Buc Chick
Registered
I posted this on Bonairetalk. Sorry it is a little long-winded.
GETTING THERE:
My husband and I left for Bonaire from Tampa on 7/28. Due to bad weather, and a short connection time in San Juan, we missed our connection to Bonaire by about an hour. I read on this forum after I already booked the flight, that it is recommended that there be at least 2 hours between connections in San Juan. I know that the weather was not American Airlines' fault, but no one seemed to want to help us once we were in San Juan. All we wanted was confirmation that we will get on the Bonaire flight the next day, and maybe a bit of sympathy, but everyone seemed quite nonchalant, saying that all the flights going to Bonaire that week was full. The woman at the gate actually said, "what do you want me to do about it"? The lady at the service desk at gate 12 pretty much had the same attitude, saying that they were closing and sent us to the ticketing desk. At this point I was in tears. The lady at the ticketing desk did what the others could have done for us, she picked up the phone and called the main office, and then gave us a thumbs up: we were confirmed for the next day's flight!
The silver lining is that they gave us vouchers for a hotel, taxi rides to and from the hotel, and meals. They sent us to the Gallery Inn, a 300 yr. old waterfront hotel in Old San Juan. It is an artist's hotel and is quite lovely. My husband and I actually enjoyed the hotel and the staff. I read some of the recent trip reports here that were in the same predicament as us but were not compensated. I don't understand it. Maybe the crazy, wild-eyed look behind my tears helped?
We got to the San Juan Airport the next day, about 6 hours before our flight. We did not want to take any chances. When we finally got on the plane, we noticed a lot of empty seats. I thought they said the planes were full? Oh well, we were on our way....
We picked up our pick-up at Total Car Rental and got to the Den Laman at around 9:30 PM. The manager, Amina, was there waiting for us. We got the studio apt facing the parking lot but the unit itself looked great. It was clean and very well-kept with modern amenities. We had a quick dinner at the Den Laman Restaurant, so thankful we were finally here, even if we were a day late!
We did the orientation at 9:30 Monday AM. Due to stress and fatigue, we only got 2 dives in that first day. We went to Cultimara to pick up a few groceries--it is hot as Hades in there. I probably would have bought more stuff but it was just too darn hot. But we did pick up some kind of ham that was so delicious, I wish I remember what kind of ham it it was, so I can maybe order it online. It was that good!
DIVING:
My husband said that he will never do another boat dive again after shore diving in Bonaire. ( I hope that means he is planning to return to Bonaire soon!) We only did 2 dives the first day due to the stress and fatigue form the day before, but managed to do 4 dives a day after that.
We did:
Bari Reef--we dove this 4 times as it was our house reef, it was easy to get to.
Oil Slick Leap--my favorite. Dove this site twice because I was chicken the first time and went down the ladder. I had to go back and jump off the ledge just to say I did.
Andrea II--great dive--loved the squid--both the adults and the babies. Had to do the "crawl of shame" on the way out, as I got knocked down to my knees.
Alice in Wonderland
The Invisibles
Bachelor's Beach
North Belnem (Corporal Meiss)
Front Porch
Buddy Reef
Windsock
We missed Karpata, Ol' Blue, Hilma Hooker, and 1000 Steps--we are fairly new divers and were not sure we could do these sites. Also we planned on doing 1-2 boat dives but decided that we did not need to with all the great shore dives. Also we could not decide where to park our car to dive Something Special, so we just skipped it. Anyway, hope to return soon to dive these sites that we missed.
DINING:
Again thanks for all the great tips. My husband is usually a very picky eater but he was actually very impressed with the quality and presentation of the food in Bonaire. We went to the following restaurants:
City Cafe--went here twice--my husband really enjoyed the chicken curry salad here and the staff was nice.
Cactus Blue--loved this place. I wanted to try the local fare so I tried the Kabritu Soba (Goat Stew)--it was soooo good. My husband had the chicken curry (he likes curry, what can I say.) Too bad I was too full to try the famous Key Lime Pie. Maybe next time...
Casablanca--also another 2 thumbs up. We saw the size of the mixed grill and decided to order separate meals. He had the Rib Eye and I had the Shrimp Pasta. This time we had dessert--a Brownie Sundae--yum!
Pasa Bon Pizza--I am a pizza snob and this place had excellent pie. Had enough to take home for lunch the next day.
Patagonia--great view. The food was very good. Only complaint was they served the pinot noir "cold". I had the Rib Eye and my husband the filet mignon. I think I preferred the taste of the Rib Eye at Casablanca, but we had an enjoyable evening.
Old Inn--had a quick breakfast here. Just the normal ham and eggs but it was quite good.
And my favorite of the whole bunch: Bobbejan's--WOW! the first bite of the ribs made my toes curl. It was probably one of the best, if not the best, barbecue ever. It reminded me of the pork barbecue I had as a kid in the Philippines. Next time I will get a double order of the ribs, they can omit the accompaniments.
TOPSIDE:
We were flying back on Saturday, so Friday we took a tour of the island. We headed south and checked out the slave huts and the windsurfers. We, unfortunately, did not get to Washington-Slaagbai Park until about 3PM so it was too late. Another thing to add to the list of things to do when we return.
