Greetings from Bonaire

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Ok, we're not in Curacao as the header says, we're actually in Bonaire which isn't listed on this thing.....but Curacao is only just across the water!

So, it's been an eventful four days and lots of fun. Started out at 4am at Heathrow, where we queued for an hour at check-in, followed by over an hour at security. Lorna got the opportunity to strike a pose after looking dodgy enough to be asked to be a guinea pig for the new body scanning machine. Thankfully, this meant that she got to jump the queue and had time to buy fluids and food for the journey (you know how we both like our food!) The flight was delayed on the runway for an hour, but we still got to Amsterdam in loads of time.

Next flight was a 9.5 hour jaunt. Somehow Lorna drew the short straw again. Ali got to sit next to 24 year old T-Jerk from Amsterdam - Lorna got to sit next to a middle aged, bald Peruvian who sat with his whole body including head under a blanket for 8 hours and seemed to be making strange movements with his hands under the blanket throughout! He did offer Lorna the use of his wet wipes just before landing, but she wasn't sure....... Ali's new friend talked constantly for 8 hours and showed a liking for stroking her arm despite his g/friend being across the way.

Anyway, arrived in Bonaire to the realisation that Ali's baggage had evaporated. Somewhat distressed at the amount of new clothing, trekking poles, malaria pills etc that were in there. With assurances that it would arrive tomorrow (hoping this wasn't the proverbial caribbean 'manana') we headed to our hotel and our room overlooking the ocean 6 metres away - the sea is an amazing shade of turquoise with fantastically bright fish etc.

Decided to go for a quick walk before returning to shower and get ready for dinner. Got sidetracked by Happy Hour at a beach bar and ended up going straight for dinner in a psosh place still in scuzzy travel clothes (not that Ali had anything else to wear anyway!)

Dinner was great - few beers, bottle of wine and a Pina Colada later we crawled into bed totally knackered, at what turned out to be 8.30pm local time - light weights huh but we had been up for about 22 hours by this time!

Day 2 we pretty much hung around the beach and pool and wandered around the town. Hired some mountain bikes for the rest of the week and went back to the airport to collect now found luggage. Saw some enormous iguanas hanging out by the beach - great pics, and loads of cool fish in the sea. Iguanas seem to have free reign around the hotel, but unfortunately this means you have to look our for rather large piles of excrement at times! Must have been fairly relaxed and in holiday spirit, managed to get quite tipsy in the evening which wasn't the best idea considering our plans for the next day.

Wednesday, after Ali had tried on every single item of clothing to make sure none had been nicked, we decided to cycle round the end of the island with the aim of going mangrove kayaking at Lac Cai.

Locals had told us it would take 1 hour to cycle there. Clearly, the locals had lied!

3.5 hours and 15 miles later with a constant headwind, through a torrential downpour that made us think we were in the rainforest already, we finally arrived at Lac Beach (still another 6 miles from the mangrove kayak centre). The cycle ride had been really good tho, saw loads of pelicans going fishing from craggy beaches, checked out the salt mine and the slave huts. Marvelled at the mounds of cast off shoes and sculptures made with items bought in on the tide.

After chilling at Lac Bay for an hour, the wind got up and the rain came down again. Soaking number two! We abandoned the idea of carrying on around the bay (six miles out of our way) and going kayaking and decided to brave sitting on the bike saddles again (agony) and head back to the hotel.

The ride back was much shorter, punctuated with lots of screeches as we hit bumps and pot-holes...saw some amazing cacti and got a couple of pics. Arrived back in town looking like we'd been living as hermits in a cave for six months...prob pretty much like we'll look when we've completed the Inca Trail.

Thursday woke up to the waves crashing against our balcony for our last full day in Bonaire. Spent the morning chilling by the pool and writing this blog. Went snorkelling in the pm and saw some big ol' fish - got some pics but dont know how they'll come out.

Now Friday - Have just repacked luggage and need to shower and check out then off to the airport. At 4pm we head off to the Lima and then tomorrow morning we fly to Iquitos for 5 days in the Amazon jungle. Ali already covered in yellow puss filled bites and sunburn so who knows what she'll look like in a week!

We will blog again when back from the jungle and hopefully try and get some photo's up on this thing.

Trip living up to all expectations. Hope everyone at home is ok, would love to get some email!!!

Alistair, we will be in Miraflores om on the 30th, hope to meet up for the festival....

Bye for now........off into deepest darkest Peru...

Love, Lorna & Ali 😊

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Comments

[Abi]

Hey
Sounds great, Girls. Have the rest of a fun time, and take care out there. I am very jealous! xoxox