Tag Archives: Tui Excursion

โค๏ธHappy Birthday To My Lovely Wife Sarah! โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ™ Father, I simply want to thank you for my wife. You have blessed me with a woman that knows you and loves you. She challenges me to be a better man and encourages me to love better. I pray that I can love and cherish her like the gift she is. The gift you have given me, Amen.

Carrying My Princess…

I thank God everyday for Sarah as i know i donโ€™t deserve her, but God never seems to stop expressing His love! โค๏ธ

โค๏ธHAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH – 2022! โค๏ธ

Sarah’s Birthday ‘Blonde Bombshell’ Hair…๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Sarah’s amazing birthday hair…My blonde bombshell! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!! It’s such an incredible blessing to share life with my lovely wife and best friend…And also to feel love, fun and joy grow more each year!! Thank you for blessing my life with yet another great birthday weekend celebration…And it’s not even my birthday…Well not until Friday, lol! ๐Ÿคฃย 

Although it was Sarah’sย birthdayย yesterday (Monday), we spent the whole weekend celebrating and making the most of creating more memories together, including; hair salon, Turkish restaurant, walks through woods, planting 15 plants in the backย garden and much more!!ย โค๏ธ

We had a great time over the 3 days, and although it may seem that we only ate food…Sitting down at the table was the only time we remembered to take any photos, lol! ๐Ÿคฃย 

The Turkish Restaurant Birthday Meal…๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Sarah’s Fantastic Birthday Cards…๐Ÿ˜€

Sarah was blessed with lots of great cards too! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Sarah’s Birthday Carrot Cup Cakes…๐Ÿ˜‹

We bought 2 carrot cup cakes from Craddocks our local bakers! ๐Ÿ˜‹

Sarah’s Birthday Flowers…๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Sarah’s brother and fiancรฉe sent her these lovely flowers! ๐Ÿ˜€

Birthday Beef, Bacon & Cheese Burger…๐Ÿ˜‹

Sarah created a birthday burger and it wasn’t even my birthday! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Sarah’s Birthday ‘Turbo Snail’ T-Shirt…๐Ÿคฃ

This is the logo that covers the front of Sarah’s t-shirt! ๐Ÿคฃ

Sarah’s Birthday Coffee & Doughnut…๐Ÿ˜‹

Cafe Mocha supplied us with a birthday doughnut and espresso’s! ๐Ÿ˜€

The Mouse Logo On Top Of Sarah’s Birthday Cheese Selection…๐Ÿ˜‹

Sarah loves this logo…Even more than the cheese i think, lol! ๐Ÿคฃ

Yay It’s My Birthday! โ˜•๏ธ๐Ÿ”๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ™Œ

1 Me BP Trophy Circle 001

ย Hi WordPress family! As itโ€™s my birthday today (2nd in lockdown)…I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to raise a coffee and take a little time to thank you for your continued love, encouragement, inspiration and fantastic comments between all of you on this blog.ย I always talk to Sarah about all of you guys and how amazing it is to have ย this blog read and commented on from all around the world.ย ๐Ÿ˜ฒย 

After my incredible 1st lockdown birthday last year, i was stunned by how you all commented with your fave coffee and drinks, and where in the world you were from whilst you were happily mingling with other friends here through the comments section. ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

So what iโ€™m trying to say isโ€ฆAs my birthday gift could you please comment below with your country and this timeโ€ฆlet me know your fave foods etc? I canโ€™t believe that iโ€™m 5 stone (70 pounds) lighter than this time last year, and iโ€™m interested to hear about foods from around the worldโ€ฆI love food, lol! ๐Ÿ˜‹ย 

It would be a lovely birthday present for me to hear all of your fantastic responsesโ€ฆIโ€™ll make another coffee here in Surrey, England, UK, grab my fave snacksโ€ฆPropercorn Peanut Butter and Almond Popcorn and a Grenade Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Protein Barโ€ฆAnd look forwards to seeing (and sharing fave foods and stories) with you guys!ย ๐Ÿ˜€โ˜•ย 

โ˜€๏ธ #60 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Kralendijk, Bonaire” ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ (2019)

The Blind Sightseers logo

ย ย ย Hi friends and welcome to Day 60 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!

