Access to Computer / CD Burner in Bonaire?

[dvleemin]

Hi,
I was wondering if there is anywhere in Bonaire that I'll have access to a CD-burner and a computer. I plan to be taking a TON of pictures with my digital camera, and if there was somewhere I could burn some of my pictures to a CD to free up memory cards, that would be great.

Also, is there high speed internet connections anywhere?

thanks,

Darryl

 

[Cecil]

I have thought about this problem quite a bit. You are asking alot of someone to load your camera's drivers on their computer (and risk their computer). Even if they did, you can't e-mail the pictures back home, to large. My broadband provider only allows 10 megs of e-mail. There is also an increased risk of losing your pictures in the process.

My recommendation is either a laptop (that you know works with your camera), a digital wallet (battery powered hard drive/card reader) or enough memory cards to do the job. I've gone with the last choice, a 64 and 128 meg card would be good for 300 pictures which should cover a week vacation w/deletes. YMMV.

 

[herman]

Hi Darryl,

I know there are a couple of places on Bonaire that you can get access to the internet. Your best bet is to go to this board http://www.BonaireTalk.com/newsgroup//messages/board-topics.html and post your question there. Jake is on the island (operator of the board) and can give you any info on computer access and maybe where you can get your hands on a CD burner there.

 

[dvleemin]

Thanks Herman,
Thats the first thing I did. Its a great board, I just wish there was more traffic.

Darryl

 

[dvleemin]

Cecil,
Very, very minimal drivers have to be loaded onto a machine to access via USB. The other alternatice is to get a smartcard reader, which in some cases no additional drivers would be needed.

Don't understand where your email comment came from. I want to burn the pictures to a CD, not email them anywhere. My internet question was so that if they did have high speed net, I could easily FTP the pics to my website, or even my home computer.

I own a laptop, however, there are a number of reasons why I don't want to bring it. The first being that Bonaira has an extremely big problem with theft; I can't risk losing my laptop. Plus, with all the luggage already coming with me, thats another thing to have to bring along.

You must be taking pictures at HQ resolution. I take my pictures at SHQ, so 192 megs of smartcards won't hold anywhere near 300 pics.

Darryl

 

[buff]

"Big problem with theft" you say devleemin?

Maybe you are thinking of the U.S.?

I, and at least a dozen other people, left our dive gear in an unlocked shed at Divi Flamingo. I was hesitiant about it and the dive director said "This place isn't like where you are from". I didn't tell him I was from the U.S. but he knew. Nothing was ever stole from our truck when we dove in remote locations on the island.

Nothing was ever stolen or even looked at in a "casing like manner". People in Bonaire seem to be not so engaged in material goods as the Western hemisphere. What would you desire if you lived in Paradise?

 

[dvleemin]

Buff,
Here are some links to theft on Bonaire . . .

http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/30/20085.html?
http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/32/9212.html?
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1207&highlight=bonaire+crime
http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/1022/21467.html?

If I were you I wouldn't be leaving dive gear unlocked. Eventually you'll get burned.

Darryl

 

[kgblair]

actually, there is not tons of crime in bonaire, but it does exist. my fiancee and i stayed at the yacht club apts. they have a big patio out back the is padlocked and although it is open at top, the gate is about 15 ft high. we had our swimsuits, fins, masks, snorkles and stuff out on the back patio to dry. we were just learning to dive and were avid snorkelers, so we didn't have regs or bcs or big equip out there, thank goodness! anyway, apparently someone grabbed a ladder and scaled the fence and stole our stuff. well, almost. although they took our masks, snorkels, one of my fiancee's old $5 walmart swimshorts and turn up t-shirt, they left my swimsuit and my force fins. we guessed they were teen boys who did not know the value of force fins and the fins were too small for their feet.

that was our second trip to bonaire and was in jan 2001. on our last trip jan 2002 we stayed in the same place (in the exact same apartment even!) and nothing was stolen, however, we did not leave anything out. everything in our hotel room was safe and our equip we left at the dive shop when we were not diving and it was all fine.