire! LOL. Carole