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Trip Reports: Trip Report... 1st trip, Oct 19-27
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2005: Archives - 2005-08-09 to 2005-12-26: Trip Report... 1st trip, Oct 19-27
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 11:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow, did time fly. I can't believe it's over already. Thus ended my first but definitely not my last trip to Bonaire. I'll break it down in categories:

Getting there: Delta/AA - every flight left on time (even San Juan-Bon!), no major problems even considering that Wilma was wreaking havoc on the Yucatan.

Accomodations: Eden Beach, 1 BR condo type room. Excellent, had a balcony with ocean view, but on the rare morning I slept in, the Wannadive air compressor kicked in around 7am to start a busy day of filling tanks. Oh well, a very small price to pay for staying in a diving paradise.

Eats: Tried many places (I hope I remember them all) and never had a bad meal!!! Pasa Bon Pizza - had the fish pizza, YUM!, Bistro de Paris, It Rains Fishes, Zeezichts, Bongo's, La Guernica - paella, also YUM! Service was a bit on the slow side, especially at It Rains Fishes (but they were exceptionally busy that night) but nothing extreme.

Activities: I did the kayak trip through the Mangroves... highly recommended. It was an awesome experience. I only did the 1 hour, but would repeat it and do the 2 hour with snorkeling next time. Unfortunately the days I had potentially set aside to see Washington Park, they had closed the roads due to flooding. It rained really hard on Sunday and Monday (the 23rd and 24th). Other than diving the only other activity I did was drive around sightseeing and taking lots of pictures which aren't developed yet.

Diving: Unfortunately, I hadn't been diving in a very long time (hey, what can I say, life got away from me once I got out of college). So I decided to do Advanced Open Water Certification while I was there to help me get back under water the right way. They weren't running AOW at Wannadive Eden, so they sent me to Wannadive City. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Chris and Jeffrey were beyond awesome. Words are not enough!!! We dove Chachacha Beach (although there was a heated discussion at the dive shop regarding how many Cha's are in the name of that beach :-) ) for Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy, and Deep dives. We dove the Hilma Hooker for the Wreck and Night dives. I also met and buddied up with a wonderful Dutch woman for 3 additional dives, one to Chachacha, one to Angel City (that was Sunday in some rough seas... made for a challenging entry and exit - lost a few inches of skin on my knees!), and my favorite - Oil Slick Leap! Yep, I did the giant stride entry, it was awesome.
The only bad dive, and bad being a very relative term here, was the night dive on the Hilma Hooker... but that was due to circumstances completely out of the Divemaster's control and too many divers.

So, here I sit at home with a cold and being cold (I was able to see my breath upon exiting the airport, YUK) and a horrendous case of what I have dubbed "Bonaire Leg". This dubious sounding malady is a combination of sunburn - I wore sunscreen MOST of the time :-( , mosquito bites - I couldn't feel those little suckers biting, but sure feel them now!!, and very large scabs in the knee region from diving in some pretty rough surf/surge. Very attractive! And yes, I had read the warnings about the mozzies, and even brought repellant and used it a few times, but alas, I wasn't as dilligent as I should have been. Next time...

And yes, there will most definitely be a next time for me. I read a post here a few months ago where the poster asked why people keep returning to the same place over and over, didn't they want to see more of the world? Having experienced the pleasure that is Bonaire first hand, I now feel I have an answer for that. In my humble opinion, I think (at least for me anyway) it is for the same reason you have a favorite pair of jeans or a favorite sweatshirt/T-shirt... it's comfortable. It seems as if many of you DO go elsewhere on occasion, it's just that you keep coming back... it's comfortable! Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

I fully intended to attend Gibi's dinner on the 25th, but that was the date of the fateful night dive, so next time for sure!

And for Michelle and Andrew from Indiana... I took the tram in Atlanta - you were right, it is much easier and quicker! Leave it to me to do every thing the hard way!

Thanks for getting through this post, looking forward to hearing what others have to say!

Becky

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn Loo Hoo (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #15008) on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 12:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, glad you had a great trip and the "incidentals" didn't ruin it for you! I come back with my shins bruised from top to bottom (along with a few other bruises) when I come back from a dive trip...legs don't look "pretty" on my return...LOL! Skeeters, next time buy skin so soft from Avon, and as soon as you get out of the shower or water, spray from head to toe. Also, take some in your purse in the evenings and spray the legs and feet...repeat...Avon also has bug "towlettes" always ahve some of those in my purse.

