 | |  | |  | |  |
caught a taxi with a wise and kind Indian, Hindu man named Narine Ramcharitas, to my hotel, Maracas Bay
Hotel. The drive was over an hour and we got on to the subject of religion and spirituality. He was/is a Hindu,
but is also open-minded. He explained to me that Hindu’s do believe that there is only one greater spirit (G-d).
But, that this spirit represents itself differently depending on the circumstance. For example, in the life cycle,
Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the Sustainer and Shiva is the Absorptive Property. I enjoyed our open and
honest discussion. It is apparent to me that all religions and people share the same basic values and beliefs. It is
the way we express these values and beliefs by the clothes we wear and the rituals we observe that makes us
appear different. People that are secure with themselves and their beliefs and values are capable of being tolerant
of others.
I arrived at my hotel, Maracass Bay, at around 9pm and was met by a man who worked/works for the hotel.
He took me to my room. I asked him about places to go this evening and he told me about a local bar. About
ten minutes later, he knocked on my door informing me that the local bar was closed. But, an ex-employee of the
hotel was there and would take me to another bar. I changed quickly, hustled to the hotel entrance and jumped
into the backseat of the car of a complete stranger. A friend of his was riding shotgun and a container of ice was
next to me in the back. The man from the hotel told me this guy was a good person, so I wasn’t too concerned
right away. But, when we started driving down some small dirt roads way off the beaten track and they picked
up a third man I didn’t know, I must admit I did have images of a horror flick. Everything cleared up when we
arrived at his place where a party was happenin’. You could hear the music a hundred yards away. They had
plates of Indian food (including Roti which is like a thin pancake used to pick-up the other food), alcohol and beer
and the sound system was more impressive than in some clubs, all this at a very modest home. Friends and
relatives came from near and far, some from Port-of-Spain and it was a mix of Indians, Blacks and whites (2, me
and one other guy). Everyone was very nice and welcoming. Well, all but one. There was a drunk, skinny
young black man who I sat down next to, to eat. After a few cordial words, he said that I should get him a beer.
I found this odd until I realized that he was on something. I basically ignored the comment and a while later I
started talking to him about something else pretending it never happened. He did mention it again a bit weaker
this time. The older man on the other side of him, the same man that was in the backseat of the car with me,
basically reprimanded him for this and that was the last I heard of it. Besides that occurrence, I spoke to a
number of nice people and did a little dancing with the locals to soca – local music. It was an unusual happening
for me, but one that I enjoyed. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow (with caution of course).
Sunday, January 11: Another tough night trying to sleep. This night the mosquitoes were attacking again. I
could tell by just looking out the window at the beach that this was not the beach scene for which I was looking.
So, I packed, had breakfast, and went for a walk on the beach and along the beach road, which had shops and
restaurants serving shark sandwiches. The beach was nice. There were mostly families there. Once back at the
hotel, I called Narine to pick me up and to take me on an afternoon tour of the island. After lunch my tour
began. Narine drove me along the north coast. At times we were perched out on a cliff overlooking the
Caribbean from hundreds of feet up. We drove through fishing villages and by inlets and bays. At Blanchisseuse
Bay we turned south, inland through the northern mountain range and the rain forest. Narine explained the
ecology, the plant and animal life of the island. We stopped occasionally so that I could take photos and to see
the Asa Wright Nature Center. We only saw the entrance road and the lobby of the Center, because the tour
would have taken about three hours. But, you could tell it was very well organized, pristine and beautiful. We
continued on through the town of Arima, where we had coconuts. The milk and the meat were both very good.
The end of the half day tour included an overview of Port-of-Spain and a view of the City from a mountain road
look-out point. Narine dropped me at my hotel, Kapok, at around 5:30pm. I was worn out from the full day and
not sleeping well the past two nights. So, I stayed in enjoying the nice room and watching a couple movies in bed
before going to sleep.
