(I would have added this to Ed Reg's post recommending cell phone as alarm clock, but it seems already to have been archived.) Some folks worry about the reliability of wake-up calls at their accommodations, and whether they should bring their own alarm clocks. (Michael Gaynor cautions against using US plug-in clocks. On the Bonaire 50-cycle electricity, they will run slow - 10 minutes per hour - if they run at all. And with the frequent Bonaire power outages, even a 50-cycle plug-in clock cant't be relied on.) No worry about wake-up calls at Black Durgon - they aren't offered (nor are room phones, clocks, or clock radios). You are on your own to wake up on time to catch the 7 a.m. American Eagle flight. My cell phone, like Ed's, has an alarm. Better than a portable alarm clock, you can select the "ring" and the volume of the ring. Loud enough to wake me, even with my hearing aids out. Works every time, no worries. You don't even have to worry about setting the time. Once the cell phone links up to the local network, it automatically sets itself to the correct local time. Running the cell phone overnight does increase battery drain, but that's why you brought your cell phone charger, isn't it? (Unlike plug-in clocks, most plug-in cell phone chargers are perfectly happy at 50 or 60 cycles and anything from 100 to 220 volts - but check your charger's nameplate. Bonaire is ~120 volts, 50 cycles.) David |