Superhero Divers Go To Bonaire!

 We began our trip to Bonaire with a frenzy of phone calls to our band of “Superhero Divers”, after learning (the night before our departure) that our flight to San Francisco had been cancelled. That never happens! We scrambled to find a variety of options to reach San Francisco within a time frame that allowed us to connect with the rest of our flights. Six of us drove to SF, one drove to Eugene to connect with a flight that went through Newark, Atlanta and finally reached Bonaire the following afternoon. The remainder of the group arrived on delayed flights through Medford and St. Croix.  In true superhero form (adapt and overcome) we all made it to our destination.

We settled into our lovely beachfront accommodations at Captain Don’s Habitat and began the routine of island life: up early for a good breakfast, out to the dive boat for a day of cruising the reef, searching for critters, back in time for lunch followed by a nap, up in time to sip Gin and Tonics while watching the sun go down and then off to eat again. It’s a rough life!

During this particular trip we were also treated to nightly live music by two of our group members Bob and Eric who took turns playing guitar and singing songs that we all knew and loved. Thanks guys that made it extra special!

The name of the island Bonaire, comes from the indigenous word Bonai meaning flat and it is in fact a mostly flat, cactus covered coral island inhabited by an eclectic mixture of abundantly happy folks as well as wild (or free as the locals call them) donkeys and goats.  The island is surrounded by the clear turquoise waters of the Dutch Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.

The island is considered to be one of the best around the world for shore diving as there are numerous easily marked and accessible dive sites and many operators that rent trucks to cart your gear around the island.

The reefs were healthy and the fish were plentiful. We saw a large variety of eels, File Fish, Trumpet Fish, Angel Fish, Parrot Fish and Hawksbill Turtles. We were also treated to nightly visits from a Manta and Tarpon that would cruise the shore every evening around supper time. Several Tarpon were also spotted on the wreck and night dives.

 Some of our group tried and fell in love with a unique kind of night diving called “Fluoro Night Diving”. We were equipped with amber colored visors that fit over our masks and given UV lights that cast a blue ray of light over the reef and caused the coral and many of the critters to glow bright yellow, and green. It is positively psychedelic – a must try if you go to Bonaire. Bon Photo located at Captain Don’s offers this spectacular tour for $50.00.

Another fun side trip that some of us tried was the cave tour with BonPhoto. This tour includes one dry cave and one wet cave. Bonaire has an estimated 400 caves on the island but only a few are open for exploration.

We began our tour in the dry cave by rappelling down approximately 15-20 feet into the cave. We were warned that the dry cave could be quite hot and humid as they are made of limestone and coral which does not insulate the interior like materials that compose other types of caves which are cool and dry. As we progressed through the cave it became more and more like a sauna or sweat lodge. The cave had fossils of brain coral embedded in the ceiling as well as stalactites, stalagmites.

The second cave that we explored was a wet cave that contained pools of rain water (approximately 5 ft. deep) that we swam through to explore the caves interior. At 80 degrees, the water was a refreshing follow-up to our previous sauna experience.

Our last day on Bonaire, we signed up for a land based tour of the island. We all piled in an older white Econoline Van and headed out to experience the island above the water. We visited Goto Meer, and Slagbaai National Park where we saw Flamingos, Parakeets, Parrots, and beautiful turquoise and grey lizards. We also saw wild donkeys, goats and lots and lots of cactus! 

Speaking of cactus, on the way to Slagbaai National Park we stopped at a distillery named “Cadushy” in the town of Rincon. The signature liqueur produced there is called Cauchy and is made from cactus and lime water. Here you can taste and purchase the product if you like. They also produce liqueurs with unique flavors from neighboring islands including spices for Saba, Agave for Aruba, and Calbas for Curacao.

We wrapped up our circle island tour in Slagbaai National Park where we saw several flocks of flamingos and visited several beaches. It turns out that Slagbaai is a really large National Park accessed by dirt roads that have a lot of sharp rocks/coral on them. Near the end of our tour we or should I say the tire of our van had a close encounter with one of these nasty little nuggets and it decided to go flat. "Aawwhh", groaned our driver, "that’s not good!" We pulled to the side of the road and everyone piled out. We confirmed the tire was flat, checked the spare and it was flat….hmmm! 