Monday, January 12: This morning I caught a public car/taxi into the city. I got out on Duke Street were there
are a lot of shops and many people going about their business. I walked to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and
took a look inside. It never ceases to amaze me that even in a relatively modest city, what the church (mosque,
…) can extract from its relatively poor people to build these large, elaborate, magnificent structures. From the
church, I walked by the Red House, a government building under renovation. Then I walked down to the Brian
Lara Promenade, the main street of the city. I went to a Travel Agency to figure out my next stop. I ended up
choosing Margarita Island, Venezuela and bought my tickets. I then found a locals spot for lunch with a little help
of a friendly Trini. There I had Kalaluhi - similar to spinach, Cocu – ala corn soufflé, chicken – local style,
stewed, and rice with veggies. It was all very good. I caught eyes with a local women sitting next to me. Then
another man sat between us. She looked part Indian and part African. I regret that I didn’t approach her. I was
too concerned about all the other people around and what they might think … bad decision. I got on the internet
for a half hour, then figured I’d walk back to my hotel seeing the city’s sights along the way. I took a photo of the
police station. Then it started to rain. At first it was a light rain and it was warm out, so I kept walking. The rain
got progressively harder. I found some shelter occasionally under a buildings awning or tree branches, but I did
get drenched. I walked through Victoria Square – very plain, and by Lapeyrouse Cemetery – not well kept. I
walked up Cipriani Boulevard to Queens Park Savannah – a large open area for sports and festivals, … I
noticed a large grandstand under construction. It must be for Carnival in the upcoming month. I walked through
the park to Maraval Road where many important building are located, including: the Prime Minister’s residence –
White Hall. The President has his own compound here surrounding his house. I then walked through the
Botanical Gardens. There were some flowering and fruit growing trees which I had never scene before, very
exotic and beautiful (photos of flowers). Next, I walked through the zoo. I saw the largest snake I had ever
scene, a Burmese Python. Its body was nearly twice as thick as my thigh. There were many types of Parrots
(Macaw, Grey, …), monkeys (Spider, …). There were Chimpanzees – closest animal to humans, lions, tropical
fish, large piranhas, and some indigenous creatures I had never scene before. I always enjoy a good zoo, but
have always had an issue with wild animals being locked up. Then again if it wasn’t for zoos, I’m fairly certain
that many more species of animals would be extinct. There was an adorable baby monkey. He was very curious
and came to investigate me. I interacted with him for a while and got his photo. From the zoo I walked back to
my hotel, where I did some much needed laundry. I must have spent at least two hours washing, drying, ironing,
hang drying and folding. It turned out to be a lot of work, but I’m glad I got it done. Then I went to the
restaurant on the top floor of the hotel. The food was good, but the chicken entrée was a small portion. After
dinner I relaxed with some TV, then slept.
Tuesday, January 13: Awoke, packed, checked out, ride to airport, flight to Margarita Island, Venezuela, cab
ride to Playa El Agua (Beach), and checked into hotel. When checking in at the airport in Trinidad there was a
short delay, because their system didn’t show that I paid for the tickets. I showed him my receipt from the Travel
Agency in Port-of-Spain. He made a call and cleared it up. After checking in, I got a burger at the airport
eatery. The ladies behind the counter were sweet, so I flirted with them a little. They got a kick out of it.
(Trinidad – Hot & Humid, 2nd world, mix Black and Indian mostly, some Chinese, few whites)
cont. Tuesday, January 13: Once in Margarita Island the ladies at the Information Counter recommended
where to stay. I didn’t bother calling and just caught a cab to scout it out. The driver was a young man who didn’
t speak hardly any English. This was good, because it forced me to use my limited Spanish skills … got me
thinking in Spanish. He gave me a short tour of his island from the airport to the beach. It is a beautiful island
with lush mountains, flatlands, and miles of scenic coastline. Once at the beach, getting accommodations turned
out to be a little harder than expected. The two nicest places, all-inclusive private resorts, were both full. I ended
up near the middle of town at a modest, but well maintained hotel, the Coral Caribe. The two young women at
the reception desk were/are sisters and daughters of the owners. The younger one had braces and was a student
in University and very beautiful. The older one, still attractive but not the same, was flirting with me. The younger
one was a little shy. After dropping my bags, I walked the beach. It was an overcast day, so not many people
were on the beach. This is the most Latin, commercial beach scene that I have been to on this trip. I checked out
a few other hotels on my walk, just in case I might want to change. Once back I napped, showered, then head to
dinner. I ended up at a quaint, nice restaurant with reasonably priced, good food, called Pappa Hutspot (Dutch),
right next to my hotel. After dinner, I went to check out the nightlife here. The first club was Pansare. It was/is
on the beach. It has a roof, but to walls, so you get the breeze from the water. The stereo was crankin’ and
people were dancing and having a good time. I observed and had a beer. Immediately next door was/is Beach
Point bar. Their unique attraction were three people swinging metal baskets of fire from each of their hands –
pretty cool, different. The next club was/is Moises. I checked it out, but it didn’t get started until later. I headed
back around midnight.
