Beer and moments

25 December 2007

Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

I had another one of those moments today. A moment where the clouds of work, low pay and small cabins part. A moment where I can actually appreciate the view in front of me, the sounds and smells around me and the opportunity I have to experience them. A moment that makes all the others worthwhile. Today it was sitting in a small bar, literally overhanging the water, in Kralendijk, Bonaire. I drank my beer, stared out over some of the clearest water I have ever seen and had one of those moments. It may have been Christmas day and I may have been on the opposite side of the world from everyone I know but the view was magic and there must have only been so many other people who could say that they were doing the same thing at that moment.

Bonaire was our port today and I have to say that it is a place I would like to go back to. Christmas day is not a day to visit if you expect all the normal tourist amenities and stores but there were still a few bars and restaurants open and a small market of local goods attracting those that had gotten off the ship. It was fortunate that I found them though because originally there had been a bit of getting lost involved. My roommate Francis and I had walked off the ship together and since neither of us had been here before we walked out of the gates and simply turned right. There seemed to be a few other people walking in that direction so, like good sheep, we walked that way as well. A short distance along a dusty road and we came across a resort and wandered in. The place had a slightly (well, okay, more than slightly) dishevelled feel about it and after a quick look around we walked out and continued down the road. All we found was a few houses, dogs and swampy looking ground with what appeared to be abandoned building sites rapidly sinking into the mire. The further we walked the less impressed we became with Bonaire and when dogs started barking at us, seemingly from behind every chain link fence, we did a u-turn and headed back towards the ship, feeling disappointed in the dusty and rundown impression we had of the island.

Getting back to the ship we figured that there wasn’t anything to lose by walking in the opposite direction. Things immediately picked up. We quickly found a small market place selling the usual suspects in island merchandise and a fast food stall where we both bought the local equivalent of a Cornish pastie; meat, potatoes and boiled egg inside a pastry case and roughly the size of a softball. Smothered in sweet chilli sauce it was a filling breakfast. Out the other side of the market and we found the main street of Bonaire. It still had a dusty feel to it but the town had an undeniable charm, even if 99% of the shops were closed. We wandered around for a little while and I got the impression that it would be a really nice place to stop when there was a bit more activity. It had the feel of a small beachside town and the bars and restaurants that lined the harbour side street had a magnificent view over the water.

Francis went back to the ship but I stayed to have a beer in one of the bars and stare at the ocean. This was when I had that moment. I sat there and thought about where I was and what I was doing, put the thoughts of work tonight out of my mind as best I could and simply soaked up the place. I was at a bar on the island of Bonaire, a cold beer in front of me and a million dollar view. There could be worse ways to spend Christmas day.

Merry Christmas to everyone from the MS Amsterdam, somewhere in the Caribbean.