Our driver climbed up a very small hill and tried to get a signal on his cell phone to call for help. No signal! Hmmm!!!! This is when we got to experience the good-hearted nature of our fellow divers/buddies from Buddy Dive Resort (the ones with the trucks). They were able to collect the majority of our group and return them to our resort. Thanks guys! The four of us that remained with the driver were soon rescued by the rangers that were alerted to our dilemma by the others. They came in their truck with a retrofitted scuba tank to fill our flat tire. 

What transpired after that was something like a day at the racetrack. The drill went something like this; the rangers would fill the tire, we would all pile in the van and tear down the road until the rangers following behind us would honk, we’d stop and they would run up fill the tire again, whistle and off we’d go. It was like having our own personal pit crew. Eventually, we made it to a friend of the ranger’s tire shop where the tire was repaired. It was a hoot and an unexpected way to experience the great team work and camaraderie of the island people and our fellow divers.

We made it back to the resort in time for one last sunset and a toast to the great week we had on the island of Bonaire.

To view photos and video of this trip visit our website at www.vagabondventurestravel.com and look in the photo gallery section under Bonaire. If you or someone you know is interested in a trip to Bonaire and would like more information, contact us at info@vagabondventurestravel.com or call 541-951-2223 and ask for Becky or Dave.

Haras Cerro Punta

Day 4 Haras Cerro Punta

Today we visited a farm where they breed and raise Thoroughbred race horses called “Haras Cerro Punta”. They have 140 horses total including: 5 Thoroughbred stallions, 65 Thoroughbred mares, and 1 Percheron stallion called “Centurion” - the remaining are yearlings.                                                   

Breeding takes place during the months of February-March and the newborns arrive 11 months later. The mares give birth to their fouls in a laboratory/clinic located in the basement level of the main house. Artificial insemination is illegal in Panama, so all offspring are conceived naturally. There is an on-site veterinarian 24/7.

The fouls are started in gate training at 5 months old. Here they are fed their daily rations in an enclosed area designed to acclimatize them to being in the starting gate. Race training begins at 17 months and utilizes a rotational running machine designed to get the horses used to running in an enclosed space. The horses are exercised daily at this higher altitude location (2000 meters) in order to develop greater lung capacity and endurance. At 2 years of age they are taken to Panama City where they are sold at an auction that takes place at the Hipodromo Presidente Remon Racetrack. The horses race from 2 to 6 years of age.

4 of the Thoroughbred stallions here are from the United States and one champion called “Figo” was born and raised at Haras Cerro Punta. The 6^th stallion residing here is “Centurion”. He is a 13 year old 2300 pound, majestic Percheron. He has a shiny jet black coat and a fabulously wavy mane and tail. Not only is he handsome, but he is also extremely good-natured and they will let you take a short ride on him if you want to give it a try.

Tours are available at the farm daily from 8:30-5:30 and cost only $5.00. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to see some beautiful horses and learn something about the lives of racehorses.

Day 3: Finca Dracula

Day 3 Los Quetzales

Today we visited “Finca Dracula”, a local Orchid farm named after the rare Dracula Orchids. The farm was founded in 1969. It sits on 10 acres, 5 of which are greenhouses and gardens. The farm has 2200 different Orchid species from around the world, 115 of which are the Dracula variety. Currently the Orchids here are for exhibition only.

We took a 20 minute tour and learned many things about the plants and how they are grown. I emerged with a much greater appreciation for the lovely flower. First we learned that the process from pollination to flowering plant takes 5 years when grown commercially. It takes 15 years in nature. It takes 12 months to make a mature seed capsule that produces millions of seeds. In nature, a fungus called Michoriza provides nutrients for the maturing seed. In the nursery they use Agar as a substitute for the fungus. We also learned the different techniques each type of flower uses to attract potential pollinators. Some use smell while others use a visual attractant like mimicking a female insect. Some of them trap their pollinators causing them to become agitated and release the pollen inside the plant.

