TRIP TO BONAIRE AND CURACAO—NOT A CRUISE: Guest Post by Sara Kras

Grote Knip Beach, Curacao

With many thanks to my friend and fellow children's book writer Sara Kras, who is one of the most adventurous intrepid tourists I know! She has been to a number of islands in the Caribbean--Barbados, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Bonaire and Curacao, but says "I still have a few more to check out." .Here is her report on her recent trip to the islands of Bonaire and Curacao.

Bonaire and Curacao are part of the Dutch Caribbean and are located about fifty miles from South America.  These islands are usually visited by cruise ships where thousands of cruisers disembark for the day to shop for cheap Chinese trinkets or go on crazy excursions promoted by the cruise ship, such as hiking through the desert terrain, or riding a Segway through the salt flats. 

            View of a cruise ship from one of the wild coast snorkeling sites on Bonaire

My opinion is that the only reason anyone would want to be on these islands would be to swim, snorkel, or dive in the warm, turquoise waters.  Anything else would be a complete waste of time.  And so that’s what I did, pretty much all day, every day.

The water in Bonaire and Curacao is the clearest water in the world because much of the sea floor is covered in coral.  For this reason, water shoes are needed to navigate entry into the gorgeous water. 

Renting a car or truck is a must.  Before arriving I arranged one for Bonaire with a highly rated but informal company.  It was so informal that returning the car was as easy as driving to the airport, parking in short term parking, putting the keys in the visor, and leaving it, no inspections or paperwork.

Our rental on Curacao was a bit more formal but not by much.  We were picked up by shuttle at the airport and taken to a large house where the minimal paperwork for the car rental took place.

Because snacks at the resorts could be pretty expensive, we shopped at a local Dutch grocery store found on both islands called Van Den Tweel.  It was fun to browse through the large selection of different types of cheeses and meats and to try unusual Dutch sweets and drinks.

Bonaire

Each island had different characteristics.  Bonaire’s population was much smaller--only 25,000 residents.  The island was unique in that you could drive the main road which circled the island and stop to snorkel at many different wild coastlines. 

 

Coin box at the Bonaire airport to help the Donkey Sanctuary

Donkey Mural at Bonaire Airport

Along the Bonaire main road, you might see wild donkeys.  Tourists know about them and bring food to feed them through their car windows.  To care for these wild donkeys, a donkey sanctuary has been established.  Tourists can visit the sanctuary and meet the donkeys. While in line at the airport, a box with a message in English and Dutch asks for coins to help the donkey sanctuary.

We also booked a snorkeling trip with a Dutch company called Seacow Bonaire.  They took us across the pass to Klein Bonaire also known as Little Bonaire.  The water off of this small uninhabited island was filled with healthy coral, large colorful fish, sea turtles, and barracuda. 

Slave huts on Bonaire

Near the salt pans of Bonaire are several small slave huts.  These were used to house slaves who worked on the salt pans during the mid-nineteenth century.

Bonaire is the more rustic of the two islands.  We stayed for three nights and then flew in a small prop plane with a local airline called Divi Divi to Curacao.  The flight took approximately twenty-five minutes.

Curacao

Because Curacao has a higher population (150,000), it was much more developed than Bonaire.  More resorts, more restaurants, better paved roads, and more beach facilities.  

 

Tugboat Beach viewed from our lounge chairs

The first thing I did once we got to our beach resort was to swim in the warm Caribbean Sea.  The next day, we meandered to a snorkeling and diving site called Tugboat Beach located on the southern tip.  It got its name because a tugboat had sunk many years ago close to the shore. 

The beach had lounge chairs under shaded netting.  There was even a place to rent an underwater propeller, which we did.  This device buzzed me around in the water without having to move my legs.  The water was crystal clear. Brightly colored fish were seen on the way to and at the Tugboat site.

At lunchtime, we headed over to Mambo Beach.  We ordered grouper and received a piece of fish each about one inch thick and six inches long.  It was amazing.

