By John Briley on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 1:11 pm: |
Hi - working on a magazine article about what U.S. travelers can do to protect themselves from harm, embarrasment and getting ripped off in the Caribbean. Anybody have any specific advice about boneheaded things you see U.S. travelers doing that could be easily corrected? Any phrases or gestures that are harmless in the U.S. but offensive in Bonaire?
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By Linnea Wimberly on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 3:09 pm: |
I would say that just doing normal, common sense things is all you need to do on Bonaire. Don't go around dripping expensive jewelry, flashing bundles of cash, and such. You wouldn't be mugged, but you could be followed 'home' and burglarized later. The only other precaution has been mentioned in many postings on BT. I.E. - don't leave anything of value in your rental vehicle and don't lock it.
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By Linnea Wimberly on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 3:23 pm: |
P.S., since I rarely use offensive phrases or gestures in the US, I can't help you out with that, but Jake or Michael G. would be the best ones to respond to that part and for any other precautions.
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By Linda Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 4:03 pm: |
Oddity for Americans in Bonaire:
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By Kelly on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 4:25 pm: |
Linda that is an excellent item. I have found if you offer the first friendly greeting when entering a store your greeting will be return in kind.
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By Linda Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 5:00 pm: |
Bon Tardi to you Kelly.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 5:16 pm: |
I tell you, that's one thing I really like here - going into a place like a doctor's office and saying "Bon Dia" or "Good Morning" and having everyone else respond in kind, with welcoming smiles on their faces. Of course, I don't like going to the doctor's office, but this sort of welcome makes up for part of that, for sure.
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By Anonymous on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 11:51 pm: |
John.. The greatest thing that americans can do in my mind is to chill.. the concept of time in the sun is far different then it is in the main land... we spend too much time inthe US rushing from point to point worrying about this worrying about that.. there is more chance that the person the 7-11 at home who can barely speak english yet holds a work visa will rip you off because their compuerized register won't work and they can't count change in one currency then the person in bonaire who is balancing two currencies ( in their mind) and three languages minimum.. Don't be a rush.. don't expect things to YOUR time.. you are a vistor and hey you're on vacation ..RELAX..
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By Peter Cabus on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 2:56 am: |
Attempting the local language certainly helps. On Bonaire we recieved a very warm welcome when we spoke (-: ITALIAN. But that was in Capricios.
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By Ann Phelan on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 6:11 am: |
It always cracks me up when an American tourist is planning a trip to the Caribbean and asks if there are bugs or sharks. No offense but sheahhhh...there are..
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By Kelly on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 9:21 am: |
Ann, I am not sure you can lay this one only on the American tourist.
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By Robert Deal on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 10:55 am: |
I have to agree with Ann's closing sentence, at least. I am always amused by people who pay money to go somewhere far from home, and then spend their time complaining about everything that they cannot find...or is different...or should be made to be more like the US. As someone once told me, "If you expected to find everything just like what you left behind, why did you come in the first place?"
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By Corney Ann Carter on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 1:19 pm: |
Bonaire is not the place to be pushy and loud. As the others have said, go with the flow you are on vacation.
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By Linnea Wimberly on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 1:32 pm: |
Yeah, I forgot about going on island time since I'm from the "island" of Southern California, where the terms "laid back" and "let's party, dude" originated. I live just a little further north than Cynde, and have more trouble adjusting to the east coast way of doing things than to Bonaire's.
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By Barry Baker on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 3:43 pm: |
I made the mistake the last time I was there (February) of waiting for my check and getting upset that the waiter was ignoring us and not bringing the check. I later learned on BT that the waiter was not being rude. I guess the lesson would be not to take things for granted. If you are not sure about a local custom, ask.
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By Anonymous on Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 2:31 pm: |
How to avoid embarrassment: Please, cover up (a bit) when walking around town, riding mopeds, shopping, etc. Simple T-shirts & shorts are fine. Heaven knows we're not a fancy resort-wear type of place, but having tourists walk around town in only bathing suits, or men w/o shirts is mildly offensive (and perhaps even considered disrespectful) to the local population. However, shoes are still optional....
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By Kelly on Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 9:58 pm: |
Excellent point Anon. Swim suits are for the beach, boats and under wetsuits, in town island casual is in good taste.
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By Jodie Simpson on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 1:14 am: |
From reading these messages I know I probably shouldn't ask but I am going to anyway. Can someone please tell me what insects, snakes, scorpions etc I should be worried about in Bonaire. My daughter and I are looking to move to Bonaire for 1.5 years and are bringing pets. Would be good to know what we are up against and what the pets should not be chasing! We live in landlocked Alberta and do not have any little beasts to worry about here. No rats, cockroaches, poisonious spiders or nasty things that bite - except pesky mesquitos. Although we have travelled extensively and don't necessarily worry about ourselves, bringing the pets is a new experience. I have a border collie who hasn't figured out that catching wasps in his mouth is not a good thing! See what I am working with. Thanks for any information.
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By Liz Ginocchio on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 10:12 am: |
Jodie,
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By michael gaynor on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 1:06 pm: |
Hi..no snakes to speak of (one tiny one that is blind) the tale about the scorpians is a new one on me. In fifteen years, I have been bitten twice and it was less bothersome than a wasp. I wonder who the local was who spread such a story?