GETTING HOME:
I was hoping this was going to be short chapter i.e.: we got to the airport, hopped on a plane, and was home before dinner. But alas, it was not to be. I told my husband that we probably need to get to get to the airport by 4:30-5:00 AM for our 7:25 AM flight that Saturday 08/04. He said, "nah, its a small airport we should be able to get through with no problem." So we got there about 5:15 AM to return the car, and by the time we paid the departure tax, I think it was around 6:00 PM. I was thinking hey, he was right. But NOOOO, I sensed trouble when the people in front of us had this look on their faces--AA told us that the flight is overweighted and they cannot get us on the plane. There were about 9 people that were bumped off . One couple was able to get to a flight to Curacao and connect from there, but the rest of us were stranded. They offered us a voucher for an overnight hotel stay, 3 meals, and a $150 AA ticket voucher. So, here we go again. But I guess, quoting one of my fellow stranded passengers, "I can't think of a better place to be stranded." Everyone were surprisingly chipper, only lamenting the fact that if we had known ahead of time, we could have done more diving on Friday. So off we all went to The Plaza, courtesy of AA. Unfortunately, our rooms were not ready until 3:00 that afternoon. So we just hung around the pool and beach area, and had breakfast and lunch at Banana Tree. It was probably the worst food we had the whole time we were in Bonaire, which necessarily does not mean the food was bad, it's just that we had better. The Plaza must have been a great place at one time, but it is showing signs of age and neglect. The grounds were unkempt, with lots of weeds and neglected plant beds. We stayed at a one-bedroom villa--unit V1010. Same impressions with this unit. The appliances, cabinets, and furniture were dated. And what did shower curtains ever do to Bonaire? At least at the Den Laman, the lack of shower curtain was an inteded part of the modern, minimalist look. At the Plaza, it was just sad---the curtain rod and rings were still up.
Anyway, the taxi picked all of us up at 4:30 the next morning so we were first in line at the AA counter. Got to Puerto Rico at around 9:30 AM. Our connecting flight kept getting delayed and finally left for Tampa at 8:30 PM. Walked in our front door at around 12:30 AM. My mother-in-law, who picked us up from the airport after our long ordeal said, "I guess that will be your last trip to Bonaire!" I said, "no way, I can't wait to go back!" She thinks I am crazy but it is all part of the adventure. I've learned a lot and hopefully will plan our next trip better. For now, I will just dream about Bonaire, the great diving, and the ribs at Bobbejan's!
GETTING THERE:
My husband and I left for Bonaire from Tampa on 7/28. Due to bad weather, and a short connection time in San Juan, we missed our connection to Bonaire by about an hour. I read on this forum after I already booked the flight, that it is recommended that there be at least 2 hours between connections in San Juan. I know that the weather was not American Airlines' fault, but no one seemed to want to help us once we were in San Juan. All we wanted was confirmation that we will get on the Bonaire flight the next day, and maybe a bit of sympathy, but everyone seemed quite nonchalant, saying that all the flights going to Bonaire that week was full. The woman at the gate actually said, "what do you want me to do about it"? The lady at the service desk at gate 12 pretty much had the same attitude, saying that they were closing and sent us to the ticketing desk. At this point I was in tears. The lady at the ticketing desk did what the others could have done for us, she picked up the phone and called the main office, and then gave us a thumbs up: we were confirmed for the next day's flight!
The silver lining is that they gave us vouchers for a hotel, taxi rides to and from the hotel, and meals. They sent us to the Gallery Inn, a 300 yr. old waterfront hotel in Old San Juan. It is an artist's hotel and is quite lovely. My husband and I actually enjoyed the hotel and the staff. I read some of the recent trip reports here that were in the same predicament as us but were not compensated. I don't understand it. Maybe the crazy, wild-eyed look behind my tears helped?
We got to the San Juan Airport the next day, about 6 hours before our flight. We did not want to take any chances. When we finally got on the plane, we noticed a lot of empty seats. I thought they said the planes were full? Oh well, we were on our way....
We picked up our pick-up at Total Car Rental and got to the Den Laman at around 9:30 PM. The manager, Amina, was there waiting for us. We got the studio apt facing the parking lot but the unit itself looked great. It was clean and very well-kept with modern amenities. We had a quick dinner at the Den Laman Restaurant, so thankful we were finally here, even if we were a day late!
We did the orientation at 9:30 Monday AM. Due to stress and fatigue, we only got 2 dives in that first day. We went to Cultimara to pick up a few groceries--it is hot as Hades in there. I probably would have bought more stuff but it was just too darn hot. But we did pick up some kind of ham that was so delicious, I wish I remember what kind of ham it it was, so I can maybe order it online. It was that good!
DIVING:
My husband said that he will never do another boat dive again after shore diving in Bonaire. ( I hope that means he is planning to return to Bonaire soon!) We only did 2 dives the first day due to the stress and fatigue form the day before, but managed to do 4 dives a day after that.
