Well I think I will write this one as I can…especially since its 5am and I am sitting in the Bonaire airport waiting for the plane to load.
Toured around the island yesterday a bit and had a pretty good time. It was overcast (and rained in some areas) all day but I skirted the bad weather by pure luck. I would have to say Bonaire has some of the worst selection of souvenirs of anywhere I have gone yet. I always get a magnet from wherever I visit and the selection here sucked. Small thing to quibble about, but come on Bonaire, get some cool swag!
I took the advice of Kenny on where to eat 2 nights ago, yesterday lunch and last night. They were all good. That’s a good GTJTTOTD: ask the locals where they like to eat. 2 nights ago I went to Bobbajen’s BBQ joint and got the special. It consisted of ribs, chicken (both really grilled rather than BBQ’ed) and some chicken sate with fries and slaw. YUMMY. For lunch yesterday I went to Kontiki where I had the kibbling (fish chunks beer battered and fried) with fries and a salad (it came with the kibbling…its not like I ordered a salad for goodness sakes!) It had a sweet chili sauce for dipping and was GOOD. That’s right, I ordered fish and liked it! Finally, last night I went to…crap I forget the name…it was something like El Fagon Latino where Kenny recommended the shrimp in garlic sauce. Also on the menu was conch in garlic sauce and since I have been seeing conch on menus since he Caymans and had yet to try any, I took the plunge. Not having had conch before, I think the cook maybe over cooked it cause it was pretty rubbery. But the flavors were awesome. It came with fries and a salad too. If you haven’t seen the theme yet, pretty much everything here comes with fries. The Dutch dig fries (with mayonnaise…although they have ketchup if you ask). So Bonaire has some good eatin’.
Drove around the south end of the island and came across some remnants or recreations of the slave huts they used to have. Bonaire has salt flats where they let seawater in and then evaporate off to sell the salt. They used to use slaves for this and to carry out the salt. Check out how freaking small these huts are! I saw some dudes pulling one on wheels during Rincon Day and thought it was a scale model…I was wrong. They still do salt production too…had giant mounds of it waiting for ships to come and carry it off. Also around the island, about every 300 feet, there is a dive site where you can go in from the shore. They are marked with yellow painted stones with the names on them. I think when/if I come back here, I want it to be with someone who dives (gotta dive with a buddy) and do nothing but shore dives. They have 61 different locations around the island. Plenty!
The western side of Bonaire is pretty choppy and rocky. Timed this one pretty well I think.
All along the western coast, there were these creations made out of junk that had drifted onto shore.
Another creation.
I am squatting in the door of a slave hut. All hail the 10s timer on the camera. Can you believe how small that is?
Huge hills of salt.
I am now in one of the 2 or 3 presidents clubs (continental’s lounge) here in Newark sipping on some XX (Dos Equis, the other choices are bud light, heiniken, and some amber bock that I might be working on a little later…all free…oh and I guess well drinks are too…and they have premium drinks for some $$$ and REALLY nice wine for $$$ too…I might try some in a bit). Getting in turned out to be a bigger trick than I thought. Apparently domestic first class (I handed them my boarding pass for the Portland leg initially) doesn’t get access to the clubs, but international does (thank goodness I still had the boarding stub from Bonaire!!) Since I executed to my plan of rolling out of bed, throwing some clothes on and then planning on showering here, it was pretty vital that I get in…cause I was feeling funky and I am sure smelling that way. But get in I did. Shower I did. Clean I am. Why I am talking like Yoda, no idea have I.
The flight up wasn’t bad. Leather seats in first class so that was nice. They served breakfast too (semi rubbery cheese omelet, sausage patty, scalloped potato wedge) and I had a Kahlua and coffee as a little morning refresher. The movie they showed was Marley and Me…about the dog…with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston. I didn’t listen to it but glanced at it from time to time. Even without sound it looked stupid.
Here in the lounge, they also have a nice selection of crackers, Tillamook cheese (how about that….from Oregon to Newark to my belly…yummy) as well as apples and chips and stuff. I am sort of considering just hanging here and doing cheese and apples and chips as my “lunch”, but I am not sure I can hold out. With the crap I got trying to get in, I might not be able to return if I leave. I am telling you, if you don’t do international first class (the baseline to get in for “free”, you either need to buy an annual membership (F that) or have a platinum American Express card….wonder how hard those are to get? I have a Costco American Express…wonder if they would upgrade that.
So this could be the last update and then again, I might post some more stuff once I get back to Portland and start exploring (hiking, biking…all great plans that I hope I don’t blow off for relaxation purposes). If I do continue to post, I will send out mails to let people know…if you want off the list, let me know…and if you want on, same deal. 7 more weeks before I have to go back to work (assuming I don’t win the lottery before then) so there is plenty of time for me to get into other adventrures! Cause it’s our time, the People’s time!
Before I sign off, I thought you would want to know Fritos and XX go together well.