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By Liz Ginocchio on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 1:40 pm: |
Hi Michael! We will be down on Sunday late afternoon with Folgers (red can) and a couple of NYT for you, stop by at our place #13 LBR. Anyway, when Ed and I were down last year we stayed at our then timeshare. It was night and we walked in and Ed saw something move on the floor. He was barefoot and was going to step on it then decided to turn on the light in the kitchen. Turned out to be a scorpion. Anyway, cannot remember, but we were talking to some local divers a few days later and they told of stories of them being in booties...a couple of people did say that they did hear of people getting wicked virus like symptoms, while some nothing. One women did say she was actually stung in the foot and did develop nausea, etc...for a day or so, but recovered fine. Cannot remember who it was...but definitely remember story...See you next week! Liz
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 1:50 pm: |
Theoretically, if you're allergic to bee stings, some species of scorpions' venom have similar proteins(?) which would result in allergic reaction.
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By Bill & Cheryl Rathborne on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 3:18 pm: |
Well that's it then! As a Scorpio I belong on Bonaire. I wonder if they make interesting pets?
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By Sarah on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 7:26 pm: |
Scorpions!
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By Glen Reem on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 9:59 pm: |
Only rarely, Sarah. ;–)
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By Sarah on Thursday, November 22, 2001 - 4:50 am: |
Thanks Glen, that's comforting..S
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By John Evans on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 5:29 am: |
OK. Just a warning about this "don't lock your vehicles message." If you do that you invalidate your insurance. If you lock the vehicle, they break the glass and you pay for that. If you take every possible care guess what they do? Well in my case they got into a locked gas tank without doing any damage. When I tackled the rental co. they all acted innocent, like "how could that happen." I tell you - only with the spare key!!!
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By Robert Deal on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 11:56 am: |
I just called both Amex and Visa in anticipation of our visit and, under the coverage provided by each, leaving the car unlocked would certainly invalidate a claim in case of theft, but not however in the case of damage to the vehicle. As has been noted previously, trucks are not covered, but mini-vans and small SUVs are covered.
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By Leif S on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 11:57 am: |
Response to John:
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By Carole Baker on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 5:16 pm: |
Mimi???
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By Sarah on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 5:28 pm: |
My memory has been jogged here. As I said above, we've always rented from Budget without a problem, BUT.. On the day we did our Ladanias Leap to Karpata snorkel, we left the car with plenty of fuel in it, this is something I often check, as there aren't many gas stations on the island, when we started up to leave, the fuel light came on! How strange, we thought, the car had plenty of fuel in it when we arrived, we had only just filled up at Lisa Gas a couple of days before, and we don't really drive around the island that much. But then we thought, how can this be as the fuel tank is locked? We didn't see fuwl under the car either. A mystery indeed. BUT, we'll be back in 4 months!...
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By Cynde Lee on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 6:11 pm: |
a thought on the credit card charge, that wasn't yours. when we were there, almost 99% of the places you use a charge card DO NOT blank out the credit card numbers. So if you throw your reciept away, your number is on it and if someone picks up the reciept, they can charge your card. We had actually been warned about this prior to our trip, and made sure that we kept our receipts and destroyed them. John, maybe someone grabbed a receipt.
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By Carole Baker on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 9:44 pm: |
Also, be certain to destroy the original "swipe" imprint of your card IF you use cash or travelers checks when you turn the vehicle in at the end of your trip. They have always given it back to me to destroy, but some other places, other than Bonaire, have not done so. This leaves the merchant with a blank check, so to speak, if you pay by another form/method other than the card they "swiped" thru the machine initially. I have always demanded the "carbons" on all card transactions, too, for decades. One gas station on the NY Thruway gave me a hard time and I called the State Police to the scene....he eventually "surrendered" the carbons to me in the presence of the Trooper! If someone wants to "steal" your card info, it is very, very easy to do so just screen all charges very carefully with each statement coming in. Carole
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By Leif S on Friday, August 2, 2002 - 10:27 am: |
Carole:
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By Carole Baker on Friday, August 2, 2002 - 6:24 pm: |
Only teasing you, Leif! I concur. It's peaceful without her, tho, isn't it? I guess I should not even bring it up at all....Ayo. Carole
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Saturday, August 3, 2002 - 9:47 pm: |
From personal, semi-recent experience, when gas is siphoned from a gas tank, the incision is made in the section just below the gas cap, under the car, above the fuel level of the gas tank. If the gas theft is done well, it can be done without leaving a noticable trace (gas puddles everywhere, or even a leaky fill), other than a reduced gas level in the tank. In my case I noticed I had a problem when I went to refill my tank and found a third of the gas was ending up on the ground instead in the tank with the rest of the gas. However, in speaking with the guys at BoCarBon - the repair place I used, which also services all AB Car Rental cars, the more experienced gas thieves can and do siphon off gas without leaving such an obvious problem in its place (or needing a key). It doesn't happen often, though - once or twice a month I was told. Given the number of cars the shop sees and the number of cars on the road, that's minor, I think.
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By joe chandler on Monday, August 5, 2002 - 11:53 am: |
Wife was looking in an octopus den the other day to see if he was home. He was sitting on a rock about a foot above her head watching her do this.
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