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Trip Reports: Trip Report - August 16 - 23 - Part One
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2006-2008: Archives 2008-08-01 to 2008-12-31: Trip Report - August 16 - 23 - Part One
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Deborah Campbell (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 3:56 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I used to post on Bonaire Talk regularly a few years back, but for some reason my user name and password no longer work. So I’ve re-registered. Even though I haven’t posted recently, I still use and appreciate BT as a resource for All Things Bonaire. This trip report is my small way of giving back. It’s kind of long, with photos, so I’ll break it into a few parts. (Hopefully I can get the photos to post correctly!)

This was the ninth visit to Bonaire since September of 1999 for me and my husband (Mike). Bonaire’s very special for me, since I learned to dive there (open water, advanced & nitrox over the years.) So it’s a little like coming home whenever we return to Bonaire.

We flew Delta from BWI to Atlanta, then on to Bonaire. No real issues, except we were about an hour late leaving the Atlanta airport. Unlike previous diving trips, this time the TSA personnel recognized our dive regulators/computers when our carry-on bags went through the x-ray and nothing had to be opened at any security checkpoint. All planes were full, coming and going. We experienced a little bumpiness over Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, but nothing serious or alarming. All luggage arrived and the lines for scanning everything before exiting the airport moved smoothly. Arriving on Bonaire in the afternoon is perfect – there’s time to check in and chill out, plan a leisurely dinner and ease into “island time.”

We stayed at the Plaza Resort (where we’ve always stayed) in a junior suite (# J006). It’s a sprawling resort near the airport with a decent beach and nicely landscaped grounds.

Plaza Resort walkway

We’d arranged for round-trip airport transfers and were met outside Flamingo Airport by Plaza staff. We didn’t rent a car this trip. We’d scheduled two-tank morning boat dives with Toucan Diving and planned to do afternoon shore dives at the Plaza’s house reef, 18th Palm.

Yellow Rock

After unpacking, we got a couple of Brights at the Coconut Crash beach bar and started to unwind.

Aaaaaaaahh!

Then just before sunset we walked to Richard’s for dinner, and had an excellent meal at a waterside table.

Mike at Sunset

Avocado salad for me, escargot for Mike and peppercorn steak for both of us. We each had a couple of Amstels, no dessert and the bill with tip was $84.35. That’s somewhat less than we would pay for a similar meal at home (the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC) with much nicer ambiance.

I'll try to post this now and move on to Part Two...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DIANE AND BEA (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #213) on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 5:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great photos . Reminds me of home. We also stay at the Plaza . Really enjoyed them !

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kobi in Virginia ~ GO HOKIES (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7843) on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 5:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

NICE.....Thanks for sharing your trip report & pics with us!!!!

We live in NW Virginia and did BWI/Delta in May. Miss the old AJ days but they're gone :-(

 


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