By Tom Kreider (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 12:55 pm: |
I've now be able to secure a 1BR at the GRI with a kitchen. Having read many of the posts here, it seems like many folks bring food; snacks, beverage mixes, even frozen meat, from home for the stay on Bonaire.
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By Ruth van Tilburg (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1116) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:12 pm: |
Everything you listed is available at Warehouse (at least), except for the individual portions of gatorade/crsytal light mixes.
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By Yo "walking" MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5008) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:15 pm: |
My suggestion - pick up a Dutch translation book and bring it with you to the grocery store. There are very few items I bring from home and have had some interesting adventures at the Cultimara trying to figure out what I was buying. But what the heck - it's all good baby - it's bonaire.
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2405) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:16 pm: |
Tom..Having traveled to Bonaire many times, personally I think it's not advantageous to bring many food items from home. Between Cultimara, The Warehouse, More for less & T.I.S., I'm sure you can survive a week or so without lugging items down. Be adventurous, go out & try different things instead of the same old items which you are accustomed to. Just my advice. Isn't trying new things one of the reasons we travel?
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By Edward Mizell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #147) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:18 pm: |
I know lots of people bring their own food, and I understand there are many reasons. However, we prefer to buy whatever is available on the island to get more of an experience of the local culture. Even chip type snacks are different. I am not so attached to any particular food that I really miss it for a week or so.
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By Ann Phelan - www.bonairecaribbean.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3862) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:41 pm: |
I think the fun of travel is exploring the grocery stores. I know, I am a food geek but love to buy jams and sauces. It's the first thing I do in any Caribbean island or foreign country. I buy local "stuff". More important is WHAT you bring back. I recommend Dutch Chocolate and Dutch Cheese, some Ponche Kuba perhaps....
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By ***Ken *** (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #524) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:47 pm: |
chocolate, did someone say chocolate. We have brought back jars of heavenly fudge like chocolate called, chocoladepasta puur on our three trips
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #545) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 1:49 pm: |
I love that stuff Ken. Along with Natuurefarm's yogurt, it's two of the best and yummiest products on the island!
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By ***Ken *** (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #525) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:04 pm: |
AND to top it off there is absolutely no nutritional info on the label. Nothing better than being able to eat all the chocolate you want without ANY calories.................
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #547) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:10 pm: |
That explains why I had to add 2 lbs in my BCD by the end of the week.
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By Corney Ann Carter (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #383) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:38 pm: |
I bring all my spices to cook with in tiny plastic ziplock bags so I don't have to go out and buy full jars there. It may take some hunting but you can find most items in one store or another. If there is something you can't live without, bring it.
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By Julia Graves (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1428) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:45 pm: |
I do the same as Corney. Bob puts chilli powder herbs and spices in a bag and I always bring a few of my favourite stock cubes.
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By Leo Irakliotis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #550) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:54 pm: |
Powdery substances in plastic ziploc bags in tourists' luggage arriving to the Caribbean ...
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By davevcr (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 2:57 pm: |
There's stuff you should bring simply because it doesn't make sense buying a whole container of it and having to either leave the leftovers behind or take it with you on the way home. For example, sugar, spices, coffee grinds, tea bags, cooking oil, etc.
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By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #535) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 3:10 pm: |
In the old days (with 70 pound bags), there was always room for tons of food. Many things are actually much heavier than you might think.
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By cr masheter (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 4:11 pm: |
Since there's no 'local' jam, we always bring something to put on our heavenly toast (using Cultimara bread). I also bring mayo and poupon mustard ,uselful for sandwiches or to make a quick slaw. The lunch meats remind me of some the German foods I had growing up--but, there's always some made with turkey available. I also bring pretzels, some crackers, and maybe a jar of salsa with some tortilla chips. You'd be surprised how well they pack! Spices, coffee, tea, Coffeemate.. Sometimes a bottle of bitters for rum punch....
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By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #251) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 5:15 pm: |
crmasheter ... not one item on your list that is not available on bonaire... there are fantastic jams and jellies from Holland and south america --some very exotic flavors from south america...and great dutch and south american coffees ...
