Day 8: Bonaire

Day 8: Bonaire

Spotted Cleaner Shrimp

QOTD: The mouse says to Alice, mine is a long and sad tale. Alice replies, I can see it is long, why is your tail so sad?

THB is up for snorkeling today, we do a morning and afternoon snorkel right here in Paradise. In the morning we see a pair of squid, very exciting. In afternoon, only one squid, being photographed by two scuba divers in about 5 feet of water. Strange to be snorkeling and having to avoid divers. Sad, really.

So what happened to THB today, you ask:

1. THB's booties  (on loan from CPR) were missing when we went to snorkel in the afternoon. CPR has extra loaners, no problema

2. THB managed to drop his room key at the edge of the shoreline after the afternoon snorkel. He can hear it clunk against the coral at his feet 1-3 inches of water) and it disappears. The key is attached to a blue lightweight metal clip maybe 2" long. Gone. You have to use the key to get back on the property so THB and LB walk out to the street and push the button to open the gate the cars enter through. CPR replaces the key, no problema.

3. THB manages to take his usual pills this morning. He's not sure he remembered to brush his teeth. No problema, THB does that after the morning snorkel....or was it the afternoon snorkel? Do you have to put toothpaste on the toothbrush?

How sad was it: THB forgot to tell them no catsup or mayonnaise, just mustard and other stuff on his chicken burger.  

4. We drive into town for lunch (how sad can that be?). THB is parallel parking the truck, the space is a little tight and he brushes the bumper of the beat-up car behind him. The car has significant front-end damage from some prior incident, THB doesn't think he needs to leave a note (let alone have paper and pen with him). A woman comes out of the coffee place next to the parking spaces and suggests that THB leave a note. She does not have pencil and paper. THB and LB ask the two women working at Whataburger if they have writing implements; no problema,

THB writes out a note, and somehow we find out the car owner works at the hair salon just two doors up from Whataburger. Out  she comes, explaining that her car had been hit and damaged and nobody left a note then. We have full coverage from AB Rental Car, and LB uses the paperwork with us and the hair salon phone to contact them, they'll send somebody out.

Hairdresser returns to the salon, we order a veggie and chicken burger and drinks at Whataburger, $14, and in about 10 minutes (before THB can finish his chicken burger), AB guy shows up and he and THB review damages to cars. The rental truck is unscathed. The hairdresser comes out and she and the AB guy discuss her car in half creole, half Espanol. LB listens in and basically the hairdresser told the AB guy the same story she told us. He also tells me his sad tale: he had ordered 4 Whataburger burgers to go last night and got home and there were only 3 in the bag.

Meanwhile, the hairdresser's customer is getting frustrated and the hairdresser returns to the salon. THB and LB go into the salon and let the hairdresser know we'll do something for her even if AB doesn't (and shouldn't, her car was not damaged beyond what had occurred before THB gave her bump while parking). We get her name and phone number, explaining we are staying at CPR and leaving tomorrow. We'll have CPR contact her.

In meantime, LB has also made friends with the Dutch ex-pat working at Whataburger. The worker comps us for a Diet Coke.

{the story isn't that sad, it is getting to be very long}

THB and LB make it back to CPR. THB goes into office and is explaining the short version to Caroline, the co-owner, when Caroline looks at the card that the hairdresser's name and number are written down on: it's the place Caroline gets her hair done. Caroline turns the card over, it's the woman who cuts her hair!!!!

Now we get a bit more of the back story: the hairdresser is a young widow with 3 children. Clearly she couldn't afford to get her car fixed when the real damage was done. Caroline will be happy to pass on our token gesture for the inconvenience caused.

There's a cute "Stop Go Pizza" light outside Pasa Bon Pizza

5. It's our last night, and neither of us feeling like going out to eat. No problema: LB orders pizza and salad from the same pizza and salad place we dined at earlier in the week. THB picks it up (they are right down the road) and we dine inside where we don't get bitten at all, unlike when we ate at the pizza place. $31