Day Seven: 06-09-02
The last boat dive in my resort package was to the Forest off Klein Bonaire. We saw the first heavy swells (comparatively speaking) of the trip, and in the shallows it was difficult to hold position. One buddy team, a man and wife, overshot the boat on return and climbed aboard a barge from another dive operation. After retrieving them, we bounced home through occasional whitecaps.
Lunch was at the Banana Tree (burger and fish fingers), and afterward we decided to make another attempt to locate the Maiky Snack. One of the divemasters had given me my best set of directions yet, and we were determined to find it (just to say we had) before our time on the island ran out. Starting at the church in Kralendyk, we followed Kaya Niki Boko south past La Portugesa, turned and went by the little league field onto a dirt road that led through the featureless, nearly flat scrub and eventually found ourselves at Lac Bay. Another miss. Not a pair to overlook an opportunity to explore, we checked out the area with its broad, shallow bay, parking at the Blue Hole marker to watch the windsurfers carving up the turquoise water. Carol kept peeking over toward Sorobon, but no nekkid tourists came prancing out, so we drove down the coast toward the south end. I wanted a couple more pictures of the beach sculptures, and Carol got a good shot of the yellow windmills pulling sea water into the evaporating pans. We saw a flock of flamingoes, but the distance was too great for anything but a real telephoto lens.



Back at the Plaza, my navigator slept on the resort beach while I did a shore dive, greeting the barracuda that hangs out in the notch where the inner and outer reef meet. I saw a pair of whitespotted filefish and another sharptail eel (or the same one again) on the way back, and encountered a squadron of patrolling reef squid near the buoy marker. They eyed me curiously, flickering in different patterns and colors, before gliding down the reef out of sight.
The last game of the NBA finals was to be that night, so the plan was to hit Rum Runners for pizza and dine in the room while we watched Sacramento rise above adversity to win the West. We bellied up to the bar after ordering a large three-cheese pepperoni, which arrived before our drinks. We took road cups and hurried back to the Plaza with our fragrant cargo, which turned out to be the highlight of the evening. I had read many web posts describing the great pizza at RR, but assumed that the enthusiasm could be attributed to post-dive appetite or the lack of Papa John’s locations on Bonaire. I here state in all seriousness that Rum Runner’s pizza ranks among the best I have ever tasted. My credentials include over forty years of testing pizza of all kinds, often to excess; the crust is crisp and wafer-thin, the sauce perfect, the mix of cheeses authentic and flavorful…I’m getting hungry talking about it…and the whole thing baked to perfection. Carol and I have been spoiled against all domestic carryouts. Nothing in the states can touch Rum Runners. Add a cold Heineken, a good-looking blonde and a basketball game, and you’ve got heaven.
In the end Sacramento was robbed through political pressure, poor officiating and a sprained ankle, and we were robbed of seeing Mike Bibby and Jason Kidd square off for the championship. I prefer to remember that night for the pizza and the company of a good woman. Seven days on the island, and we were still having a very good time.

Well we will add RR pizza to our gustatory tour of Bonaire on your reccomendation, George. We did not eat at but found Maikey Snak last trip, but it was in a roundabout way, and it took forever to get there following the signs. I understand it is really just a few minutes from the church on nikki boko, but north or south i am unsure.

I can't necessarily say that Rum Runners pizza is the best I've ever had, but I can say that they're quite willing to make it without cheese, which makes it the best on Bonaire for us! They looked at us somewhat oddly when we asked for it without cheese, but they were quite happy to oblige... and it was definitely good!

Faith

George,
My husband and I are continuing to enjoy your daily trip reports. I am saving them to a word document so I can keep them altogether because there is so much good info in them! Thanks for taking the time to write them (I am also enjoying the accompanying photos).
Carol