haven't been doing much diving lately, so been thinking about

the spirit of dives past ... both my wife and I agree that if we were

to return to a dive location we've already visited, that place would be

Bonaire.

   the diving is great, but we love it for what it offers above water

as well: a quiet, laid-back place, with plenty of room to explore

on your own.  we particularly loved the town of Rincon, still

looking very much as it must have in the 16th century when

the Spanish built it far enough inland to be safe from attack

by sea.  

   Also, where else in the world do they have "donkey crossing" signs?"

   a little out of the way, but the indian inscriptions at Lac Bay are

worth the trip.  these images were created by the first inhabbitants of

Bonaire, a group of people called the Caiquetios (a branch of the

Arawak).  here is what the images they left behind look like:

     here's a little info about the Caiquetios:

          Bonaire's first inhabitants were the Caiquetios, a branch of the Arawak Indians who sailed across from what is now Venezuela around 1000 AD. Traces of Caiquetio culture are visible at a number of archaeological sites, including those at Lac Bay and northeast of Kralendijk. Rock paintings and petroglyphs have survived at the caves at Spelonk, Onima, Ceru Pungi, and Ceru Crita-Cabai. The Caiquetios were apparently a very tall people, for the Spanish dubbed the Leeward Islands 'las Islas de los Gigantes' (the islands of the giants). The name the Caiquetios gave to their island was adapted into Spanish as 'Boynay.'

Source

     and therein lies the last thing i'll say about Bonaire: most people think the

name comes from the French "bon aire" (good air), but that isn't so