We arrived in Bonaire on Dec. 26th. We flew Delta and ALM. ALM is true to its name. We didn't get our luggage in Bonaire after checking it in Curaco! The airport said they would have it to us by 8:00 AM the next morning. The next morning when we had the front desk at Divi call, they said it was there but would not be able to deliver until 10. That would not work.....we wanted to be at the orientation at 9:30!!! So we got into our beat up truck and went back to the airport to pick it up. I had to go in the back and get it myself! Anyway, the good part was there were no hassels with security and all of the flights were smooth. The plane from Miami to Curaco we were stuck in the back by the engine and a useless window because of it.
Now for the Divi. We were put in a timeshare, which was not great. We payed for one of the renovated rooms. However, we did not realize what had happened until 2 days before we left. They bumped us to keep two dive groups together. We could flush the toilet just by wiggling around on it. The air conditioner didn't work very well, and we called to have it fixed twice. It never was. The Front door had to be rammed into to open it as well as the door that goes onto the patio. That was nice!! We did get a kitchen! That helped!
The orientation at Divi was great and a lot of fun. Serge is a great guy. This was the first time I had been diving since my openwater cert. in a stone quary in MI. Had some problems getting weighted out, but once I got that all in order it was great. The dive boat came in and when they had gone out three of the boats had seen a whale! They think it was a gray whale. Then after lunch we went on a shore dive and as we were suiting up a pod of dolphins strolled by just passed a sailboat that is morred out by the dive dock. The sealife was incredible and the visibility was forever!
That was the first day! The food a Chibi-Chibi was awful even tho we ended up eating there 3 times. We didn't have a lot of choice!
Well, my typing is getting really bad, I have to keep back spacing to correct so I will continue this tomorrow. NO CHAPTERS I PROMISE!

How was the weather?? the bugs??

Barb, why did you say you didn't have many choices and had to eat at the Chibi-Chibi more then you would have liked to? There is a wide range of restaurants in Bonaire in varying price catergories. And you did have a vehicle, correct?

The weather was fantastic. Actually got a little too humid a couple days, but as long as you were in the water, in any form, it didn't matter. The bugs were not bad. The mosquitos bothered me one or two nights a little, my husband and daughter got pretty chewed up by the no-seeems.
As far as HAVING to eat at Chibi-Chibi-The first time was the night we got there. That was the night of the bad shrimp. The second time was to get some grub between dives. That was pretty good. The lunches are not bad at all. The last time was because we couldn't find any place else to eat. (I think it was New Years Eve) We thought too late to plan ahead. You know how it is when you get there, you lose track of what day it is.
The one thing I forgot to mention, on our first full day there, we went and met Jake. We took him bagels and cream cheese. Very nice guy and the kids are adoreable. I did not get to meet Linda until later in the trip and she is a great lady. If you all get the chance to meet them, do. They do us a wonderful service by giving us this sight, THAT THEM SOMETHING!!!! More later, have to get back to work!

I'm hoping "THAT THEM SOMETHING" means "Bring Them Some Bagels!" :-)

The bagels Barb brought us were the best we've ever had. Period. And they weren't even from New York!

It was a pleasure meeting you too!

Jake

Ok so I had a major typo LOL !
That should be: TAKE them something!!! For sure!
Sounds like Bagels are the key thing to take!!!
If anyone that is going down there has a Panara Breads....that is where ours were from. I will be sending a Valentines Gift to the Richter family! Hmmm, wonder what it could be????

Hopefully I can get in the rest of my trip report now.
Went on 4 dives at various points. I was captured on the reefcam as "pretty in pink" and it was a beautiful dive. It astounds me that there is so much topography under the flat water!
Mike and Jenny went on a night dive. Jenny was not too excited about it, said she probably wouldn't go on another one. She lied. She went on two more! I went on one, but I did not do well. I think if I had had a better flashlight, I would have done better. Just too spooky. Mike and Jenny went out on New Years Eve with some new friends at dusk and Jenny said it was much better. It must have been because they were down much longer then I thought they would be. I get to experience the emergency room at San Fransisco Hospital on New Years Eve. My ears were really stuffy.....Footnote: take sudafed with you. You have to get a prescription for just about everything down there.....the doctor even thought aspirin! They will give it to you, but the insurance pays for it with prescription!! But save yourself some time and hassel and take some with you. I have a prescriped decongestant and it did not work like the sudefed did.
We saw a green turtle at Rappell. I think out of all the dives, I really liked 1000 steps the best.
The day we went to JoAnnes Sunchi at Klein, the visibility was poor and it was not a great dive. The Lake was cool. Saw a jellyfish and several varieties of eels. Saw another green turtle at LaDanias Leap along with a lobster. It was deep there and you had to really watch your depth, it would be very easy to go too far down. Saw a seahorse and flouder at MiDushi. Probably the best topography also. Unfortunately, my ears started acting up and that is all the diving I could do. Did some snorkeling. We witnessed an Iguana dive under the water. It was still there just sitting on the bottom 15 minutes later.
Divi is a great place for diving. The dive masters are great. Pepe and Laural are the best. We had a really good time with them and they showed us and explained a lot of things to us. Gret was cool too, she unfortunately got a sinus infection and wasn't around a whole lot after the first three days.
Dining out: Favorites Lions Den, Richards, and Cozzolis.
We were invited to Jakes for a New Years Day party and had a blast. Met a lot of really nice people and the food everyone brought was fantastic. I think I ate more there then I did the whole 10 days we were there! They do have a Kentucky Fried Chicken which was good but the help was REALLY slow. Slower then most. An interesting thing that is helpful to first timers. The Dutch consider it rude to present someone with their check, so you have to ask for it! If you don't, you will sit there for a LONG time!! Thanks for the tip Jake!
We drove around the island and thought it was amazing how you can have ocean and desert so close together. The east side of the island is beautiful! Gas is expensive. I think we figured out it was about $5.30 a gallon in American. Well, I'm sure there is A LOT I am leaving out, but I can't think right now. Maybe I will add at another date.
Thank you Jake for the hospitality! We witnessed the "Green Flash" there. To all, go, enjoy, if your picky bring some of your favorite snacks with you! they are hard to find and expensive when you do find them. I am planning to go back, but in the fall we will have two kids in college, so not sure when we will get to. Hopefully soon.
Thanks to all on this sight for the help and recommendations! It was very helpful all the way around!