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Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:08 PM
finally got through all the photos from my awesome awesome vaca

Bonaire is pretty crazy because it like Arizona in the middle of the Caribbean. . . . totally dry and covered in cacti and lizards. It is 100% surrounded by reef, making it a huge destination for divers and snorkelers. The reef in fact comes right up to the shore (you can plop in anywhere) which makes it a highly desirable dive destination since you don't have to travel by boat to get to your dive site.

Powerful trade winds come in from the east making the east coast "unswimmable" . . way too rough . . . however, a huge bay on the eastern shore is completely sheltered and is knee deep the whole way across, making it one of the top spots in the world to learn how to windsurf.

Enjoy :D

flamingo from the park:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/BWflamingo1.jpg

park in the north:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_0855-Version2.jpg

shot of the rough eastern shore:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_10173.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:09 PM
some cacti in the sunset:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1037-Version2.jpg

this is crazy . . that dark line in the middle, is the TOP of a huge school of fish. That whole dark spot is the school . . . you could almost walk on them

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1103-Version2.jpg

pelican enjoying the fish:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1124-Version2.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:12 PM
this place was called Bachelor's Beach . . . pretty typical entry

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1165-Version2.jpg

the shoreline down south. Not very many "beaches" on Bonaire, . . a few, but most of the coast is still rocky and covered in reef

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1204-Version2.jpg

the souther tip of Bonaire is devoted to the manufacturing of Salt. Basically they move the seawater from one huge salt pan to another . . letting it get more and more concentrated as it goes. As it gets towards the end, there is barely any water left, and it turns pink . . just like the Red Sea. Salt pan on the right, ocean on the left

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1447.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:14 PM
some lounging on the Bay on the east coast:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1520-Version2.jpg

Divers up and down the coast leave markers so they can orient themselves when they come up from dives. They get decorated as time goes by

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1575.jpg

another view of the final salt pan and the huge mounds of harvested salt:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1639.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:15 PM
another "beach" entry . .this one was up north

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1800-Version2.jpg

a popular dive pier . . the little boxes on the bench accept the air tanks when the diver sits down

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1831.jpg

some iguanas posing for food (seriously, they let me get like 20 shots off) that's my man shawn snorkeling in the background

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1844.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:16 PM
at the bar

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1908-Version2.jpg

another lizard looking for a handout

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1919-Version2.jpg

these yellow rocks marked every dive site on the island (about 50 - 60 . . . ish)

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1950-Version2.jpg

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:18 PM
windsurfing on the bay

shawn and i walked all the way out one day, took us over 40 minutes to get to the outside, maybe the water got up to our waist . . its surreal

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_2011-Version2.jpg

me jumping off the cliff at our favorite dive site: Oil Slick

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_2076-Version2.jpg

Alex655321
08-13-2008, 10:25 PM
WOW !

Beautiful Place !

Thanks for those outrageous shots with the dialog Erin :thumbs2:

VinReaper
08-13-2008, 10:26 PM
Absolutely amazing! :buttrock:

Great pics and commentary I felt like I was there, sort of! So now I have a few questions.

First Question: Why are you here? :laugh:

Second Question: When are you going back?

Third and Final Question: Can I go back with you and Sean when you do go? LOL!

:D

Thanks E! That was my vacation this year! :laugh:


VR

Mandragora
08-13-2008, 10:31 PM
WOW !

Beautiful Place !

Thanks for those outrageous shots with the dialog Erin

my pleasure! thanks for looking!

Absolutely amazing!

Great pics and commentary I felt like I was there, sort of! So now I have a few questions.

First Question: Why are you here? :laugh:

Second Question: When are you going back?

Third and Final Question: Can I go back with you and Sean when you do go? LOL!

:D

Thanks E! That was my vacation this year! :laugh:


VR

#1 because i have to pack up my stuff

#2 december 27

#3 i was just about to ask you :D

risingstar
08-13-2008, 10:51 PM
Fabulous pictures! Thanks for sharing.
It looks like a beautiful place!

It's great to see an album of photos with the person on vacation in every single picture.

:)

P1X4R
08-13-2008, 11:47 PM
thanks for making me feel miserable at work. j/k :D

great shots Erin! looks like you had an awesome time!

