A nice contrast to Curaçao, Bonaire was my favorite island on this trip. Without a big population or huge tourist industry (the government is limiting cruise ships to one at a time), the island has a laid-back, authentic vibe. Hurray up and visit before it changes!
We arranged a private guide and driver here and it was a nice, relaxing choice. The vehicle was pretty beat up, but the A/C did work and our local guide was a sweetheart.
She knew we wanted to see wild flamingos and started our day by running us by a lake near the airport where they'd been recently hanging out. It was a large flock – but impossible to photograph with just my iPhone. We headed to the south part of the island to see the desolate-looking salt flats and existing salt operations (now owned by Cargill). Our guide said when the water just finishes evaporating, the flats sparkle in the sun like millions of diamonds.
The historic Slave Huts were not far away. Built in 1850, they once housed 6-9 slaves in each tiny building. Many have survived throughout the island and stand as a testament to the past. Earlier slaves camped outdoors, then had wooden huts until these stone structures were built with no water or facilities. They were considered a big improvement, but when you looked inside it was impossible to imagine how people could live in those conditions. The view, however, was incredible; but now the waves have eroded the shoreline to the point the huts survivability are threatened.
Heading north, we visited the 14th-century Spanish village of Rincon, nestled between mountain peaks for protection from attackers. Rincon is the oldest village in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba that has been in continuous existence. While there we tasted a liquor made from the abundant native cactus. I'll pass on this one, not to my taste.
Eventually, we got up into the hills on the island and stopped at a beach known as 1000 Steps, because it feels like 1000 steps, instead of the 67 it is, to those divers coming back up to the road with all their equipment. It was a stunning beach setting and made me sad I wasn't able to do any snorkeling on this trip. Anyone who visits Bonaire and can snorkel or dive – should!
The drive towards Goto Lake was lovely and wouldn't have been well-traveled were it not for guests from our ship bicycling, in golf carts, or tours on the road. The landscape was dusty and arid, even though they had much more rain than usual in the just-ended rainy season. It wasn't unusual to spot iguanas or donkeys in addition to the flamingos and bright orange oriels fliting in the trees.
There were not many flamingos in the lake this day (it's nesting season), but we did spot a few as we drove around a side not visible from the viewpoint.
Kralendijk was a serviceable town. Lots of stores selling basics for the locals, one KFC, and housing for the many divers that flock to the island famous for its pristine diving. You can take a short self-guided walking tour of the town from down by the port and there is a small crafts market catering to the cruise port located in the square. We walked around a bit before boarding our ship at the end of a really nice day.
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