Day 2 at Los Quetzales

Day 2 at Los Quetzales

At 8:30 A.M. we met our guide Abel for our hike into La Amistad National Park. The journey to the trail began by tractor driven wagon (lucky for us) as the road to the trailhead was rugged and long. We started the actual hike at one of the remote Los Quetzales cabins. They are located just outside the park boundary and are lighted by kerosene lamps and heated by wood fireplaces.  The hike was pretty much straight up and then straight down along a not so worn rainforest path that passed through several streams, by 3 waterfalls and was surrounded by dense vegetation. We were provided with tall rubber boots for the hike which we picked up at the cabin. The hike was moderately strenuous (unless you have bad knees) and lasted about 2 hours. It was a great introduction to this lush environment.

Headed to Guadalupe

Headed to Guadalupe

We made it out of Panama City around 0930 and began our 9 hour road trip to Guadalupe. We navigated the well-paved roads without incident passing by many radar- wielding National Police. The speed varies between 30-100 km/hr. The weather was partly cloudy with occasional light rain.

We arrived in Guadalupe around 6:30 P.M., just about the time it was getting dark. Guadalupe is a tiny community nestled in the mountains near Volcan Baru. The hills are covered with many different agricultural crops and the high mountain peaks beyond are shrouded in a perpetual mist. We are here at the end of rainy season and right now there still seems to be a significant amount of rain that often takes on the form of heavy blowing mist.

Our hotel Los Quetzales is perfect for this phase of our adventure. It is located just outside of 2 national parks, Volcan Baru National Park and La Amistad National Park. The restaurant serves excellent cuisine at a reasonable price and has a descent variety of vegetarian selections. They have an organic garden here where they grow many of their own vegetables. The staff is friendly and very helpful. Our room is on the top floor of a 3 story lodge-type building. It is equipped with a kitchen, fireplace, patio and my favorite, a small lookout loft surrounded by windows complete with window seats. I have dubbed this room my secret hideaway. The lodge also has a spa which offers a variety of therapeutic modalities. Activities at the lodge include; guided or non-guided hiking, biking, birding, and horseback riding.

Arriving in Panama City

Panama City Arrival
After 24 hours of flying and layovers we reached Panama City. The skies were partly cloudy, the air sticky, making the 85 degrees feel like 95. We checked in to our hotel on the canal and immediately headed for the balcony where we sat fuzzy-headed and blurry eyed watching the massive tankers and cargo ships cruise lazily by. There is something quite mesmerizing about watching ships pass by. We took turns succumbing to sleep deprivation dozing off in the tropical heat. Eventually we mustered enough energy to take a stroll along the Amador (a long paved walkway at the side of the canal). We passed by a huge new abstract looking structure that is going to be a natural science museum. We also noticed many new high-rise buildings in the center of the city.

Bird watching in Mindo

We left the arid landscape of the coastline and headed in land to the Cloud Forest. We stayed in a small town that is nestled in the middle of densely forested mountains called Mindo. Population here is about 2,500. Our hosteria was a 4 story B & B in town called The Dragonfly Inn. The staff here is very friendly and helpful. The food is great and the house wine (decent tasting) is only $2.50/glass.

We spent 2 days birding here and saw many different species, including the star attraction, “The Cock of the Rock.” What a crazy looking bird. Our first morning got up at 4:00 A.M. and trekked up to the Cock of the Rock Lek. We stood behind a blind and watched about 12 males performing for one female. They squawked, flapped their wings and danced back and forth along a branch. What a show!

There are many things to do in Mindo, like: zip-line canopy rides, river tubing, scenic waterfall hikes, canyoning, horseback riding, visits to a local chocolate factory and butterfly farm and of course birding. We only participated in the later, as we were winding down our adventure. We did attend the “Frog Concert” on our last night here. This event is basically a night hike at place that has a large pond in the middle of a preserve with many trails through the forest surrounding it. Here as you can imagine you can hear and see many types of frogs as well as different kinds of insects, mammals, and snakes. They put on a guided tour every night at 6:30 P.M.

Mindo is a lovely little town with friendly locals. It is easy and safe to walk around even at night. The setting is picturesque, a blanket of deep green, topped with the ever present wafting clouds. There is a daily downpour that seems to happen at around 3:00 – 5:00 P.M. and is followed by sun.