Day 4: Bonaire

Day 4: Bonaire

Peppermint Goby (not sure if we saw this one, they are pretty and tiny)

Today we don't see wild donkeys, just donkeyploppen

Breakfast expanded: weak coffee con leche, heated raisin roll, Grape Nuts with apple.

Paradise south

Paradise north

Lots more snorkelers today on the morning shift

Including some arriving in a mini-boat

Lots of divers leaving Buddy's

We decide to repeat yesterday: 9am snorkel out front of paradise, then travel for lunch and an afternoon snorkel somewhere else. 

A part-time local is jumping in at Paradise to snorkel as were prepping. She is Dutch (of course) and recommends the Woodwinds tour of Klein Bonaire: 9-2 with a drift snorkel (they let you off and pick you up elsewhere), warm lunch and a naturalist aboard. We sign up for the day after Wednesday or if you prefer, the day before Friday.

The morning snorkel is fabulous as always. THB has adjusted to his post-cataract eyes using his 20 (30?) year old prescription mask and things are looking sharper...some of the fish and THB are now on a first name basis. We see one huge (even by DJT or JW standards) fish. It may be some type of parrot fish per one of the other CP guests, though from THB's internet search that isn't likely. 

Cruise is in town, it's the day before Wednesday. THB and LB see little to indicate there are 100s more people on Bonaire

Food trucks are known by their primary locations

It's hot, not enough shade or chairs

They were out of THB's first choice, choose two of three tuna-done-different ways

Grilled snapper done burger style

Meager and mostly undercooked

Excellent spicy veg quesadilla, LB shares!

Rest up and head out to lunch, rejecting Indian veg and Italian upscale pasta, the pizza place is not open before 5 or on the day before Wednesday, and several other drivebys. We end up at the Kite City food truck; THB has a fresh grilled snapper burger (excellent) and LB has an equally good (and unusual) grilled spicy veggie quesadilla. That's the good news. The bad news: it is very slow (both to prep food and handle payment), not enough chairs outside, very hot and windy (they don't call it Kite City for nothing), and they only take cash....all of THB's cash, $33 (we're traveling skinny, they don't take credit cards) for the above and a ginger ale and  10 small, undercooked sweet potato fries. 

Aside: the Lion Fish food truck is closed this week, per the rock that is there in its place...otherwise THB would've had a lionfish burger!

And, today we travel the south of the island with camera in tow, so here are the pics:

Especially in the southeast, the only structures are burnt out ones

Only the chimney remains

Driftwood and trash structures, sort of like the E-ville mudflats of yore

There are several historical markers in the shape of pyramid obelisks

We see flamingos and their smaller darker kin near the shoreline of the southern lagoons

Windmills that seemingly are functioning...used for the salt flats>

More flamingos

Lighthouse

A burnt out building right next to the lighthouse

These flamingos are doing some exotic dance, scuffling their feet...to stir up food?

The first of the slave quarters, repainted in intense yellow

In white

Kite surfing

Flamingo in camouflage? 

identical twins?

Pelicans, and terns nearby, are diving in shallow water (dining on lion fish?)

more twins?

Structures near the salt flat processing area:

Pink salt water

Salt pier

A large abandoned unfinished building; there's new construction going on on either side!

Snorkel at a place THB remembers, Wind Sock beach, right at the end of the runway at Flamingo Airport. Not as good as paradise, of course, a bit murky, and we see the giant grinning pit bull fish again (this time it swims out from under it's coral head hiding spot so we get a better view), a small eel swimming (slinking) out in the open and tons of smaller fish herding around brain coral. 

Another stop at Van Den Tweel for another cheese, water, Pelligrino de pamplemouse, more muffins, and a Snickers and Mars bar ice creams, $14. 

Back around 4:30 to wash up, clean up, dry out, and catch up on e-mail, and get ready for lunch on the deck! It is at this point that THB realizes he sat a bit too long on the beach at Windsock (you know, 10 minutes) without his hat on and has a mild sunburn atop the crown. Fortunately LB had anticipated that (well, for her own possible sunburn) and there's aloe gel to ease THB's aching empty follicles. Ahhhhhhhh....

Additional pics:

On the stairs in front of #7, THB's room, awaiting his moment on travelsofthb

In California, they close off miles of beach for 9 snowy plover couples; in Bonaire for the turtles, they get a small circle around a tree

Large mural

Graffiti on the large unfinished building

Feeding donkeys okay, feeding flamingos okay, no feeding the dogs (forgot to see if Van den Tweel had a dog food section)