Wednesday, January 14: I made it to the complimentary breakfast around 9:30. The day was overcast, so I
tried to keep myself amused in this beach town. I walked the beach a little, very few people. I walked along the
street. I checked out the gym. It was small and I wasn’t up for lifting. I got on the internet for an hour. Then I
went for lunch and while there I spoke to Rudi, the man running the horse tours. It turned out that they cancelled
the afternoon ride due to the weather. I was initially disappointed, because I had never ridden a horse on the
beach. But, all for the best, since I met Yamila on the beach that afternoon. (who says that you shouldn’t chase
after girls?) I quickly found out that she doesn’t speak much English. But, she was patient with my limited
Spanish. We walked together for a while along the beach, then stopped and sat on my towel talking while the sun
dropped in the sky behind us. We made plans to meet for dinner that evening. I helped her get a taxi, then went
back for a nap. I realized that I told her to meet me at the “Lobster Restaurant,” but that the lobster was only a
painting I had scene on a restaurant, not the name of the restaurant. Fortunately, she was there when I arrived.
She obviously figured out my mistake. We had a good time at dinner, including photos holding a live lobster.
Thursday, January 15: The next day I slept in. I had a late lunch at a restaurant on the beach. Then I walked
the beach. Yamila was supposed to meet me at a certain spot on the beach. But, she forgot the place. I luckily
ran into her nearby. We hung out for a while, then made plans to meet at a restaurant called “Thai Chi” this
evening. After a rest, I realized that I was running late. I hustled, but still arrived ten minutes late. She was
patient with me. The restaurant had a warm, friendly atmosphere. One of the women running the place had/has a
baby with which she was playing. The baby girl was sweet and social. She used her walker and stopped by a
few tables, including ours. After dinner we walked by the discos and ended up drinking and dancing at Beach
Point. She showed me a few moves and I showed her some of mine. We only lasted a few songs, it being so hot
and humid even at night.
Friday, January 16: This morning I packed and caught a cab to the airport. We drove through the main city of
Porlamar on the way. Most of the buildings were run down and there was much trash in the streets – the
appearance of a second/third world country. Once at the airport I found out that I couldn’t fly direct to Bonaire
or Curacao. I had to go through Caracas – oh well. (*Margarita Island – Hot and Humid, sand too fine, water
too dark like the east coast w/ algae, 2nd – 3rd world, but kind of fun place, people with a good attitude, pushy
though)
Caracas airport turned out to be a little more difficult than I expected. The 5:40 flight I was told in Margarita
Island that would fly from Caracas to Bonaire didn’t exist. Instead I had to fly through Curacao on an 8:10pm
flight. The Curacao flight was delayed until 9pm. I couldn’t by a direct ticket. It had to be round trip and I had
to pay about $65 in airport fees and taxes … what a scam. What do you expect from a military dictatorship?
The only good part is that I could fly round trip to Bonaire and stay over in Curacao, so I didn’t have to buy two
separate tickets. The airport had a food court with a Subway and a TGIFridays. I guess American Corporations
don’t care about Military Dictatorships, as long as they can make a buck. I had dinner at the Fridays. Of course
my flight was delayed and the airport was very cold. I usually pack a long sleeve shirt with my carry on when I fly
for just such an occasion, but I forgot this time and paid for it. I noticed many heavily armed security guards
throughout the airport, which made me a bit uneasy. The plane finally took-off. I was relieved to be out of
Venezuela. I got in to Curacao late and was fortunate that the Hyatt had a room available. I caught a cab over,
checked in and settled in my room.
Saturday, January 17: Today, I just took it easy, enjoying my comfortable room and watching
American/English TV. It was a pleasure. At nightfall I took a shower and headed down to dinner in the hotel’s
Italian restaurant. The restaurant is/was situated outdoors on a patio next to the lobby. It is surrounded by palm
trees, low pushes and flowers and you can hear the music from the adjacent outdoor bar. The food was very
good if a little pricey. I had a little problem with the bill. I was informed that my credit card did not take. After a
trip to the Front Desk and an international call to MasterCard, the issue was cleared up. I’m glad this happened
here and not a less accommodating place.
Sunday, January 18: Day of R&R
Monday, January 19: Checked out of hotel. On my way to the airport, the taxi driver gave me a short tour of
the island, including the capital city of Willemstad – a truly charming city, clean, colorful (building painted with
pastels), nice shops, history and beautiful views. Once at the airport, my flight was delayed again … what’s new?
cont. Monday, January 19: Upon my arrival in Bonaire, I took a cab to the Divi Resort, where I checked in.