Toured around the island yesterday a bit and had a pretty good time. It was overcast (and rained in some areas) all day but I skirted the bad weather by pure luck. I would have to say Bonaire has some of the worst selection of souvenirs of anywhere I have gone yet. I always get a magnet from wherever I visit and the selection here sucked. Small thing to quibble about, but come on Bonaire, get some cool swag!
I took the advice of Kenny on where to eat 2 nights ago, yesterday lunch and last night. They were all good. That’s a good GTJTTOTD: ask the locals where they like to eat. 2 nights ago I went to Bobbajen’s BBQ joint and got the special. It consisted of ribs, chicken (both really grilled rather than BBQ’ed) and some chicken sate with fries and slaw. YUMMY. For lunch yesterday I went to Kontiki where I had the kibbling (fish chunks beer battered and fried) with fries and a salad (it came with the kibbling…its not like I ordered a salad for goodness sakes!) It had a sweet chili sauce for dipping and was GOOD. That’s right, I ordered fish and liked it! Finally, last night I went to…crap I forget the name…it was something like El Fagon Latino where Kenny recommended the shrimp in garlic sauce. Also on the menu was conch in garlic sauce and since I have been seeing conch on menus since he Caymans and had yet to try any, I took the plunge. Not having had conch before, I think the cook maybe over cooked it cause it was pretty rubbery. But the flavors were awesome. It came with fries and a salad too. If you haven’t seen the theme yet, pretty much everything here comes with fries. The Dutch dig fries (with mayonnaise…although they have ketchup if you ask). So Bonaire has some good eatin’.
Drove around the south end of the island and came across some remnants or recreations of the slave huts they used to have. Bonaire has salt flats where they let seawater in and then evaporate off to sell the salt. They used to use slaves for this and to carry out the salt. Check out how freaking small these huts are! I saw some dudes pulling one on wheels during Rincon Day and thought it was a scale model…I was wrong. They still do salt production too…had giant mounds of it waiting for ships to come and carry it off. Also around the island, about every 300 feet, there is a dive site where you can go in from the shore. They are marked with yellow painted stones with the names on them. I think when/if I come back here, I want it to be with someone who dives (gotta dive with a buddy) and do nothing but shore dives. They have 61 different locations around the island. Plenty!
The western side of Bonaire is pretty choppy and rocky. Timed this one pretty well I think.
All along the western coast, there were these creations made out of junk that had drifted onto shore.
Another creation.
I am squatting in the door of a slave hut. All hail the 10s timer on the camera. Can you believe how small that is?
Huge hills of salt.
I am now in one of the 2 or 3 presidents clubs (continental’s lounge) here in Newark sipping on some XX (Dos Equis, the other choices are bud light, heiniken, and some amber bock that I might be working on a little later…all free…oh and I guess well drinks are too…and they have premium drinks for some $$$ and REALLY nice wine for $$$ too…I might try some in a bit). Getting in turned out to be a bigger trick than I thought. Apparently domestic first class (I handed them my boarding pass for the Portland leg initially) doesn’t get access to the clubs, but international does (thank goodness I still had the boarding stub from Bonaire!!) Since I executed to my plan of rolling out of bed, throwing some clothes on and then planning on showering here, it was pretty vital that I get in…cause I was feeling funky and I am sure smelling that way. But get in I did. Shower I did. Clean I am. Why I am talking like Yoda, no idea have I.
The flight up wasn’t bad. Leather seats in first class so that was nice. They served breakfast too (semi rubbery cheese omelet, sausage patty, scalloped potato wedge) and I had a Kahlua and coffee as a little morning refresher. The movie they showed was Marley and Me…about the dog…with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston. I didn’t listen to it but glanced at it from time to time. Even without sound it looked stupid.
Here in the lounge, they also have a nice selection of crackers, Tillamook cheese (how about that….from Oregon to Newark to my belly…yummy) as well as apples and chips and stuff. I am sort of considering just hanging here and doing cheese and apples and chips as my “lunch”, but I am not sure I can hold out. With the crap I got trying to get in, I might not be able to return if I leave. I am telling you, if you don’t do international first class (the baseline to get in for “free”, you either need to buy an annual membership (F that) or have a platinum American Express card….wonder how hard those are to get? I have a Costco American Express…wonder if they would upgrade that.
So this could be the last update and then again, I might post some more stuff once I get back to Portland and start exploring (hiking, biking…all great plans that I hope I don’t blow off for relaxation purposes). If I do continue to post, I will send out mails to let people know…if you want off the list, let me know…and if you want on, same deal. 7 more weeks before I have to go back to work (assuming I don’t win the lottery before then) so there is plenty of time for me to get into other adventrures! Cause it’s our time, the People’s time!
Before I sign off, I thought you would want to know Fritos and XX go together well.
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Sounds like you have had quite the fun adventures!! And you look like you lost some weight on your travels, that hut makes you look tiny! :)
ReplyDeleteWe miss you in Oregon!! Welcome home... soon.
sounds like a great trip all in all i think i will stay on the list and push you to check out the area or at least put you under some pressure to keep up the peoples blog so those of us that live vicariously through you have something to do. the folsom contigent is glad you got into the lounge....
ReplyDelete