Bonaire Day 4: A Holiday, a Whole Lot of Fish & an Epic Nap
Today is Ascension Day, which means many businesses in Bonaire are closed or on island time—slower, sleepier, and with reduced hours. So we kicked things off with our daily pilgrimage to the grocery store early in the day, just in case things shut down later. Van den Tweel is the island’s high-end grocery option, so I braced myself for sticker shock… but it never came. Honestly, with how expensive groceries are in the States these days, Bonaire’s prices didn’t feel outrageous at all. We restocked our essentials and, most importantly, got our now-mandatory daily fix of stroopwafel.
In putting this blog together, I also learned that today is not just Ascension Day—it’s also End of the Middle Ages Day, International Coq Au Vin Day, International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, Learn About Composting Day, National 529 Day, National Biscuit Day, Paper Clip Day, and Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day. So... if you were looking for a reason to celebrate, the universe is handing you several. Choose your adventure.
Once we had groceries in hand, we popped over to the dive shop conveniently located next to our apartment to rent snorkels and masks. Then it was off to explore two of Bonaire’s iconic snorkel spots: Tori’s Reef and Angel City.
On the way to Tori's Reef we passed the salt flats, which are a striking blend of natural beauty and industrial activity where salt is harvested, wildlife thrives, and divers explore.
Tori’s Reef was unreal. We came to Bonaire because of its legendary off-shore snorkeling, but even with high expectations, we were blown away. As soon as we entered the water, we were surrounded by a riot of fish—so many colors, shapes, and species I couldn’t begin to name them all.
The bad news? Our GoPro decided to give up the ghost after about five minutes. We’re still holding out hope that we can salvage the footage, but in the meantime, please enjoy this historical reenactment:
Rookie mistake roll call:
- I got a brutal sunburn on the backs of my legs. Sunscreen fail.
- And, in a truly special moment of poor planning, we forgot to bring any water with us to Tori’s Reef. So while the snorkeling was incredible, we could only stay as long as we could tolerate the brining process.
After snorkeling, we returned to the apartment and collapsed into the kind of naps that feel like time travel. I briefly surfaced before promptly crashing again. Apparently, we snorkeled like champions and napped like professionals.
Eventually, D woke me for dinner, and I’m so glad he did. We finally made it to IRIE Jamaican Cuisine, which had been on our list. We got there just before they opened, so we wandered over to the nearby San Bernardo Catholic Church, a beautiful building that’s been catching my eye all week. It was just as lovely up close.
At IRIE, the boys ordered jerk chicken, and I went for the BBQ ribs. Everything came with rice and beans, salad, fried plantains, and fritters. I also treated myself to a homemade ginger beer. Let me just say: I could eat fried plantains and fritters every day for the rest of my life. Every bite was a win.
We capped off the night with our now-traditional Dexter viewing—season two, my favorite—and some late-night snacks to round out the day.
Tomorrow, we head to Washington-Slagbaai National Park to explore the wild side of Bonaire. Can’t wait to see a new slice of this beautiful island.