Bellafonte Chateau de la Mer Bonaire

... abundant coral at Karpata and Red Slave, the rugged countryside, accidentally finding the nudist resort near Jibe city, our hotel, Coral Paradise, and the nice hosts.<br><br>Next time we come: Rent a house with friends and bring Dori. Visit the Donkey sanctuary. Go on a night dive or snorkel (or both!) Dive more. Find the fruit boat.<br>

... they were 6. Needless to say, I figured they would pretty much show me up. Our instructor, Gary, was fantastic. He had a good sense of humor, was respectful, explained everything clearly, and made us feel comfortable every step of the way. I had already read the book, and there were a few things I was nervous about, but when they actually came around, it was not as hard as I had imagined.<br><br>

... juvenile spottet drum, store baracudaer, flere forskellige moræner og smukt farvede svampe samt koraller på pillerne. Lidt vildt var det dog også - godt vi havde guide med :-)<br><br>Derudover har vi lejet en bil og på det nærmeste kørt øen tynd. Bl. a. var vi på rundtur i en stor nationalpark, hvor mange flamingoer flokkedes tæt ved os. Sidst men ikke mindst fandt vi en skøn lille strand, hvor vi nød det tyrkise vand i fulde drag.<br><br>

Saa staar den da for alvor paa daaaaaaaas! Vi har faaet en super lejlighed med direkte udsigt til det caribiske hav ca. 15-20 m vaek. Det er helt perfekt! I dag tog vi en baad til "Klein Bonaire" som er en ubeboet oe der ligger en 30 min. sejltur fra Kralendijk. Her er den fineste strand og vi snorklede rundt mellem en masse fantastiske fisk, og saa ellers hjem paa altanen til oel, chips og solnedgang.... aaaah livet er god til os.

... trip. Make sure to wear sunscreen and if you're there in the rainy season, you'll want to bring bug repellent as well. <br><br>Following the tour, we were taken back into the port where we explored the market area near the port. <br><br>Across the street from the port there were moped and small dune buggy type rentals that looked like a lot of fun - Next time!!

... of the hot weather, Bonaire has for decades been a major producer of sea salt. It is also the home of pink flamingos. <br><br>Shaped like a rough crescent, the island is quite small being 24 miles long and 7 miles wide at its farthest point. There are 15,000 inhabitants on the island. The official language is Dutch, English and Spanish are widely spoken. It belongs to the Netherlands. The island ...

... salt industry. Many were rounded up and are now cared for in a special preserve. Others graze on the open land, still wild.<br>-- Reclaiming salt from the ocean was a big industry in the 1800s and is still carried on today.<br>-- Slaves lived in tiny huts while working on the shore then traveled great distances to be with their families back in the towns on the island.<br>-- Fences constructed of cactus which is very plentiful dot the island.<br><br> <br>

... car j'ai aussi du snorkeling pour l'après-midi, mais c'était la chance pour Mariette de voir un peu cette île... et aucune possibilité de réserver quoique ce soit d'autre avec Princess... Le navire est à quai dès midi, comme prévu et la foule sort de son lit pour se rendre à terre!! C'est impressionnant de voir cet immense bateau accosté à ce petit quai. Et que dire de l'eau... je n'ai jamais vu une eau aussi limpide. On peut distinguer la ...

... starving and Dr T needs a nap. Maybe later on to the capital for a beer and cards? This is what we already dove in Bonaire: see map orange circles. We drove the blue lines, you can see home and the ... nude beach. Why the nude beach? Because we go there tomorrow! Dive break! I have 'war-wounds' again. Blisters, fell down getting into the water, fire coral: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_coral I do not bump often but if I do, it is to something painful. So ...

... beaches and stunning tropical waters. Unfortunately my camera was at the wrong setting and I didn't get any good shots of these Islands but if you can think of the most idyllic tropical island you have ever seen on TV, you are half way there. My flight was delayed so I only arrived at about 11am and the main island was deserted and all the dive boats were gone for the day. This time there were two others on the plane and I started to feel a bit ...