Caribbean Note #50

Hey Everybody,

Wow, it seems like such a short time ago that we sent our original email to you all from Bonaire letting you know that we’d purchased a house here on the island. Now it’s been five years since that first Caribbean Note and today I’m writing number fifty. I suppose it’s fitting that these are nice round numbers since we've reached another milestone.

Work on the new house next door is finally finished and the place is ready for vacation rental. Here’s a link to our neighborhood website where you can see pictures of the house (Kas Koral #3) and potential renters can make contact with our property manager.

http://www.bonaireexclusief.nl/eng/bungalows/number3.html

Kas Koral - Bonaire Exclusief Bungalow #3

A new website is being developed with an updated appearance and additional information about the Bungalow Park, but this “old” site will have to do for now. Berit and I have worked hard this trip to make Kas Koral comfortable and nice and already people are signing up to rent this little vacation cottage. Of course it’s also available to family and friends, so we’ll be able to spread out between the two houses when you all come to visit. Just let us know when you can come and we’ll contact our property manager and have him block out the time for you.

You may remember the big news in my last post was all about my broken foot. I’m happy to report that all is well and mended now and we’ve resumed a full schedule of diving and hiking the goat trails in the mundi with Titan.

He’ll be traveling back to Oregon with us at the end of the week, so we’ve taken him to the vet for his shots and well dog paperwork and found a small carry-on kennel for him to travel in on the airplane. We’re not sure how he’ll react to the rain and cooler weather in Oregon. Since he barks and chases every critter he encounters from iguanas to goats, with great intensity, we’re a little concerned about him meeting Bentley and Kirby at the next family dinner. At least Cooni and Zumo won’t be there, so we have a pretty good chance that he’ll at least adapt to members of his own tribe. Please don’t hesitate to bring your dogs to meet him.

Speaking of the family dinner how about Sunday the 15^th of June at our house for a back yard BBQ? We can grill burgers and hot dogs and make some of grandpa’s onion dip. Let’s say come at noon and we’ll eat around 3:00. The only thing missing will be the grilled Lionfish. We’ve got a recipe for ceviche from Chef Hagen that Berit has wanted to try. We’ll make it for you when you come to the island.

We’ve missed a ton of recent birthdays and events to celebrate at the dinner too. Berit, Carrie, Amber, Sidney, Kelli, Ian and Jesse and I are all getting older and Zoe is graduating from high school and heading off to Oregon State; not to mention Sidney and Jesse are cooking up a brand new baby for us all to spoil and Geoffrey (with Amber’s help and support) has opened his new store. So much life happening all around. It will be nice to catch up on all the news.

As usual there have been some challenges living here on this little rock. When we arrived in 2008, the Island Council was embroiled in controversy and charged with all manner of corruption and criminal activity. The several coconspirators were placed under indictment and their records seized by the Dutch Government Officials who have had them under investigation all these years. And now the charges have been dropped and these men are back in office or currently forming a “new” political party to run for office in the upcoming election.

The 2015 evaluation of the 2010 change in the political status of the island is creating a push for a new referendum to include the choice to separate from the Netherlands and become an independent country; an option favored by a small but vocal group unhappy with Dutch rule. An appeal is being made to the United Nations under a sixty year old UN mandate ordering European powers to allow free elections in their colonies. Bonaire keeps voting for inclusion within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and this group keeps saying the elections are unfair and the vote is bought by local politicians aligned with Dutch interests.

Bonaire Marine Park has won its battle with Karel’s Beach Bar and now the huge new water park and hotel complex will not be built on the waterfront on new piers extending out onto the reef. In addition the pilings already sunk into the reef around the existing party pier will have to be removed. This is good news for the cause of reef conservation and the diving industry on Bonaire. But there are so many new hotel and development projects that the island infrastructure has been overloaded and power, water, roads, schools, airport, hospital, police, etc. etc. are all struggling to keep up with the influx of people and especially the island's embrace of tourism in the form of additional cruise ship amenities like shopping malls and island bus tours. The traffic is insane some days.

And Bonaire’s problem with petty theft and burglary just keeps getting worse. Social service programs and social welfare programs are stretched thin and with the lack of avenues for upward mobility the poor keep getting hit harder and harder with rising costs for food, power, water and other essentials including taxes. Many here blame this situation for the rise in petty theft and burglary. Our latest brush with crime resulted in our car being damaged and tossed right in our driveway inside our locked gates. Berit awoke to Titan barking at 3:00 AM and went outside but saw nothing in the darkened driveway. In the morning we discovered the damage to the truck and the missing tools and jack. We wonder if the dog had not barked would we also have lost the battery and tires or even the car itself.

But in spite of all this, Bonaire rewards us far more than she punishes and we do live on an otherwise beautiful, safe and essentially crime free island.

We fly back to Oregon in just a few days and can’t wait to see you all and especially Titan’s reaction to wet grass. With Rose Festival comes rain and more rain and our “outside dog” will have to learn to adjust. 

Our Sunbather -- He's gonna hate Oregon!

He may come to love the spot in front of our fireplace as much as Rexx did.

Love,

Dad