Leaving early Saturday day August 6, the flight was nice and quick to Miami, we had a three hour expected lay over there.

American Airlines started to announce boarding for Curacao only to announce that the flight was over booked and was asking people to volunteer for 400 in travel vouchers each and stay over night in Miami paid hotel each. Getting up to 700 dollars as no one was willing to give up there seat the plane started boarding 45 minutes later.

While sitting at the gate on the plane for the next hour and 15 minutes as they take off the last two passengers luggage they bumped so the flight would proceed.

Getting into Curacao, of course we missed that flight to Bonaire and had another 4 hour wait because everything was booked between as we waited on stand bye for the next plane, we did'nt make it and gave up for the 10:00 PM flight getting into Bonaire @ Midnight from 6:00 that Morning. So tired and aggrivated,we went straight to the Buddy Dive Bar got some sodas got into our room and went to sleep.

The next Morning, we woke up started our day on this Beautiful little Island had a great buffet free Breakfast to all that stay there @ Buddy Dive, went back geared up to dive and had long forgotten how bad our day before was.

The water is like swimming in a Pool and every day as our Dive Master would let the platform down on the boat, He would say in that caribbean voice "The Pool is now open". Eat Sleep and Dive is so true.

We ate at 4 really great places, one being buddy dive, Captain Dons, Casablanca's and Swiss Chalet with Suze the soup nazi. LOL if anyone has experienced her.

Shopping was nice we went downtown 3 different times for gifts, I love to shop. The Scientology Boat was in, heard they dont let them get off the boat at all.

We dove Helma Hooker wreck very nice saw a tiny white sea horse on the bow.

As the week was winding down My dive Instructor who put the whole trip together cause he's cool like that took Karry and I on a night dive off buddy dives reef system it was my first night dive and I was glad to have been able to do it but need more time on my night diving skills, although the four of us were alone the first half hour many divers out that night it was great.

Know the plane trip home, Ok well long day lets put it that way 6 hour lay over in Curacao, but we planned in advance to go into town have lunch and Shop had a great time, as we got into Miami, they circle us around the sky for the next 1/2 hour saying the airport had bad weather, although there was not any in the sky, which I thought was odd.

So when they cleared us to land as the Captain kept us informed. Landing people noticed a plane over in the grass with trucks all around it, I assumed that was the real problem, Being lied to about that, We get into Miami to find out our plane to Tampa was know going to have a 4 hour layover not planned.

When the plane arrived they rushed us into our seats actually told my boyfriend to sit down or he would have to exit the plane as we waited for an elderly women to get up so we may squeeze in. I was appalled by the male stewards behavior and was told by Captain they had to borrow that place to come and get us thats why the were late. WOW I thought is this man for real!! Arriving home @ Midnight once again at what was supposed to be a 4 hour flight to Bonaire was in fact 17 hour trip in flights both ways.

So I say Hooray for the Beautiful little Island of Bonaire and Mike Ledford our Scuba Instructor for making our trip wonderful while there keeping us totally amused with all his diving skills and knowledge I love you Mike & Jema his wife and a BIG BOO for American Airlines. Air Jamaica or Continental Airlines here we come!

Theresa, the joys of travelling to Bonaire are wonderful - not!! Glad you enjoyed your time on island. Lucky you, I have never seen a white sea horse, how cool!!

What about Suzy? I love that little lady, she reminds me of my mother;-{)}

Thanks for the report.

Hi Theresa! Glad to see your report and hear you had a great time. I really wish we could have met while on the island. Some day I will email you my AA horror stories (got stuck actually on the plane for a total of 9 extra hours). It appears that whenever they go south of the border a problem happens - at least on all of the south bound flights I have taken with them. LOL! We missed the Swiss Chalet, drove passed it a million times trying to figure out the detour to get across the island, but never stopped. Will have to add it to the list for the next trip. Thanks for the recommendation! Go into the park on your next trip (unless it has rained recently). The roads were not that bad and our rental pick-up truck handled it like a trooper! Hope to meet you at Gibi's sometime in the future.

We've travelled to Bonaire from Rochester, NY on AA four times, and never a problem -- you know, aside from the normal less-than-an-hour leaving late departures. It's always a long day for us, but we've always got there within an hour of promised time!! We've been SOOO lucky. We'll be using them next Feb again - keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Theresa, Great report and glad you had a good time on Dushi Bonaire. Did you do any shore diving other than Buddy's reef at night? Sorry to hear your bad experiece with AA. I have had many and will stay with AJ. Well now is the time to plan your next trip to the Island. Try 10 days or even better 2 weeks!! ;-) AJ has a sale going on a this time from Chicago for $675 witch is cheap... Saturdays only..... Ron

Sorry to hear that you had such a tough time traveling. Somehow once you get to Bonaire, it all goes away. At least while you are in paradise!

So true about it going away while on the Island and would do it again in a heart beat. Did do a shore dive @ alice in wonderland. Rough entry got bit by the fire coral 3 times. Oh what a feeling.

Hey Theresa...did you dive the inner or outer reef at Alice in Wonderland (or both)?

The inner reef and the current was really strong that day and we were alone so I didnt want to stay long, Karry was frustrated with me. LOL I like lots of people around.

Theresa - thanks for the report!!! My husband and I swore off AA a few years ago when the attendants, or pilots, were going on strike. Truth be told, we've flown them since and had good experiences; and we've flown other airlines and had bad experiences. The only thing we can control is our reaction to the situation at hand -- now where's the wobbly pop?????

Ok, thats what I tell my boyfriend who did'nt have a good reaction, and he hated Curacao!!, so i went up to the bar and wha la, I felt better about it. LOL

Oh, I know your pain... my husband doesn't handle hiccups nearly as well as I do. Never travel without Jack (Daniels that is )

Ok Jeanine do you have a report yet?

Yep...see Second Bonaire Trip 8/6-13. As Tara so aptly pointed out, I'm always on time. (It's a curse - really.) LOL!

(Message edited by jeanineclark on August 17, 2005)(I might be punctual, but I sure can't spell.)

(Message edited by jeanineclark on August 17, 2005)

LOL! Jeanine - 3rd time's a charm

It's contagious --- RUN!!

(Message edited by taranguy on August 17, 2005)

Theresa, great trip report...and as everyone else has said...getting to Bonaire is part of the adventure! LOL! I get into the "it's gonna happen...delays, etc.." mind set when I get to LAX...other wise I would go crazy! Glad you had a great trip and want to go back.

On your night dive did your run into Charlie the tarpon?

Theresa, glad to hear you had such a great time...hope you can post some pics of you and Jeanine!

Cynde,
Actually yes being at buddy dive and charlie living around Captain Dons they say, I saw him several times while there, got great pictures of him and I heard some of the night divers saying they saw him, He is not shy, came real close to me the fist day we were there we had missed the 8:30 boat, so went in of docks he was really the first big thing I saw..... Thanks for asking..

Glad to hear you got to see him. On night dives, he circles you (quite closely at times, right Kelly? He almost knocked her reg out of her mouth!) It's cool to watch cause he follows you up the reef quite a way, disappears, then on your way back he appears again!

Did you make it up to Cap Don's and see the boat that is on the reef?