Mandragora
08-14-2008, 10:04 AM
LOL ... you're miserable!?? what about me . . i had a taste of it :laugh:

we're going back in december :D

endsongjen
08-15-2008, 11:56 AM
wow!! erin those are amazing pictures, beautiful.

my boss does underwater photography and thought you pics were fantastic. heres some of his a well, thought u would enjoy them.
www.rainbowimages.com
keywordsearch: freeman

ps. can i come w you in dec? LOL

Mandragora
08-15-2008, 12:02 PM
wow!! erin those are amazing pictures, beautiful.

my boss does underwater photography and thought you pics were fantastic. heres some of his a well, thought u would enjoy them.
www.rainbowimages.com
keywordsearch: freeman

ps. can i come w you in dec? LOL

LOL .. . so far that's 4 people coming along in the luggage :laugh:

his pics are gorgeous . . i really want to get into underwater photography. . .but it seems to get expensive

has he ever been to Bonaire?

thanks for checking them out :)

endsongjen
08-15-2008, 12:13 PM
I have no idea but he knew where it was.. LOL im sure he woulda said if he had. ill tell him u enjoyed them :)

yw. luggage here i come! hehe

Mandragora
08-15-2008, 12:14 PM
I have no idea but he knew where it was.. LOL im sure he woulda said if he had. ill tell him u enjoyed them :)

yw. luggage here i come! hehe

you can share with Ansel, Pat and Lou will room together in Shawn's bag :laugh:

endsongjen
08-15-2008, 12:22 PM
awesome! lol

geto10
08-15-2008, 04:15 PM
at the bar

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/EJLorek/IMG_1908-Version2.jpg


Beautiful! :D

Davidian
08-15-2008, 04:29 PM
Great pics Erin, very surreal, I can digg it! :thumbs2:

mwf6171
08-18-2008, 11:24 PM
Great pics!! A guy I work with goes there at least once a year. He and his wife go for the scuba diving. He is making plans to move there in the next 10 years. Lucky bastich.........

Mandragora
08-18-2008, 11:27 PM
Great pics!! A guy I work with goes there at least once a year. He and his wife go for the scuba diving. He is making plans to move there in the next 10 years. Lucky bastich.........

oh sweet . . do you know where he stays?

i think i'm buying some land there within the next few months. they are getting out from under the thumb of Curacao in the next 4 months and real estate (from what i hear) is going to skyrocket after that

glad you like the pics :)

mwf6171
08-18-2008, 11:29 PM
oh sweet . . do you know where he stays?

i think i'm buying some land there within the next few months. they are getting out from under the thumb of Curacao in the next 4 months and real estate (from what i hear) is going to skyrocket after that

glad you like the pics :)

Not sure, if I see him tomorrow I will ask. He has a web site with his underwater pics. I will try to get a link. I hate the water, but do you think you could fit a 6'1" 250lb free loader in your carry on???? :)

Mandragora
08-18-2008, 11:34 PM
Not sure, if I see him tomorrow I will ask. He has a web site with his underwater pics. I will try to get a link. I hate the water, but do you think you could fit a 6'1" 250lb free loader in your carry on???? :)

hahahahaha

you are officially #6 :)

you will be sharing a carryon with two others from this forum :laugh:

i'd love to hear about his plans and where he is interested in buying.

mwf6171
08-19-2008, 09:42 PM
Here is an e-mail from my friend concerning Bonaire:

"We stay at Buddy Dive Resort (www.buddydive.com). It's a great place if you are a diver. The main reason we stay there is that they have a drive through air and nitrox fill station. We basically can just drive through with our rental truck, load up some tanks, and drive across the island to dive wherever we want. They also have a great reef right off the dock at the resort. The accommodations are nice, food is decent, and there's a nice restaurant right on the resort. I really like it there, but I'm also a low maintenance type of traveler and I don't need much. If you're looking for someone to serve you drinks and cater to your every need, this may not be the place to go.

My website is http://web.mac.com/coryfrederick

Just click on the trips at the top of the page for the photos."

He and his wife are going to be in Bonaire from Dec 14-21...fyi....he likes to rub it in........ :(

Mandragora
08-19-2008, 09:56 PM
oh i loved Buddy Dive!!! We stopped by there on my search for a new snorkel mask.

very nice pics! I'm going a little nuts over the underwater photography right now . . have a feeling i'll turn into a maniac.

Its a shame . . seems like we'll just miss eachother this december.

mwf6171
08-19-2008, 10:33 PM
oh sweet . . do you know where he stays?

i think i'm buying some land there within the next few months. they are getting out from under the thumb of Curacao in the next 4 months and real estate (from what i hear) is going to skyrocket after that

glad you like the pics :)

My friend told me someone he knows just bought some property down there......lucky sumsabeeches.......

Mandragora
08-19-2008, 10:37 PM
My friend told me someone he knows just bought some property down there......lucky sumsabeeches.......

right now is THE time to buy down there. we're looking at a few plots in the 30k range. . . .hold onto whatever we get and then build a house in 10 or so years . . all talk right now of course . . :D

let me know if you find out where