We did:
Bari Reef--we dove this 4 times as it was our house reef, it was easy to get to.
Oil Slick Leap--my favorite. Dove this site twice because I was chicken the first time and went down the ladder. I had to go back and jump off the ledge just to say I did.
Andrea II--great dive--loved the squid--both the adults and the babies. Had to do the "crawl of shame" on the way out, as I got knocked down to my knees.
Alice in Wonderland
The Invisibles
Bachelor's Beach
North Belnem (Corporal Meiss)
Front Porch
Buddy Reef
Windsock
We missed Karpata, Ol' Blue, Hilma Hooker, and 1000 Steps--we are fairly new divers and were not sure we could do these sites. Also we planned on doing 1-2 boat dives but decided that we did not need to with all the great shore dives. Also we could not decide where to park our car to dive Something Special, so we just skipped it. Anyway, hope to return soon to dive these sites that we missed.
DINING:
Again thanks for all the great tips. My husband is usually a very picky eater but he was actually very impressed with the quality and presentation of the food in Bonaire. We went to the following restaurants:
City Cafe--went here twice--my husband really enjoyed the chicken curry salad here and the staff was nice.
Cactus Blue--loved this place. I wanted to try the local fare so I tried the Kabritu Soba (Goat Stew)--it was soooo good. My husband had the chicken curry (he likes curry, what can I say.) Too bad I was too full to try the famous Key Lime Pie. Maybe next time...
Casablanca--also another 2 thumbs up. We saw the size of the mixed grill and decided to order separate meals. He had the Rib Eye and I had the Shrimp Pasta. This time we had dessert--a Brownie Sundae--yum!
Pasa Bon Pizza--I am a pizza snob and this place had excellent pie. Had enough to take home for lunch the next day.
Patagonia--great view. The food was very good. Only complaint was they served the pinot noir "cold". I had the Rib Eye and my husband the filet mignon. I think I preferred the taste of the Rib Eye at Casablanca, but we had an enjoyable evening.
Old Inn--had a quick breakfast here. Just the normal ham and eggs but it was quite good.
And my favorite of the whole bunch: Bobbejan's--WOW! the first bite of the ribs made my toes curl. It was probably one of the best, if not the best, barbecue ever. It reminded me of the pork barbecue I had as a kid in the Philippines. Next time I will get a double order of the ribs, they can omit the accompaniments.
TOPSIDE:
We were flying back on Saturday, so Friday we took a tour of the island. We headed south and checked out the slave huts and the windsurfers. We, unfortunately, did not get to Washington-Slaagbai Park until about 3PM so it was too late. Another thing to add to the list of things to do when we return.
GETTING HOME:
I was hoping this was going to be short chapter i.e.: we got to the airport, hopped on a plane, and was home before dinner. But alas, it was not to be. I told my husband that we probably need to get to get to the airport by 4:30-5:00 AM for our 7:25 AM flight that Saturday 08/04. He said, "nah, its a small airport we should be able to get through with no problem." So we got there about 5:15 AM to return the car, and by the time we paid the departure tax, I think it was around 6:00 PM. I was thinking hey, he was right. But NOOOO, I sensed trouble when the people in front of us had this look on their faces--AA told us that the flight is overweighted and they cannot get us on the plane. There were about 9 people that were bumped off . One couple was able to get to a flight to Curacao and connect from there, but the rest of us were stranded. They offered us a voucher for an overnight hotel stay, 3 meals, and a $150 AA ticket voucher. So, here we go again. But I guess, quoting one of my fellow stranded passengers, "I can't think of a better place to be stranded." Everyone were surprisingly chipper, only lamenting the fact that if we had known ahead of time, we could have done more diving on Friday. So off we all went to The Plaza, courtesy of AA. Unfortunately, our rooms were not ready until 3:00 that afternoon. So we just hung around the pool and beach area, and had breakfast and lunch at Banana Tree. It was probably the worst food we had the whole time we were in Bonaire, which necessarily does not mean the food was bad, it's just that we had better. The Plaza must have been a great place at one time, but it is showing signs of age and neglect. The grounds were unkempt, with lots of weeds and neglected plant beds. We stayed at a one-bedroom villa--unit V1010. Same impressions with this unit. The appliances, cabinets, and furniture were dated. And what did shower curtains ever do to Bonaire? At least at the Den Laman, the lack of shower curtain was an inteded part of the modern, minimalist look. At the Plaza, it was just sad---the curtain rod and rings were still up.
Anyway, the taxi picked all of us up at 4:30 the next morning so we were first in line at the AA counter. Got to Puerto Rico at around 9:30 AM. Our connecting flight kept getting delayed and finally left for Tampa at 8:30 PM. Walked in our front door at around 12:30 AM. My mother-in-law, who picked us up from the airport after our long ordeal said, "I guess that will be your last trip to Bonaire!" I said, "no way, I can't wait to go back!" She thinks I am crazy but it is all part of the adventure. I've learned a lot and hopefully will plan our next trip better. For now, I will just dream about Bonaire, the great diving, and the ribs at Bobbejan's!