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By cr masheter (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 5:44 pm: |
Funny, but at Cultimara, all of the jellies were from US the day we shopped!
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By michael gaynor (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3824) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 6:43 pm: |
Leave your groceries at home! We have everything you need here...except for NY bagels and Folgers Coffee (I did hear someone did find Folgers last week)
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By MONTY FORBESS (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #175) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 7:24 pm: |
cyrstal lite pkgs and popcorn
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By Mickey McCarthy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #784) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 8:17 pm: |
With all due respect to the above posts, the only thing it makes sense to bring with you is an assortment of your favorite spices. If you are going to cook you don't want go out and buy a bottle of whatever to put a quarter teaspoon in your recipe.
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By Yo "walking" MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5015) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 9:32 pm: |
i agree - if you cook bring spices from home for that very reason - but the rest - get creative and be adventurous. And as some on here know that's not so easy for me but I make it work. I've just learned how sugar and fat are spelled in various languages.
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By Brad Ford (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 9:55 pm: |
When I was going to college there was a store where poor starving college students could go in and buy canned goods for a nickel. The only catch was the cans had no labels. That's kinda how I feel in Cultimara (but it is an adventure).
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By Yo "walking" MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5018) on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 10:12 pm: |
or the woman who travels with three kids feels the same way.... Mom - can you put this in your purse so I don't lose it.... Mom - can you put this in your bag....Mom....
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By Tom Kreider (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 9:47 am: |
OK, so what I'm gathering is that I should bring my favorite single serving powders, but for the rest, I can just be creative and embrace the culture... did I get that right?
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By Trevor Naylor (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 10:21 am: |
I find this theme amazing. People in Bonaire do not starve as the stores are well stocked with all kinds of food. OK, the shelves might be a bit down on some things when they are waiting a delivery, but there is always something. Why load yourself up with all your regular 'home' stuff. Go and 'live' Bonaire and enjoy what is on offer.
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By Yo "walking" MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5024) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 10:25 am: |
Yes Tom - you got that right. Spices from home so you don't have to buy the jar for a half teaspoon and you are good to go.
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By Gord Alder (Owner Seaside unit 101) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #151) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 11:20 am: |
We have vacationed on the Island for a number of years now, with a few multi-week stays. As a result we do some cooking in our unit.
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By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2359) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:16 pm: |
if you either living on bonaire or staying for an extended visit you can eventually find everything you'd need to live on. but i can see the point of bringing stuff from home (especially if you are traveling with kids). our rule on bonaire is "if you see it, buy it"..because it might not be there in a few days. and if you're only there for a short time you could be gone home before you could buy what you wanted. so if it's something odd that you really need, you might want to bring it...otherwise you can always improvise.
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #530) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:17 pm: |
Bonaire maybe a small island but it isn't deserted.
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By Trevor Naylor (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:31 pm: |
Antony. My sentiments entirely. Improvise, compromise, alternatives and experiment. And if visitors starve through lack of food from listening to me then I am sorry I got it wrong ;-))
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By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2360) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:35 pm: |
antony, like i said, it's possible to survive for a few days without some foods but it is vacation so why not splurge...especially if you have kids. granted, the stores now are extremely well stocked, especially compared to just 10 years ago...but some people just like things they maybe can't get on bonaire. and try telling a six year old that he can't have his favorite snack because the store is out of it for a week or more.
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By Ted Halkyard (BonaireTalker - Post #66) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:07 pm: |
Coffee and booze! Always pack a couple of plastic flasks of Wild Turkey - perfect end to a perfect day!
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By BonnieC (BonaireTalker - Post #70) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 3:02 pm: |
The only things I bring are some packs of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix because I can use it to season a lot of different things without buying a multitude of spices. I also bring Kashi granola bars because I like them to snack on and haven't found any good granola bars on the island. Other than those, grocery shopping is part of the adventure and we have always found plenty of good food in the stores.
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By Barbara "CB" Gibson* (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3707) on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 9:57 pm: |
Coffee and booze....I like the way you think...
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #531) on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 5:49 am: |
Pat.
