think i compressed it to much i'll try again

Photo of Kaya Grandi looking south taken 1976

I have taken the liberty and made it a bit larger Timothy I love the photo!!

Kaya Grandi looking north 1976

nice one Freddie i'm still trying to get the hang of posting photos

For all you who have eaten at Mona Lisa restaurant this is the inside circa 1976 withe the owner Chico behind the bar

Timothy, thank you. Your pictures are really interesting to see. By comparison, present-day Bonaire seems so prosperous and cosmopolitan. I remember Bonaire from those days but have almost no pictures. We'll be happy to see as many as you care to post. I recall that many of the stores contained so little merchandise that it was surprising they could stay in business. One memory of a large display window that contained only three items still amuses me. Very carefully laid out were a mattress, a hard hat, and a melon baller. One could never predict in which store a particular item might be found, if at all.

Actually, that's still true, Nathalie!
Thanks for the pictures and the memories Timothy!

Glad you enjoyed the photos i will dig some more out at the weekend when i visit my mum's house, she has them all in storage 200+ at least although quite a few are of Curacao as well.

The destination tree at Hotel Bonaire showing the way home.

PADI scuba diving course 70s style.

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Anyone remember Aquaventure?

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photo for above.

Hotel bonaire beach and Aquaventure pier

steel band Hotel Bonaire beachbar Sunday afternoon

Steelband again.

Pier from Fort Oranje.

Bonaire sunset taken from Nikiboko Noord

Thanks for the memories, Tim...very interesting to see the old places and compare them to today....some are no longer there at all. Carole

Thanks Tim. Cap Don has been posting some of his stories on BT and has talked about Hotel Bonaire, and Aquaventure...now I have pictures of the places to go with his stories....I love the pics, anymore you have would be apprecaited. A blast from the past is always fun

i spent 2 hours saturday morning looking through the photos that we had at my mums, i didn't realise how many pictures we had ! most of them are family pictures of mum, dad and brother, or the pet cats we had when we lived on Bonaire and Curacao, the ones i have posted probably show that we spent a lot of time at the Hotel Bonaire, doing home work in the beachbar was a major lifestyle change for a kid from a northern England mill town!

wow, doing homework from the beachbar...life must have been hard for a kid! lol! Have you been back to Bonaire recently?

I went back 2 years ago for the first time since leaving in 76 and i am going back again in June, every thing seemed a little smaller than i remembered and finding that Hotel Bonaire was just a pile of rubble was a shame but i had a great time and intend to have a blast this time too.

Tim, I'm glad you had a good time and it didn't change too much. Where was Hotel Bonaire located?

Cynde,
I think Hotel Bonaire == Sunset Beach.


(Message edited by susanf on February 19, 2006)

Yes Susan, the Hotel Bonaire it was. The history was something like this...

Prior to 1980, the location was called Hotel Bonaire with Captain Don's Aquaventure.

In 1980, it was still called the Hotel Bonaire but the dive operation changed to Bonaire Scuba Center owned and operated by Ady, Eddy & Al.

Before 1990, the hotel was renamed Bonaire Beach Hotel.

Around June of 1990, the hotel was sold and renamed Sunset Beach Hotel and the dive operator changed. And ended as Sunset Beach Hotel.

I have some old photos of Ady, Edy and dad's Bonaire Scuba Center era... I will share some when I can figure out the scanner.
"Remember the 80's!"

Blondie, if you read this, I bet you have some great photos also!

Rona, thanks for the history! So where was Aquaventure, north or south of Hotel Bonaire (aka Sunset Beach)?

Would LOVE to see some old photos!

Hi Rona, I'm looking forward to seeing those early photos of your dad!

(Message edited by ski9413 on February 19, 2006)

This one isn't that good but this is hotel Bonaire and Aqyuaventure from the sea, Aquaventure is on the right as you look, if you carry on going right that is were Eden Beach and Bongos are now

I believe Walt III ran the dive shop there 'near the end'. I remember diving from the dock.

(Message edited by glenr on February 20, 2006)

Masha danki for the photo's! That's where we first fell in love with Bonaire a little later.

Da nada, glad you liked them.Ill try and find some more this weekend.

Hi Glen Yes I ran the operation from 1990 till the end. What a fun time we had.

I hope that all those nice people to whom we owe
that fun time are doing fine.
I'm thinking of my instructor Karen B. (1994) and
Mary D. who fixed my expensive albeit leaking mask. (1996) and the lady behind the counter,I believe her name is Marvis. And don't forget the
noisy parrots.....