Bonaire: Getting to Know the Island and It’s People
The island of Bonaire had lots to offer as a unique destination to explore. In between dives, I had the opportunity to visit ‘downtown’ Bonaire a number of times. Lining the tight, colorful streets were lots of shops and restaurants. In one store, I found my favorite flavor of soda: bubblegum. Throughout the course of the week, we made many visits to the local gelato shop. I also enjoyed exploring this area at night. There was lots of live music which made for a great atmosphere.
One of my favorite parts of Bonaire was the donkey sanctuary. Located on the other side of the island, the donkey sanctuary is located near the airport and is almost as large as it! I visited the donkey sanctuary with the kids of Kids Sea Camp. There were hundreds of donkeys in the sanctuary, both young and old and we enjoyed getting very close to the animals. I enjoyed feeding the donkeys from the back of a truck as we journey through the sanctuary and taking lots of pictures with them. This was a truly unique experience. On our way home from the donkey sanctuary we also stopped at the slave huts and salt flats of Bonaire. These were two very interesting locations with strong historical ties. I enjoyed spotting flamingos in the salt flats.
It was also great to meet the people of Bonaire. I enjoyed working closely with the staff of Buddy Dive. They were an incredibly helpful, nice, and fun group. It was also great getting to know some of the families of Kids Sea Camp throughout the week.
I’d like to thank Woody and his whole family for making my week down in Bonaire so fun and memorable. I felt warmly welcomed into their family and enjoyed getting to know them all much better. I look forward to staying in touch with the Tinsleys.