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By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2361) on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 9:52 am: |
i just wouldn't want to put up with kids' tantrums and tears while on vacation...it should be fun for everybody..and bringing some food to satisfy the kids appetites is a small price to pay for domestic tranquility.
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By Trish (BonaireTalker - Post #61) on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 2:34 pm: |
We bring coffee bags for our first morning prior to grocery shopping, and flavored powdered coffee creamer because we can't find it in the stores. Other than that we buy everything from the stores. We see what we can get & plan our meals from there. I can see bringing spices, they're light & easy to pack & too expensive to buy & leave. We have enough stuff to pack without having to worry about food!
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By Patricia Shapiro (BonaireTalker - Post #95) on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 4:17 pm: |
From food to bring to child discipline in a few easy steps, LOL! Feb 2010 will be our third trip to BON - we never bring any food though I have taken home some great chimichurri sauce for grilled meats.
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By Pegi Sue...PegiPie...G's PS (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #10550) on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 4:59 pm: |
I bring my coffee...my "booze" is already there waiting "Brightly"!!!!
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #532) on Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 5:29 am: |
Trish.
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By Cindy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - 3:52 pm: |
that's hysterical! My mom always served 'Eat it or else'. Or else I'll give you something to cry about
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By Trish (BonaireTalker - Post #68) on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - 1:01 pm: |
LOL Cindy....your mom took care of 2 problems with 1 threat!
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By Neil Harvey (BonaireTalker - Post #38) on Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 3:42 pm: |
Can you find Miracle Whip on the inland? A must for us.
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By ***Ron Gould*** (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2055) on Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 4:38 pm: |
Miracle Whip is on the inland.
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By Trevor Naylor (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 12:56 pm: |
Sad that people MUST HAVE Miracle Whip
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By Diane and Bea (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #506) on Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 5:10 pm: |
We have brought Diet sprite and Diet caffeine free coke. We haven't been able to find them on the island. Need them to mix with drinks. To many cans can get quite heavy .
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By Ruth van Tilburg (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1140) on Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 6:24 pm: |
Warehouse has both Sprite Zero and caffeine free diet Coke (and Coke Zero).
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By Diane and Bea (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #510) on Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 6:48 pm: |
mmhmm thanks for the tip Ruth. Now we don't have to pack it for our Nov trip . Thanks !
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By lisa z (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 2:52 pm: |
If there is something that you just can't live without, or you will only use a particular brand, then bring it.
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By MONTY FORBESS (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #182) on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 3:50 pm: |
HI AGAIN TOM....don't know what time your flight arives, but one thing others may not be considering is what time you guys will be arriving..we have arrived too late to get food anywhere on the island and would have loved a coke or snack...with that said, I don't think it should offend anyone to bring a snack and powder drink in case this is the situation, especially with the younger ones
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By Trevor Naylor (BonaireTalker - Post #34) on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 4:22 pm: |
Hi Lisa I just find it odd that people 'have to have' certain things when they are in a foreign country just because they enjoy them. Live the life and take advantage of what is on offer. Explore, be adventurous. I am an English man living in Spain but have also lived in the Caribbean. I love what is available. Just got back from a tapas bar, not a word of English spoken, oh! and great food.
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By Neil Harvey (BonaireTalker - Post #41) on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 10:42 pm: |
Wow, all the fuss over my Miracle Whip. Listen I love to be adventurous and I love to travel. Diving is an addition for me, Miracle Whip is not! But the human race always enjoys or prefers something over something else. I have been to Bonaire in the past and after my 5 A.M. dive I usually enjoy a sandwich for breakfast. And yes it would be nice if a little Miracle Whip could be on it to start a wonderful day of diving. Lunch and Dinner will be spent enjoying the great restaurants of the inland. And why can't I enjoy certain things that I know I like on my vacation? I am an American but have live in Mexico and have traveled all over the Caribbean. The ? was if Bonaire had Miracle Whip and the answer was yes. I did not ask a Brit for insults.
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By Tom Kreider (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Friday, September 25, 2009 - 10:34 am: |
I'm must confess that I'm a big fan of Miracle Whip too...
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