Waking up this morning, we were greeted with a laser beam from the sun, blinding us. Looks like it was going to be a very hot and humid day in Bonaire. But this was not to be. Heavy dark clouds were covering the highest peak of 784 feet, and it appeared to be headed our way. Sure enough, a light mist began to fall, which was not bad. Enough of a sign for us to pack the umbrellas just in case. Checking the forecast on the TV, it showed cloudy skies with temps in the mid 70's. Guess no one took the time to look out the window.
We left the ship at 10:30am, right after the routine safety drill was over. This seems to happen in most every port, where the crew are required to participate in an hour long drill. When that is completed, a smaller group has to attend a Solas class in the Main Stage. We know the drill almost by heart now.
Going out required us to show our Covid vaccine cards to the local officials. Without it, we would have been denied entry. There was no sign for a mandatory mask mandate, although, we still wore them. Most of the guests did not. We are noticing that more and more folks are going without.
Local tour operators were waiting under a line of tents, selling tours to the north and south ends of the island. The north end takes you to 1000 Steps, a famous dive site which requires a hike down actually 67 steps to the water. You also get to see the flamingoes in a saltwater lagoon, as well as visit Rincon, one of the oldest villages on the island. It is also rumored that voo-doo still exists here, remnants of the slavery days. Finally, you will stop at Seru Largu, a high point for the views. The south end tour also gets to see the flamingoes and the salt pans. Did you know that the number of flamingoes outnumbers the people that live here? It is estimated that there are 15,000 of the pink birds here, the largest flock in the Western Hemisphere. A visit to the slave huts and lighthouse are included, and a stop at Sorobon, is another nice beach where wind sailing takes place. Each of these tours costs $25 per person for a 2 hour excursion. Pretty good deal, we think.
The tourist info booth was manned today, so we picked up two maps, one of which we followed for the walking tour. Maybe because the damp weather, there were not many people out and about from the ship. We had the whole walkway almost to ourselves as we hiked all the way to the end again. On the way, we stopped to watch a fisherman clean and slice barracuda. Not one bit of it was wasted, as he fileted the meaty sides, then cut the spine into chunks, and finally split the head. These parts went into a bowl for what we assume could be for fish soup. The filets were bagged up to sell, more than likely to local restaurants. Can't get any fresher than that. Any scraps were then fed to the scavenging fish and birds. Speaking of birds, we never saw so many as we did today. There were red knots, a shore bird, gulls, terns, and pelicans. Way high in the sky were some frigates.
There was far less traffic on the road, and we wondered what they are paying for gas or diesel these days. Perhaps that's why many residents ride bikes here. Walking along the water, we saw lots of tropical fish. This was nice since we did not have to get wet to see them. Further up the end of the walking trail, we did see some iguanas sunning themselves. They always attract a crowd of on-lookers as they slowly get away from everyone.
Heading back, we took a side street to Kaya Grandi and the row of shops and stores that sell everything from high-end to souvenir. One of us did go into Milano for their free charm. I now own a pair of flamingoes that can be turned into earrings. Checking out the stores, many of which were closed, we made our way to Wilhelmina Park and the craft market. This time we saw a display of jewelry we have only seen in New Zealand. It was a resin/glue used to make pendants and earrings, but is really a substance out of this world. It is used to glue tiles on space shuttles, and turns a fluorescent shade of blues and greens. With one hundred choices of pendants, it will be best to wear the earrings next time to find a match.
And that was when the rain began. As we left the park, it began to pour, so out came the umbrellas not a moment too soon. Funny thing, some people coming out of the ship, asked where we bought the umbrellas. We said we brought them from home, and they looked surprised. We thought everyone would pack umbrellas, especially in this part of the world. It is tropical. Then we thought about trips in the past, when the ships had complimentary umbrellas as you exited the gangway on rainy days. Guess this is long gone. They weren't the best, but better than getting soaked.
Lunch was a shared sandwich and fries in the Dutch Café. We have not been there for a week, so the food was really good. Heineken beers were good too, as they have run out of Affligem. A substitute for that was a hard cider, which we have never tried before. Michelle gave us samplers, and we found it refreshing, like a sparkling wine, but a bit sweet, like apple juice.
It was fun watching the action on the pier as folks came running back in the rain. We bet that few people get off tonight, as we are here until 10:30pm. There is such a short distance to tomorrow's port of Curacao, we will be going slowly.
Dinner was good in the dining room. One of our favorite appetizers was served….veggie spring rolls on a bed of glass noodles. Truthfully, we could make a meal of these alone. We did add salads, then one lasagna, and one weinerschnitzel. We shared once again. Presty visited and we took care of some business, like moving to the upper level next cruise. There will be 1550 guests on that cruise, and we will move to the second level, back to our original table we had in December. Right now, Presty said we have 1100, and the dining room is pretty full on deck two. If we decide we do not like it, he will move us back.
Tomorrow we will be in Curacao. Wonder if the rain will follow us?
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Report #84 Kralendijk, Bonaire Friday-March 11, 2022 Rainy And Cloudy All Day 78 Degrees
