Bonaire Impressions

Bonaire Impressions Bonaire has not change much since we left it in winter of 2007. More traffic, of course and a few new buildings. Even those are built in the old Dutch style, front wall at the roof extended into a small rectangle, that served for hauling the furniture into the upper levels of the narrow houses. Now it is mostly for decorating and traditional reasons. Still, there is no rule of style in Bonaire’s architecture. Some buildings are very contemporary and some seems to be built with whatever residents could find. The island is untidy, which indicates curtain freedom, and messy with no regulations about the debris removal from demolished buildings. Don’t misunderstand me! Bonaire is charming with its cacti landscape, flamingoes, wild donkeys, about 200 varieties of birds, and the water so clear like anywhere else. Food supply is good, you can get any Dutch cheese your heart desires, or if you prefer, island’s young goat cheese, vegetables and fruits from Venezuela’s farmers, and even French baguettes. Here are many restaurants to choose from, serving goat dishes, steaks or fish, caught in the distant vicinity of the island. Fishing between the capital Kralendijk and Klein Bonaire, a small island protecting the town shores from high seas, is prohibited. It is a spawning area for some fish varieties. Even if that wasn’t so, how can you eat a fish caught from the aquarium? When snorkeling, you feel like you are in one, fish of all colours and shapes parading among corals. Population of 15000 is diverse, a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, English, and Portuguese Jews from Brazil migrated here, eliminating the original inhabitants of Armenian Indians. Bonaire also has a strong community of Peru Indians, who brought their rich craftwork to the Island. Newcomers from Europe and the States are buying property here to get away from cold. We met a Slovenian family, who bought a house on the rocky shore near Kralendijk. Together we drove through the forest of cacti to the center of Bonaire, where natives prepared a meal of stewed goat meat with polenta. Polde complained, that this blog is boring. Why not, you be the judge: The Bonaire temperatures: Monday: day 86F night 79F Tuesday: day 86F night 79F Wednesday: day 86F night 79F Thursday: day 86F night 79F Friday: day 86F night 79F Saturday: day 86F night 79F Sunday: day 86F night 79F And sunsets look all the same (view the photo)