Bonaire Logo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!

Welcome to Bonaire on this fantastic occasionโ€ฆI wonder what surprise is in store for Sarah? ๐Ÿค” ย 

Arawak Off-road Safari…ย 

This trip is all about getting to grips with Bonaireโ€™s historic best bits. Clamber aboard one of the 4x4s, and in a couple of minutes youโ€™ll be whizzing along the off-road trails.ย 

First, youโ€™ll climb into the Subi Rincon hills, where the convoy will stop at a set of time-worn Indian caves. Then, itโ€™s on to one of the islandโ€™s only two towns โ€“ Rincon. Keep an eye out for the honey-yellow church tower as you pass through, then hop off the truck when you arrive at pretty Boca Onima. This rocky stretch of coastline is home to some of the best cave art in Bonaire, which gives you a real glimpse of the islandโ€™s past.ย 

One of the best bits is saved โ€˜til last โ€“ the beauty spot, Seru Largu. This cross-topped monument sits on a raised platform, setting you up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.

On the dockโ€ฆ๐Ÿ›ณย 

This shore excursion was a second choice as the first choice was sold out weeks before weโ€™d even started our cruise. We were thinking about the 4×4 Land Rover trip weโ€™d done in the Azores(see here) but couldn’t really get excitedโ€ฆAs it was much hotter here and the thought of being crammed in the back of a Land Rover really wasnโ€™t doing anything for us today. So what we thought was going to be an anticlimaxโ€ฆTurned out to be the best trip of the whole holiday! Oh and iโ€™d just travelled in my best vehicle of all time! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

The 1961 Yellow Unimogโ€ฆ๐Ÿ˜ฒ ย 

Sarah & i infront of the yellow 1961 Uniog

Awww friendsโ€ฆ.Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Subi Rincon hills…ย 

ย Bertrand was our fantastic guide, and even better rally driver, lol. He said he had a PHD(pot hole dodger) although he didnโ€™t dodge anything but drove straight over everything which made the ride so much funโ€ฆWe were all hanging on for dear life as our bums were ‘getting airโ€™ as they lifted off our seats!! ย ย 

We ย climbed higher and higher into the Subi Rincon hills, where the amazing yellow Unimog stopped at a set of time-worn Indian caves. This place had lots of rocks to walk over and Bertrand told Sarah โ€œYouโ€™re a fantastic guideโ€ as she was expertly weaving me through the rocks! He told the group how the first explorers crawled through these caves in the pitch black, an inch at a time without knowing what was coming. ๐Ÿ˜จ ย 

Cave in Bonaire

ย Back on the Unimog…

Bertrand put the ladder in place at the rear of the Unimog so we could climb in and out. I was very careful the first time as i was feeling with my feet to find out how many (and where) the steps were. But after a few times i was flying off them! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

He kept slowing down and then (klunck) slamming it into low gear as he climbed ludicrously steep and rocky slopes until we got to a high viewing point. Ikept forgetting it was Sarahโ€™s birthday and not mine! ๐Ÿคฃ ย 

view overlooking the island of Bonaire

ย The Bonaire Donkeyโ€™s…

The Bonaire Donkeys

We were screaming down a dirt track when Bertrand hit the breaks. He jumped out of the Unimog and tried to call out to the Donkeys to see if theyโ€™d come over. He told us:

Donkeys have been around on Bonaire since the 17th century. The Spanish brought the donkeys for transportation. When modern vehicles became available like pushcarts, donkeys were redundant and left to their fate.