Grote Knip Beach, Curacao

The next morning, we drove to Grote Knip Beach located on the northern section of the island.  We were able to park right next to the entrance and walked down to the relatively uncrowded beautiful stretch of sand.  I swam out to the coral area where there were lots of fish.  After my swim, it began to rain heavily, so I got back in the water to wait out the storm.

 

Colorful Willemstad, a UNESCO Heritage Site

We left around lunchtime.  We were shocked to see that the parking lot had become a complete madhouse with buses and cars trying to find places to park. Happy to leave, we headed back to the middle of the island to Willemstad to see the colorful buildings and floating bridge which make up the UNESCO Heritage Site.

The cruise ships dock their boats close to this area of the island, so the shops are full of junkie items from China.  Even the old eighteenth century buildings have been invaded by these vendors. 

To connect the two land areas which make up Wilemstad, an amazing floating bridge was built in the nineteenth century across the water.  We walked across the bridge to eat on the historical side of town.  While near the water, we saw the floating bridge shut down by sounding an alarm bell and then it swung to one side of the waterway to allow huge tankers from Curacao’s deep water port to enter the open sea.

We have been to a few Caribbean Islands. Each has their own unique environment and culture.  Because of the clarity of the water and the historic areas, these two islands have become my favorites.

 

THE RIVERFRONT CAROUSEL IN SALEM, OREGON Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

The Riverfront Carousel, Salem, Oregon.

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s book writer and frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos in Salem, Oregon, in August 2024 when she met our friend Sara Kras, also a children’s book writer. Together they visited Salem’s Riverfront Carousel, a community project that draws thousands of visitors each year. Here is the story of Caroline and Sara’s visit to the carousel. (Although Caroline and I share the same first name, she pronounces hers with the "i" like "ee", whereas I pronounce mine with the "i" as a "y".) 

Once upon  a January (the year was 1998), Caroline Arnold taught a UCLA Extension children’s writing course focused on her forte, nonfiction. I signed up for it, and so did a dozen others including a Sara Louise (soon to be married and become Sara Louise Kras). Sara and I became writing buddies. We started helping each other by swapping critiques of works-in-progress.

Caroline Hatton riding Leia and Sara Kras riding Django near Los Angeles in January 2017. Photo by Josh the guide.

A few years later, Sara proposed that she and I meet in January to go on a horseback ride, followed by a brown bag picnic lunch and mutual critique. Our New Year riding-and-writing day became an annual celebration.

By 2024, Sara and I had relocated from the Los Angeles area to Arizona and Oregon, respectively. Meeting in January was no longer practical. But when Sara happened to be in Oregon in August, we jumped at the chance to enjoy a riding-and-writing day after all.

Sara Kras riding Jazz the Zebra. 

Salem was a good place to meet, so I knew where two children’s writers would love to go on a wild ride: indoor, sheltered from any weather, at Salem’s Riverfront Carousel! We didn’t climb in the saddle until after we had carefully selected our mounts.

Caroline Hatton riding Francis the mule.

After an exhilarating cavalcade, we wandered around the carousel’s indoor space, looking at displays about its history. It all began in 1996 when Salem resident Hazel Patton visited Missoula, Montana, where she saw an old-world-style carousel built in the U.S. Moved by how that project had united the community, she came home determined to make the same thing happen in Salem. She infected four more people with her vision and enthusiasm. Next, Sandy and Dave Walker signed up as the project’s artistic leaders.

In only four and a half years, 160 volunteer artisans donated over 80,000 hours carving, sanding, and painting the horses. Architects, engineers, builders, lawyers, business people, accountants, writers, photographers, illustrators and other community members worked together to manage the project and raise $2.1M.

The full-size pattern for Ronnie the Rabbit.

Before designing each animal, Sandy Walker met with its sponsors to understand their vision of its style or theme. What made its personality unique? Would it stand, prance, or jump? Sandy sketched it on an 11” x 14” sheet of paper, which was enlarged to full size.

The rough-cut body and hat of Ronnie the Rabbit in August 2024.

Two-inch thick basswood boards from linden trees were glued together. The full-size pattern was used to rough-cut the animal’s head, body, legs and tail in separate pieces. Dave Walker, the carousel’s master carver, led experienced artisans and trained novice volunteers, who chipped the wood away to begin revealing the animal.