Glad you had a great time, and will return...sounds like you are hooked. We also tried La Guernica this time and it was FABULOUS!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Margarita Murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1131) on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 1:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, really enjoyed reading your report. Any pictures? Now I'm curious to find out what happened on that night dive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 11:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ah yes, the night dive... Well, it started out well enough, but with 11 people, 2 of whom needed the dive for AOW certification it was a bit too much. I was supposed to be paired with the other woman needing the dive for certification, but at the last minute Divemaster Chris buddied me with a Divemaster in training instead. The descent was awesome, but once on the bottom, the other AOW woman got narcosis. Needless to say, there was a bit of scurrying by both divemasters and my buddy to try to straighten it and her out. I calmly stayed out of the way but in sight of my buddy and was repeatedly kicked in the head by this other womans friends. That was where the dive began losing it's appeal for me. I did my best to stay out of the way and close to my buddy, but it seemed like no matter where I went or moved to I was getting bashed about the head by fins. The one woman continued to do this all the way back to shore, my buddy and I tried to slow down, move any direction we could, and she was always in our faces. The technical aspects of the dive were fine, the descent was fine, the divemasters were awesome (as was my buddy!!) but it was overall just frustrating. Don't get me wrong... I wouldn't hesitate to try it again, but this time in a smaller group!

Pictures should be back Friday or Saturday... hopefully there will be something to post!

Cynde - I will definitely be more aggressive with the bug stuff next time, I had OFF towelettes in my waist pack all the time, but since I never felt the little buggers biting, I had a false sense of security that I wasn't being bitten... silly me! And yeah, the incidentals weren't enough to even begin to ruin this trip. As far as my legs being a bit battered, I wear my scars with pride, LOL! It's easy to look good if you don't get off the porch!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ...boom dee ay (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #755) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 12:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, great trip report and even better attitude!!
I just can't wait to join you in the realm of actual Bonaire visitor :-)
Thank you for elaborating on the night dive fiasco... span of control is so important.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn Loo Hoo (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #15029) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 11:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, I agree with Tara, that's the attitude! Did the woman get narced or just panic? Night diving for some isn't so relaxing and a lot of people panic...especially a first night dive, AND a deep dive combination. Glad you were able to keep perspective and not ruin your thoughts to try it again. Night diving is definitely something special and wonderful (in the right circumstances).

I have to admit this last trip I had that "false" sense of security the last couple days and when I got home I had about 5 bites I had no idea where they came from (and they were the no see ums)...little boogers!

I think I'll have to add your "It's easy to look good if you don't get off the front porch" to my bag of quotes...good one:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #293) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 1:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

sometimes the bugs can be voracious. we did buy Cactus Juice and can't wait to try it. i don't get bit much but my wife does and the bites really swell up. two years ago a friend was visiting us and didn't remember getting bit once...but after she got home, she got sick and was diagnosed with dengue fever from a mosquito bite. you can't be too careful...but you shouldn't get too paranoid either.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By satoru wakeshima (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 4:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pat -

Where are you from that your friend would get dengue fever from a bite after visiting you?

kirsten

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2757) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 6:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, thank you for a wonderful post. Glad to see a person focus on the positive as you did in this trip report.

Welcome to B.A., keep coming back:-{)}

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 8:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynde - The divemaster said it was narcosis, but it certainly could have been panic... she was completely unresponsive to his hand signals until he took her up about 10 feet. He said he saw her eyes clear and saw her focus on him again, sounds like narcosis to me, but I'm not too experienced with it (thankfully)

Pat - I agree, you can't stop living because of something that just might happen.

Tom - How could I not post something wonderful when that is what my experience was ;-). I calls 'em like I sees 'em!! And thanks for the welcome, it's great to have found such an amazing board of like minded people!

Wow, I better update my profile to AOW!! Yay!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cyn Loo Hoo (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #15052) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 8:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Becky, wow, no kidding...wow...a little unerving. It sounds like the DM's handled it well. Good thing they switched the buddy positions before you did the dive...

Congratulations on your AOW :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 9:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynde - No kidding!!!! The DM's were amazing. I am very glad that through whatever stroke of either luck or genius, my buddy assignment was changed during the pre-dive briefing. I'd like to think nothing would have changed much, but I think if it happened and then I still had to be her buddy I'd have freaked!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lynn Schwiebert (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Thursday, November 3, 2005 - 2:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

What was the tip about the tram in Atlanta?? We will be going through there.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Friday, November 4, 2005 - 12:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The Atlanta tram tip was just that on my way TO Bonaire, I thought I'd get my exercise and walk from my arrival gate to the departure gate. It was quite a ways even with moving sidewalks. But I though I was doing the right thing and trying to be "active". I met a couple at Bongo's my last night on the Island and they told me to stop being macho and use the tram. They were right... it was super fast and MUCH easier. I'd recommend it. I always seem to do stuff the hard way the first time around. Have a great time!!!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1765) on Tuesday, November 8, 2005 - 11:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Nice report! I love your answer to returning to Bonaire:
"I think (at least for me anyway) it is for the same reason you have a favorite pair of jeans or a favorite sweatshirt/T-shirt... it's comfortable. It seems as if many of you DO go elsewhere on occasion, it's just that you keep coming back... it's comfortable! Nothing wrong with that, IMO. "

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 3:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Darlene - thanks for that! Only one visit under my belt and I'm already a Bonaireaholic! I can't wait to go back, yet I'm looking forward to going other places too. I just felt so immediately comfortable on the Island it was like that old pair of jeans. Ya just gotta love that feeling!

 


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