After dropping my bags in my room, I went for a walk. First, I walked south along the coastal road to a more
upscale resort near-by. I checked out their beach and facilities. There was a channel (water) at the end of their
property. I walked out to the point and took some photos of the main town, Kralendijk. After just a minute
walking back, I spotted three wild donkeys on the other side of the channel. One was just a baby and I assume
that the other two were the parents. The baby was running all around, playing. The baby was trying to get its
mother’s (a new it was the mother, because baby drank milk from this one) attention by running around and
nudging her. After a couple of minutes of this, the mother dropped to the ground and started rolling in the dirt. I
wasn’t sure if this was her way of playing or she was just trying to fend off the bugs. Either way, she got up and
the two walked off presumably looking for the father. I walked back past the Divi resort and in to town. The
town is very nice. It’s clean, well organized, a little small, but charming. There are a few designer shops,
boutiques, restaurants, bars, … I, of course, stopped at the internet shop. Although, this time I was able to sit
outside and enjoy the weather and sites (women walking by) while surfing the net. Afterwards, I watched a
glorious sunset on my way back (photos). I ordered room service this evening for dinner, very convenient.
Tuesday, January 20: I spent most of the day catching rays and reading at my hotel. Late in the afternoon, I
went snorkeling and free diving (20-30’) right off the beach. It was really very good. The water was fairly warm
and clear. There was much coral and many sea creatures. I saw Trumpet Fish – large and small, many colorful
Parrot Fish, many small brown fish (with small colorful mouths) holding on to the coral, schools of silver fish (8-
10” long), schools of neon fish, and many others. Once back on the beach, I spotted many crabs next to me
burrowing holes into the sand. This must be a daily ritual for them, a way to capture their food. I showered and
prepared for dinner. I walked to town and found a Mexican restaurant near the water, ZeeZicht. The food was
good. They were playing Mariachi and other Latin music. On the way back to my place, I noticed crowds
gathering at the water’s edge. When I asked someone what was going on, I was told that they had heard about a
fireworks display, but did not know why. I thought that if it wasn’t a local holiday (which it wasn’t or else the
local man would have known) that it might be the birthday of a wealthy person who owned one of the two large
private yachts anchored in the harbor. I found out the following day that my suspicions were correct. It was Paul
Allen’s birthday. He is the co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world.
The yacht he owns is one of the largest private yachts in the world and he keeps it primarily in the Netherland
Antilles – good choice.
Wednesday, January 21: Awoke relatively early, 8am, to make my 9am dive. I went with the dive shop just
off the resort’s property. The Dive Inn had better prices and they were friendlier than the dive shop at my resort.
Our first dive was at the small island, Klien Bonaire, just off the coast. There are dive sites along the barrier reef
all around this beautiful tropical island. We dove Captain Don’s Reef. It was spectacular as I expected. The
visibility must have been 60-70’. We dove mostly at around 50’ under. We saw a large crab (probably the
Channel Clinging Crab), many Stoplight Parrot Fish, many Trumpet Fish, many various types of Angel fish,
Blueheads, amongst the other usual tropical subjects. The boat ride back warmed my chilled body, while I got to
enjoy the out-of-water, topside views of a true Caribbean gem. The second dive was a Shore Dive, were you
walk in from the beach. I believe that this was the first time that I have done this type of diving. I was suspect as
to the quality of the dive. But, I learned that the reef sitting about 100’ off the west coast of Bonaire has some of
the best diving in the world. We saw a school of Tarpon (around 8, between 1-3’, shiny silver), Spotted Drums,
a few Honeycomb Cow Fish, a few Squirrel Fish (orange with big eyes), and many other beautiful fish and plant
life. Besides the Dive Master and me, there was a couple on their fifth dive. They had a little difficulty, but got
better as the dive progressed. After the dive, I hung out filling out my Dive Log and learning about Paul Allen’s
birthday and fireworks display. Then I went back to my hotel for lunch. After lunch, I went to lie out. Next to
the lounge chairs were large iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks. I took a couple photos. I eventually laid
down and napped. Later, I sat outside my unit watching the sunset as I wrote this entry. I walked to town for
dinner. I went to the same place as last night, ZeeZicht. Last night I had the Chicken Fajitas, so tonight I tried the
Chicken and Steak Burritos. It was very good. I finished my Kaballah book over dinner.
Thursday, January 22: I rented a scooter in town this morning to explore the island. My first mission was to
find the Pink Flamingos. I drove along the coast to the southern end of the island where the salt ponds and
marshlands are located. The Flamingos are supposed to reside in the marshes. The drive along the coast was
spectacular. Every couple hundred feet was another dive site along the south-west coast of the island. There
were the occasional divers (photos) Shore Diving, walking into the crystal blue water from the rocky beaches.