Pegasus was ready to get his wings in August 2024.

They shaped body parts using smaller knives and files, and carved the fine details with specialized tools. Team members glued body parts together, then smoothed the seams. Sanding each creature by hand, using sandpaper and tools of decreasing grit or size, took about 60 hours. After roughly 700 hours to carve each creature, painting began with three coats of primer and one coat of base paint, and took about 200 hours to complete. With up to six coats of clear polyurethane varnish, it’s no wonder the animals look so shiny! Of 42 horses and two wagons, 32 plus two foals ride the carousel at a time.

After Sara and I browsed around the gift shop, the nice lady behind the counter offered to show us the “back room.” That’s where I took the photos of works currently in progress.

The Willamette River in Riverfront Park, Salem, Oregon.

When Sara and I went back outside, we strolled along the Willamette River in the lovely Riverfront Park and sat on a bench to chat. For lunch, we picked the gourmet Wild Pear Restaurant. based on its eclectic menu. The few indoor tables were full, but it was a nice day to sit at a table on the sidewalk. Sara loved the lobster and  shrimp melt and I, the turkey and dill havarti sandwich on focaccia. We both took away half for dinner. But before dinner, I spent a moment selecting riding photos to share with Sara, capturing her feedback on my writing, and musing about possibilities for our next riding-and-writing day.

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, NAMIBIA: Okaukuejo Waterhole, Guest Post by Sara Kras

Okaukuejo Waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia

My friend and fellow children’s book writer Sara Kras spent much of the past year living in Namibia. Here she shares a recent visit to Etosha National Park. Sara loves to travel and has contributed numerous articles to The Intrepid Tourist. Sara's most recent book, Baby Boomer Reboot, is a fascinating account of the challenges she faced going back to college in her fifties.  

 
Etosha National Park lies in northern Namibia. This large park is 8600 square miles and is surrounded by a fence.  To ensure the animals within its borders have water, many manmade waterholes have been constructed throughout the park. The most famous one is Okaukuejo. One of the park entrances is there, along with a large camp comprised of villas and cottages. There is even a large dirt parking lot where visitors can pitch their own tents and camp.

Entrance to Okaukuejo waterhole, with its characteristic stone tower.

High-end international travelers rarely stay on site at Okaukuejo because of the condition of the buildings. The main advantage of staying on site is to be at the waterhole after sunset, when there can be lots of activity.  If you stay outside the park, you must leave by sunset. We stayed in one of the most expensive rooms (about $180 including dinner and breakfast) called a Premier Waterhole Villa.  Our room #33 had a direct view of the waterhole. We could sit on the balcony or even in our bed and watch the animals come and go any time of day or night.  But, for this wonderful feature we had to put up with very noisy and leaky air conditioners, stained curtains, and an upstairs toilet with no toilet seat.  This was definitely not a luxury situation and most western travelers would find it intolerable. But it did have strong hot water pressure in the shower and the bed was comfortable--two of my main criteria since I am not a camper.

What did I get for putting up with this discomfort?  If you’re into African animals as I am, you get a lot.

After sunset, floodlights illuminate the waterhole. This is the best time and place to see the endangered black rhino.

On Day 1, we saw a large herd of zebra, many giraffe, springbok and gemsbok.  After the sun went down, a male lion began roaring and huffing. This continued most the night, though he never made an appearance at the waterhole. However, twenty black rhinos showed up, staggering their appearance to keep us all entertained, and two lionesses trotted down to the waterhole for their nightly drink.

During the night there was an intense thunder and lightning storm. Buckets of rain poured from the sky, much to our dismay, as rain disperses the animals because they can find abundant water elsewhere.

The waterhole was pretty quiet on Day 2. I felt sorry for the visitors that came to Okaukuejo for just one night (never a good idea). There were lots of long, sad faces sitting around the waterhole willing animals to appear. They never did except for three giraffes and three black rhinos.

Elephant herd

Because of the heat, a lot of water evaporated from the rain, so animals began making their trek back to the waterhole on Day 3 in the afternoon. There was a group of about one hundred wildebeest, along with zebra, gemsbok, and springbok. Several herds of elephants showed up, totaling about thirty. Many babies were part of the group. Later in the evening, five different black rhino made their lumbering appearance.

