WorldTravelReynolds

Welcome to Kralendijk which is pronounced either “craw-len-dake” or “craw-len-dike” depending on who you listen to, the locals just call it “Playa”

Whichever way you want to say it the name means “coral dike” so appropriate since the main attraction here is the reef surrounding Bonaire. Some of our friends are divers so they will be underwater enjoying the beauty of the reef. We are taking a golf cart and will ride with Mark and Jane to explore the island itself which has an abundance of cactus and scrub brush. We found a lot of pink on the island, not just among the colorful houses but in some sands, salt flats and birds.

We decided instead of taking a tour, this time we would ride the island on golf carts. It worked out great as we were able to see almost the entire island in the 8-9 hours of the rental.

We started out north and from what we hear it was a good thing since there was a bad wreck south of us. Our first stop was the infamous 1000 steps. We decided to climb them. Descending first was pretty easy. The view was beautiful at the bottom. Going up took a little while. Although it was advertised as 1000, I think it was less than 1/2 of that! I would like to say invigorating but the juries still out on that one.

We stumbled across some old dilapidated houses and decided to check them out. Built around 1868, this abandoned plantation’s primary purpose was to raise goats for skins and meat, as well as producing aloe, charcoal, and dyewood. Interesting, they had approval in 1980 by the Queen of the Netherlands to rebuild as a historical monument but funding fell through and the housing remains a mess

Driving more north we expected to visit the Washington Slagbaai National Park but it was closed for some unknown reason. The park covers 1/5 of the island. I know that sounds like a lot but just keep in mind that Bonaire is only 38 km (24 mi) long and between 5-8 km (3-5 mi wide.

Back in our buggy, as our English friends call it, for another short trek to the Cadushy distillery. We did make a few stops to watch some birthdays and many flamingos. As well as trying to keep from running into many donkeys wandering the roads along the way. They were so cute and friendly.

At the Cadushy distillery we learned how the liquor is made from Cactus on the island. As much cactus is here, they have a gold mine for sure! We sampled different versions. It was very good. Jane picked up some small bottles but we declined.

Time to head south but not until we’ve had a can of Coke Zero at a local bar. It was very hot and we needed something refreshing. My legs got really burned even with sunblock. The high temperature today was 87 but heat index in the high 90s. The sun is so hot here.

One of the main attractions we saw are the pink salt flats that get their color from tiny brine shrimp.

The pictures of these with the white mountains of salt behind them and blue sky above are quite stunning. It’s amazing to see the pink water on one side of the road and the stunning coral blue on the other.

Salt has been an export on the island for centuries with the ponds first worked by plantation slaves.

Next stop, something to eat and a refreshing swim. We all had sandwiches at a local restaurant but the nice part was the water, beaches and swimming. Mark and Jane enjoyed the beauty of the coral ocean and warm water as Chuck and I watched and took photos. We enjoyed watching and soaking in the salty ocean air.

Our last stop before heading back to the ship was the donkey sanctuary. The donkeys were brought here and used for hauling salt from the mines. Due to newer technology they were no longer needed so they keep them in a sanctuary of land and take care of them. We had fun driving our golf cart through their home for about 45 minutes. We had lots of attention from all 807 donkeys in the area. They thought we had carrots. Guess we should have brought some. That’s a lot of carrots. It was fun watching them crowd and bombard the golf carts.

And just like that, our day was almost done. Picked up a few mementos from a local shop, back on the ship and straight to the showers. Too whipped for entertainment tonight! Thankful we have a sea day tomorrow so we can sleep late.

Our next stop in two days is Barbados.

May God bless you always!

Chuck and Lea Ann