About 200’ feet out, the water would change from turquoise blue to a dark ominous blue, where the sea bottom
drops down. The divers would swim out to this point to swim along the sea wall. This is where much flora and
fauna congregate.
The entire southern tip of the island is dominated by a salt works with large ponds of salt water drying in the
sun, windmill pumps – bringing the water up from sea level, earth moving equipment – to push the dry salt, large
pure white mountains of dry salt (photo), processing equipment to clean the salt and conveyors (photo) to load
the salt onto ships. All very impressive. There were historic, cramped slave quarters (photo). The slaves us to
work the salt works, before the modern equipment. Driving up the south-eastern tip of the island, I came upon
the marshlands. Near a lighthouse, which was on the coast, I saw the Flamingos inland, in the marshes. There
was a large flock cooling themselves in the knee high water. I parked my scooter and quietly walked up to the
water’s edge. I took some photos and videos of groups of 2-4 Flamingos either flying in to join the flock or
departing on presumably a feeding trip. After some time enjoying these wild, gorgeous creatures, I moved on. I
drove to Sorobon Beach at Lae Bay. This beach is rightly famous for its wind surfing. The conditions here are
perfect for this sport; waist deep, flat water in a protected bay with continuous winds and in a beautiful setting.
Windsurfers of all skill levels were going simultaneously. The best ones were incredible. They could spin their
boards around one-and-a-half times (540 degrees) and sail back in the direction from which they came without
missing a beat. I had lunch here while watching all the windsurfers. After lunch, I met a nice young woman,
Soskia – Dutch, on the beach. She was/is a flight attendant with KLM, a Dutch airline. I drove back through the
outskirts of Kralendijk on my way to Seru Largu, the highest point on the island. There were a number of goat
herds on the way on small farms. At the top there was a memorial to the Virgin Mary. From here you can see
the whole southern end of the island, including Kralendijk, the salt ponds and mountains of salt and the marshes.
After a few minutes enjoying the view, it started to rain. Ironically, the Christian memorial protected me, a Jew,
from the short downpour. I returned the scooter, then stocked up on some provisions. I walked back to my
hotel. I relaxed this evening.
Friday, January 23: I walked to town to purchase airline tickets to South America. I bought two tickets, one
from Bonaire to Lima, Peru and one from Lima to Santiago, Chile. I bought them with Lima as a stop-over to
save some money. I bought a few more provisions and got on the internet. Then I headed back to my hotel to
relax on the beach. I laid out a little. While lying there, I noticed a small motor boat drop off a large, round,
floating sea trampoline about 100 feet from shore. I felt like doing some dives, so I swam out. Once there, I met
four young people, two girls and two boys. One girl and one boy were brother and sister. They had moved here
from Holland. The other two were friends of theirs. They were all around 11 or 12 years old. I joined them in
their game of “Follow-the-Leader,” in jumping off the sea trampoline. I really had a lot of fun playing with these
youngsters. I did some pretty good dives as well, if I don’t say so myself. Then, I swam back to shore. They
came behind me. I helped two of them trying to do handstands on the beach. After a little while, I sat on my
lounge chair and they sat on the sand gathered around me. The little sister (about 2-3) of the black girl joined us.
She played in the sand, while we talked on various subjects, including; Paul Allen’s boat, his ability to afford it,
tastes in music – Elvis and Michael Jackson, Michael’s court case, their individual aspirations, my attempt at
considerate guidance, Bill Gates charitable work, … They left as the sun was about to set. I stayed and relaxed
in my lounge chair, enjoying my last sunset in Bonaire. I showered and walked in to town. I had dinner at the
City Café. The Beef Stroganoff was alright, not great. I read the Miami Herald International edition over dinner.
After dinner, I stopped at Karel’s Pier/Bar where they were playing live music – salsa. I had a beer and watched
the dancing. There were a couple pretty good salsa dancers. I headed back, called it a night.
Saturday, January 24: Awoke, packed, checked out, lunch at hotel overlooking the beach and water for the
last time (on this trip anyway). I had the taxi driver take me to town first before the airport, so that I could try to
have my luggage fixed. The shop owner (shoe repair mostly) came up with an inventive solution. He used the
rubber heel of a shoe, reshaped it, and attached it to where the leg had fallen off. It worked very well. At the
airport, KLM airlines wanted to charge me approximately $200 for overweight luggage … crazy! I was able to
work them down to $70, still a lot of money, but much less. (*Besides St. Barts, my favorite island, Great diving
everywhere, Pink Flamingos, Salt Flats, Marshes, good scale, not overly commercial)