A visit to Okaukuejo is one of the most unusual safaris my husband and I have experienced. The reason is that the animals come to you. There’s no need to drive anywhere to search for them. In addition, there’s lots of opportunity to see the critically endangered black rhino. The best months to go to Okaukuejo are June through October when the park is the driest. 

 

ANCIENT CORINTH AND EPIDAUROS: Guest Post by Sara Kras

Ancient Corinth, Greece. Temple of Apollo at Sunset

My friend and fellow children’s book writer Sara Kras recently arrived in Greece to begin a year's study for her Master's Degree. Here she shares some of her first impressions of Greece. Sara loves to travel and has contributed numerous articles to The Intrepid Tourist in the past. Sara's most recent book, Baby Boomer Reboot, is a fascinating account of the challenges she faced going back to college in her fifties. 

Ancient Corinth is a small inland village about three miles from the seaport town of Corinth.  Summer months are the most difficult time to find lodging in Greece, especially by the sea.  Because we had to make a last minute booking, I thought somewhere away from the sea might be available and I was right.  I called Pegasus Rooms in Ancient Corinth.  I was told there were no rooms available for a week, but they had an off-site apartment called Acrocorinth Apartments. 

The owner told us the rate would be 60 euros per night including breakfast.  The apartment was surrounded by the owner’s vineyards and olive tree groves, supposedly a quiet farmer’s cottage.  Unfortunately, immediately to our right lived a very noisy Greek family.  The noise came and went in waves.  We knew we had to stick it out because we had nowhere else to go.  Not everyone felt the same way.  We saw an older couple on the other side of us leave early on a Sunday morning.  This was because the patriarch of the noisy Greek family decided to rev his motorcycle very loud for several hours.  We handled the noise by exploring the surrounding area, which took us to the ancient ruins of Corinth and to the very well-preserved amphitheater in Epidauros. 

Our apartment in Ancient Corinth.

Located on the Isthmus of Corinth, Ancient Corinth had the unique position of being literally the midway point between Athens and Sparta, two warring city-states.  Ancient Corinth was founded in 8^th century BC.  However, it reached its peak in the 7^th and 6^th centuries BC.  The Temple of Apollo dominates the town and still does today. 

Surrounding the ruins at Ancient Corinth is a cute village with restaurants, tourist shops, and traditional food markets.  Our favorite restaurant in Ancient Corinth was Marinos Restaurant.  We ate there every night for a week and the food was consistently delicious.

The ruins are not a large complex.  It takes about an hour or two to see it all.  Once you’ve walked through the entire ruin, you exit by the ancient marble walkway.  There’s a profound reverence this walkway inspires.  How many people walked on this marble walkway since the 8^th century BC?  You can just imagine each person carrying their concerns, worries, and joys as they trod upon the walkway leaving a miniscule imprint of their bare feet or soles of their shoes.

There’s also an interesting museum connected with the site, which is a common theme at most ancient ruins in Greece.  This museum featured carvings of the mythological battles of Gods and men against the centaurs and Amazon women.

Temple of Apollo during the day.

Marble walkway of Ancient Corinth.

Carving of soldier fighting an Amazon. 

(Notice her outfit of a dress with half her chest covered and the rest exposed.  This appeared to be the only outfit the Amazons wore into battle per the many carvings we viewed.)

After seeing the ruins in Ancient Corinth, we decided to take an hour road trip to Epidauros to see the Epidauros Theater, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  This magnificent marble theater was built around 330 to 320 BC.  It seats up to 14,000. Greek plays are still performed there today and a schedule of shows was posted at the site. The acoustics are still very spectacular. Tourists below sang or clapped so those above could hear them.

Just like Ancient Corinth, there was a small museum as part of the ruin complex.

Sara standing in front of the theater

The gorgeous view from one of the top seats!

There are so many ruins and places to see in Greece, it’s hard to choose.  But if you find yourself in Corinth or the Peloponnese, these two sights are worth the visit.