We returned to Bonaire with fresh memories of our oldest grandchild turning 21 and our newborn grandchild squinting at the light as he began to see the new world around him. Lots will happen before little Christian reaches his cousin Garrett’s age. Berit and I were sad to say goodbye to you all but happy to be back here in our island paradise.
We arrived just in time for Regatta Week and right away were plunged back into our normal routine of birding with our friend Jerry and diving with our neighbors. When the winds are down we dive the otherwise violent east coast of Bonaire. Strange that this happens when the annual sailboat races are taking place!
Once again I chickened out of the 800 meter swim to Klein from Eden Beach. I go every year to join the crowds of people of all ages but my latest round of knee injections hadn’t kicked in fully and I was too timid to try, yet again. Maybe next year!!
We volunteered as flaggers and water station workers at the annual Duo Extreme bike race. I have mad respect for the riders in this 80 kilometer mountain bike race. The riders are faced with trails so steep and rough they sometimes have to carry their bicycles to negotiate the worst parts of the route. Every year we see the wounded who have fallen onto the rocks or into the cactus with bikes so covered in mud you wonder how the wheels turn or gears engage.
A formal end to hurricane season brought the cruise ships back in ever increasing numbers and by Matthew’s birthday we were once again faced with big city style traffic snarl in our little town of Kralendijk. Cruisers love to get on busses and into taxis and onto scooters and tour around our tiny island at 5mph on narrow roads where oncoming cars meet each other with one set of tires on the narrow asphalt roadway and the other set of tires on the coral rubble shoulder in order to fit two trucks into space enough for only one. It’s revealing that most everyone cooperates in this little maneuver and passes with a smile and a wave. But watch out too for herds of goats and foraging wild donkeys!!
In addition to our other official government business (residency, insurance, banking, taxes, political action and volunteering) we decided to get our driving licenses. They are required of residents but we only recently understood that we should have done this years ago. You see, there are the rules that exist that don’t get enforced and the rules that do get enforced. And recently, with the local cops setting up road blocks to check for license and registration we see it’s now time to comply with this rule.
It turns out it’s just as complicated to get a driver’s license as it is to do any other kind of government business here. We first had to go to the registry and pay to get a document that showed we were in fact residents. Then we took that to the “DMV” and made an appointment (five weeks away) for our driving test. Since we have valid Oregon driver’s licenses we didn’t have to take a written test, just a driving test, and in addition to paying the fees for the license, we were advised to hire a driving instructor to practice with because “everyone fails the test on their first try”.
As the weeks went by we asked around about the driving test and discovered that “everyone” really does fail the first time. So we hired a driving instructor recommended by the DMV and Berit and I went off with him to practice driving. It soon became clear that the reason everyone fails is because there are some very specific details you have to get right in order to pass.
For instance:
- No open toed shoes or you must reschedule your test.
- No sleeveless shirts or blouses.
- No shorts or capris; only long pants or dresses.
- No driving over 40 kilometers per hour (24 mph) which is really hard to do when everyone else is going at least twice that speed or faster.
- When making a u-turn the tires may not leave the asphalt roadway. So a turnaround involves going forward then backward in tiny increments on the narrow roadway until you’re all the way turned around.
- There is no need to parallel park but they make you back into these very narrow, sometimes skewed parking spots where you only have about six inches to spare on each side between the white lines. They have two examiners during your test and they open the doors on each side of the vehicle and compare notes before they agree you made it. And you have to succeed at this from each direction backing into the spots both from the left and from the right.
And the list goes on and on. They tell you that if they instruct you to turn a certain direction then to do that properly, but if they say nothing at an intersection you are supposed to “follow the rules of the road” and if you are confused you fail.
For example, you’re supposed to know (if uninstructed) that when you enter a roundabout you must signal and make the second right hand turn. By the same token if you arrive at a tee intersection (and there is no instruction) you must turn to the right. Oh, and if there is any construction on the road you may not go faster than 15 kilometers per hour.
- Or you fail.
- Or you fail.
- Or you fail.
We were glad we hired a driving instructor (for $60 more) and in the end we both passed on the first try. And then made an appointment for two weeks later to return (to a different office) to get our actual drivers licenses. Which we did and can now pass through the roadblocks without concern.
And yes, after working on it from the first of August until Thanksgiving our sedula’s have been renewed for the fourth time. One more year and we’ll be able to renew our residency in five year increments instead of each year!! WooHoo!!
By December we had been involved with the 35th year celebration of the establishment of the Bonaire Marine Park with accompanying Lionfish Derby (killer Berit and I are up to 3,267 and counting); we had donated to The Sea Turtle Conservation Fundraiser Auction and had “won” a very nice driftwood carving called “Serenity” which is so big we have no idea where to put it; but it’s nice!!We have once again witnessed the arrival (by boat) of Sinterklaas and The Black Piets (don’t ask!?!) and have helped serve at the annual Old Folks Christmas Dinner held this year at Divi Flamingo; which was pretty awesome. Thanks to our friend Michael Gaynor.
Of course we've been diving north, south, east and west with old friends and new friends and are very much looking forward to Matt & Kelli and Garrett & Zoe arriving soon to spend their Christmas vacation with us here on Bonaire.
Berit will be returning to Oregon in the middle of January for a six weeks stay in order to see family and take care of some necessary business and then return by the end of February in time for a visit from our friends Bob and Noelle in March. The diving here is still spectacular and our house is always available should you care to visit!!
As you surely know, you are in our thoughts and never a day goes by that we don’t speak of you all and hope you are finding joy and the strength to meet life’s challenges.
Merry Christmas (Felis Pasku) to you all!!
Love,
Dad
PS The truck (in our fenced and locked driveway) was broken into yet again. This sort of thing has become routine and sadly just a part of our new normal. This time in addition to all the other parts, they took the driver’s door right off the hinges!! So we’ve hired an electrician and designed additional security measures (lights and proximity sensors) to be installed in the driveway. At best it will discourage the thieves; at worst they’ll have better light to work in as they dismantle our truck.
