windsurfing on Lac Bay

windsurfing on Lac Bay, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

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No, This is not Long Island, although people do windsurf on Long Island.

No, this is my favorite caribbean getaway- Bonaire. One of the ABC islands of the Netherlands Antilles.

My husband and I scuba dive and this is one of the top rated destinations for scuba.... and snorkeling, windsurfing.

What makes this island so wonderful for these water activities?

There are many reasons!

The weather is arid and warm year round.
The ABC islands are out of the hurricane belt.
The water temperatures are about 80-85 degrees F with little or no current.
The reef is close to shore so divers and snorkelers don't need to take long boat rides to reach their destinations.
(In fact, Bonaire is rated as the premier destination for "shore diving!")
The island is very European with Dutch influence, (currently voting on a referendum to be part of Holland again).
Most people speak 4 or 5 languages with Dutch as the official language. English, German, Spanish and the native language of Papiamentu is also spoken by most locals.
The restaurants are world class, with great food, good variety and great wines, unlike many caribbean islands.

And.......

Well, I can go on and on but I think you get the idea.

Great weather, great people, good food, easy access to water sports.

Every few years my husband and I scuba somewhere else, but we always return to Bonaire!

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Bonaire Shoreline

bonaire shoreline, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Bonaire's shoreline looking north toward Buddy Dive Resort

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Kralendijk's Fort Orange

Kralendijk's Fort Orange, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

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Fort in Bonaire, built in 1639, has 4 cannons from 1808-1812.

For the history of Bonaire, click here!

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Historical Bonaire

bonaire history, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The lighthouse and abandoned historical buildings are just a few places to see on Bonaire.

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Fish Eye View

under the boat, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

As we enter the water, I wait for my husband.

Is this how we look to the fish?

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Lac Bay, Bonaire

Lac Bay, Bonaire, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Great fun watching the windsurfers in Lac Bay. The area is on the windy side of the island, but the water is protected by the reef. So they have the wind but no waves.


Still no Photoshop, not until I get home. This is from the Canon G9 in its underwater housing.

spotted eagle ray

spotted eagle ray, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

In the shallows of Bonaire. I love how the rays seem to just appear from the sandy bottom. They "fly" like birds, so graceful and free.

divers over sand

divers over sand, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Just playing around underwater....in Bonaire!

Bonaire

From warm and wonderful Bonaire

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Bonaire Flamingo

Bonaire is warm and sunny and best of all, the nature and wildlife is spectacular.

The best sights are underwater and those photos will be posted in a few days.

This photo was posted straight from the camera since I do not have Photoshop on this new little laptop.

The flamingo is a common site on Bonaire and there is even a flamingo sanctuary.

Hope you all are having nice weather on Long Island too!

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Flying to warmer weather

above the clouds, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Yes, it's that time of year again. I just have to get away to some warmer weather!

It's back to sunny, tropical Bonaire, a desert island really,

my favorite scuba-diving location.

Stay tuned for Bonaire photos!

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You can see my previous photos in a slideshow here. Just click!

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I'm not taking a lot of camera equipment this time due to all the airline weight restrictions,

so my photos will have to be more "creative" and less technical.

Hope you enjoy Long Island while I'm gone!

You can still keep in touch by email and comments!

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The Amazing Caribbean

I just wanted to post a few photos from this last trip to Bonaire.

 I have been there nine times in the last 11 years and have not gotten tired of this wonderful island yet.

It's warm, above and below the water; the people are friendly and wonderful; there are great restaurants and shops; and the reef is one of the healthiest in the Caribbean!

What more can you ask for?

A warning: there is little to do there if you don't dive or snorkel.

Well, I shouldn't say that since you can drive into the National Park, bird watch and/or sit by a pool or sea and read.

The island has Dutch influence and will become part of Holland as of January 2009.

Because of this, the construction is sky-rocketing! There is new construction everywhere as people realize the benefits of buying something now...getting a small piece of paradise!

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Shopping in the Caribbean

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Caribbean Nights

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Yes, it's really a fish....a Frog Fish!

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Scuba Diving, new camera

It will take a few weeks to process all my photos from the Bonaire trip.

This vacation, I took underwater photos too, using our new Canon PowerShot G9.

I wanted this camera because it shoots "raw" files, which contain more detail than jpg.

It does come with it's problems though, since it is a fairly new camera, all the other software is not up to the latest versions to process this Canon 'raw' files.

I can still use Photoshop but that's because I have the newest version of CS3.

Anyone who has an older version, or Windows Vista, will have to use the Canon Raw edit which came with the camera, and is not as good, in my opinion.

Feel free to email me for clarification or questions!

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I love scuba diving, but when you take underwater photos, the diving has a different 'focus.'

I have to see things differently and dive differently: more concentrated on the details.

I take photos while diving, but I don't dive to take photos, if you know what I mean.

My underwater photos will never make the magazines or be praised for their quality.

But that's okay. I love to dive and love to take photos, and now I can combine the two.

It does help with fish identification and I can also take short videos.

Check out my You Tube site for the short video of a swimming octopus!

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caribbean sunlight

caribbean sunlight, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

This photo was taken in Bonaire, where all we needed to sleep was a sheet for cover and curtains to block the light. Wake to the sound of birds and a vision of palm trees and sunlight.

I love being on vacation but there is something so comforting to the return home. It feels good to sleep in your own bed. I may need two blankets and a comforter to keep warm, but it's home!

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Bon Bini

Bon Bini, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

This means welcome in "Papiamentu," the native language of the people of Bonaire.

Harbour Village

My work for Harbour Village is finished!
My husband Chris and I took hundreds, maybe thousands, of photos of the Harbour Village Beach Club Resort and finally finished the selection and processing in Photoshop CS2.
Our final count: 200 photos.
Yep, that's the final count, just of the resort.
It is amazing how, after looking at all the photos over and over, you can see the minor differences and make a decision on what is more pleasing to the eye...based on color, composition, sharpness,....so many photos are rejected.
Now my fingers are crossed and I will wait for the response from the resort.
I never thought that after retirement from teaching I would be taking photos and making money from it. It happens now all the time. I'll never get rich from this, but I love it and the extra money is a bonus!
Above are just three photos of the Harbour Village Resort in Bonaire.

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More of Bonaire, the Netherlands Antilles

"Red" slave hut near the salt flats, with the lighthouse in the distance....

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A young couple ride a rented scooter by the saltflat pans with a navigational marker and the "red" slave huts in the distance....

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A young girl, about 8 or 9 years old, learns to windsurf at Lac Bay.

Bonaire is known for being a great place to learn windsurfing due to the mild, consistent winds and the shallow waters of Lac Bay.

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Check out the map for Bonaire....

It's beautiful year round and isn't in the path of the hurricanes.

Salt is a major export, still,

...and tourism is a major industry here with scuba diving as the main attraction.

I love Bonaire and have been here many times!

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Island Paradise

Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

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1000 Steps, Bonaire

A dive site called 1000 Steps

There are only 64 steps but after a dive, all the gear must be carried back to the car! Not an easy or pleasant task!

Underwater the site is spectacular!!

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Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

I know it's cold in New York right now, but here in Bonaire the temperature is 82 degrees F. and sunny. Diving and snorkeling is the major activity for those on vacation.

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