Bonaire in 4 weeks and I have questions

[Pembina]

We recieved ours a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want to say anything first but I have to agree. Must be our Ozark (Clarksville, AR) roots we have in common?
Finally, FWIW, to address the comment about the price difference, the LP book can be had at Amazon.com for $18.24 with free shipping. My Ozark math computes that thar too bee only a pigs-hair mor than 2-bits (that be 25 cents to ya'll city folk) fur that BSDME book.

Josh,

Sad ta hear that ya'll be a leavin' the same day we be rivin'. Thinkin' we coulda gotten 'long so well. I'm still worrin' 'bout havin' ta walk 'round with them thar boots on. Not much used ta wearin' shoes back here in them hills. Ya'll took Math when you'd be livin' here?

Did you do any diving when you lived in the Ozarks?? If so where? We go to Bull Shoals Lake just about every weekend April-September.

 

[ShoeAddict]

Ahhh we have just returned from Boniare and I have PBD (Post Bonaire depression).
Just a few small points to compliment much of the information that was already stated.

Diving with Jerry was wonderful! HIGHLY recommended. We should have done it earlier in the week rather than later.... let's just blame that on Continental's ability to "misplace" both of our bags on a direct flight from Newark... still bitter.

Cultimara is only open 8-2 on Sunday. The Warehouse is closed on Sunday's. I agree with the milk comment.... reach to the back if need be.... my first quart had soured within 24 hours of purchase. If you do want to "shop in town" and are trying to avoid the cruise ship shuffle, keep in mind all stores are closed on Sunday and many (not all) of them were closed after noon on Saturday.

Richards is an outstanding restaraunt. Also enjoyed It rains fishes, salsa's, bitro de paris (for lunch). The new Sunset Grill at Den Laman was very good. Their crab (with fresh crab, not crab cake) salad and Jerry's fish sandwich were excellent. (avoid the basic club sandwich or shrimp blt which were marginal.) Dinner there was also delicious. Didn't think much of pool bar at Capt Don's (for lunch)--> we were hoping to grab lunch at Lion's den but they are only open for dinner, Rum runners for lunch was also marginal.

OIL slick leap is a must .... and do the jump!! as others have stated the top 30 ft of coral is rubble but it is still a beautiful dive with lots of variety. Yes one bottom wrung of the ladder is broken so use caution.... I am also short only 5'2 but still managed. (I almost talked my husband out of this dive for fear that I wouldn't be able to get back out.--- glad I didn't) Bachelors beach was quite nice... Keep your eyes out for rays gliding through in the sand flat area, between the buoy and shore during the dive. Saw several tarpon on this dive as well.

Stop for Lover's Ice cream near the circle north Kradjevik. Visit Jibe city for the view, beer and a snack. There are two routes around the one way roads in the park, one takes 1.5 hours, the other 2.5 hours... bring water... It is an off roading adventure. Do not go immediately after heavy rains. Although the shore line is beautiful .... to me the potential risk far outways the potential reward for trying shore diving from these sites.... but I did not try it so others may want to comment.

We only too four boat dives this year, all to spots not accessible form shore. Three of them on Klein. Enjoyed Jerry's Sponges and South Bay.

PBD
Have fun!

 

[driftin' by]

Josh,

Sad ta hear that ya'll be a leavin' the same day we be rivin'. Thinkin' we coulda gotten 'long so well. I'm still worrin' 'bout havin' ta walk 'round with them thar boots on. Not much used ta wearin' shoes back here in them hills. Ya'll took Math when you'd be livin' here?

Did you do any diving when you lived in the Ozarks?? If so where? We go to Bull Shoals Lake just about every weekend April-September.

:rofl: Naw, never dived in Arkansas. Moved to Ohio in 1999 after graduating from UofA and didn't get bit by the scuba diving bug until 2003. It's such an expensive sport that it was cost prohibitive while in college. Much less we enjoyed floating (kayaking and canoeing) the waters of Arkansas much more than wanting to see what was below the surface. Also, one of my best buds was a S&R diver for the local volunteer fire department and his stories and adventures as a S&R diver were enough keep a tank off my back for a good while. In other words, it was not very glamorous.

Yeah, it's too bad we won't be on the island at the same time. Where you at in Arkansas?

 

[Boat Chick]

When diving up north (around Karpata), you don't have to go through Rincon to get back to your hotel. Make the right just past Karpata toward Rincon, the turn right at the first dirt road, it'll take you up over the mountain by the radio transmitters and drop you back on the main road south of where it becomes one way. Saves you lots of time.

Uh, not necessarily anymore :-( Two weeks ago, when we were there, we took the shortcut and despite the road being pretty rough (as usual) they were doing some major rock destruction with big machines, etc. It was at the top of the hill. There was no way to pass by them, as the machines were in the middle of the road. Of course, we narccistically thought they would "move for us" so we could get by...lol...sooo...we had to back down the road in reverse until we found a good spot to turn around. I'm not sure what they are doing up there, but whatever it is, it involves BIG equipment...

 

[tiggrr]

Uh, not necessarily anymore :-( Two weeks ago, when we were there, we took the shortcut and despite the road being pretty rough (as usual) they were doing some major rock destruction with big machines, etc. It was at the top of the hill. There was no way to pass by them, as the machines were in the middle of the road. Of course, we narccistically thought they would "move for us" so we could get by...lol...sooo...we had to back down the road in reverse until we found a good spot to turn around. I'm not sure what they are doing up there, but whatever it is, it involves BIG equipment...

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up!!

 

[Waterskier1]

Uh, not necessarily anymore :-( Two weeks ago, when we were there, we took the shortcut and despite the road being pretty rough (as usual) they were doing some major rock destruction with big machines, etc. It was at the top of the hill. There was no way to pass by them, as the machines were in the middle of the road. Of course, we narccistically thought they would "move for us" so we could get by...lol...sooo...we had to back down the road in reverse until we found a good spot to turn around. I'm not sure what they are doing up there, but whatever it is, it involves BIG equipment...

They were working on the road last Oct and still when we were there in Jan. They were almost to the top of the hill then. It looks to be a very large trencher; and then some front end loaders and small end dump trucks. It looks to be rubble or stone that they are trenching through, and then they are taking what was in the trench and dumping it in different locations. I'm guessing they are preparing to burying power cable from Kralendijk to the North somewhere? Maybe BOPEC? We were always able to get around them though. I'm headed back in a month, I hope we will still be able to get around the equipment, even if we have to wait a bit.

 

[phras]

Everyone's advice is right on target. One thing I didn't see mentioned is shopping bags. If your doing your shopping at Cultimara bring reuseable type shopping bags, as they don't provide anything for you to carry your groceries out. Keeps less plastic off the reef and out of the landfills.

 

[DiveMaven]

When we were on Bonaire last summer (July), Cultimara provided paper sacks for our groceries. Has something changed since then?

 

[ShoeAddict]

Both supermarkets do have bags... they just charge you for them. We used some empty backpacks. I like the idea.
This year we also received hard plastic reusable 32 oz? water bottles from Stinapa..... the dive shop gave it to us when we checked in.

 

[helimvee]

In regards to the shopping bags ... we just got back last week and Cultimara did not have any bags except the large heavy duty 2'x2'x6" ones. You have to specifically ask for the big bags or they will simply tell you they have no bags. I am not sure what they cost as the receipt went into the trash.

The bags are a "souvenir" and useful back here in Ontario as the grocery stores here are moving to a BYOB system.