Bonaire is a predominantly rugged and arid island, making it difficult for the donkeys to survive. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of donkeys on Bonaire present. Because the donkeys can move freely on the island this regularly leads to traffic accidents.ย 

Fauna ezel thumbThe donkeys live in small herds of about 20 animals and can be 40 years old. During the day they seek the shade of the trees. In the early morning or early evening the donkeys are usually active.

Since 1993 injured, sick and orphaned donkeys are cared in a shelter, called Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. Volunteers take care over 400 donkeys in a closed area. The shelter is open to visitors and is located south of the airport on the Kaya Ir.R. Statius van Eps.ย 

I heard โ€œEEEYYOOORRREEE, HONK, HONK, HONK) and Bertrand said โ€œOk i hear youโ€ to the donkeys and โ€œThey donโ€™t want to say helloโ€ to us as he climbed back into the Unimog and drove to our next stop…

โ˜ข๏ธ HEALTH WARNING…๐Ÿ˜ฒย 

Wait a minuteโ€ฆHow did Sarah take a panorama whilst sat in the Unimog? “Nobody likes a show off, lolโ€ ๐Ÿคฃ ย 

Panorama of the lakes and saltflats with the wind turbines in the centre on the horison
ย 
After another blitzing ride we parked at the beauty spot, Seru Largu. We walked up quite a few steps to get to the top, but it was worth it!
ย 
Sarah & i overlooking the island of Bonaire
ย 
This beautiful place sits on a raised platform which set Sarah up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.
ย 
Panorama of the island of Bonaire

ย Bertrand stopped in many interesting places, he even fed lizards by hand as we stood on a sandy park burning to a crisp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd0phsrO6V4

Weโ€™d had a simply breathtaking trip on the fantastic yellow Unimog and we were really sad when we pulled back into the dock.

Back at the ship…๐Ÿ›ณ

After the incredible and mind bending ride in the Unimog, we quickly went on board and had an iced coffee before heading out into the town to see what goodies we could find.

It was absolutely scorching so the first place was a tiny local bar where Bertrand told us to try the locally (and traditionally) ย brewed beer โ€˜Bonaire Blondโ€™. Sarah sat me down at a small table and soon came back with a birthday celebration drinkโ€ฆThe 2 bottles of ice cold Bonaire Blond. The bottles were soon empty as the room was just too hot and we needed to get back outside.ย 

Yay, we managed to buy another bauble for our Christmas treeโ€ฆOh and i bought another bright and colourful shirt that youโ€™ll see at a later date! ๐ŸŽ„ ย ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

The Evening Meal…๐Ÿฝ

ย As we walked into the usual evening restaurant we were guided to our seats. Sarah said โ€œSteve i think weโ€™ve sat somewhere we shouldnโ€™t, it looks much posher here and even the napkins are red instead of whiteโ€. After a few more seconds Sarah continued โ€œOh have you done this? Have you booked me a surprise birthday meal? I bet youโ€™ve done this!โ€ I’d kept quiet so far wondering myself what had happened, and wondering if i should tell Sarah that i had booked a special table for her birthday even though i hadnโ€™t, lol!
ย 
โ€œNo i havnโ€™t booked anything special but i wish i had nowโ€ i said as the waiter brought Sarah the menu. Sarah used the built in magnifier on her iPhone to read the menu aloud โ€œItโ€™s the italian restaurant, youโ€™re going to love thisโ€ โ€œNo way i thought you had to book for this oneโ€ i said wondering if they did Arancini (they did).ย 
ย 
The Italian restaurant was free like the main restaurant, the only difference is that you had to specify that you wanted to eat there which we hadnโ€™t. We still think they knew it was Sarahโ€™s birthday and sat us there without sayingโ€ฆBut we still donโ€™t know and it was a lovely surprise for Sarahโ€™s birthday. ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 
ย 
Thenโ€ฆ

ย DINGโ€ฆDINGโ€ฆDINGโ€ฆDINGโ€ฆBOOM!!๐Ÿ˜‹ ย 
ย 
Profiteroles
ย 
YAY, Itโ€™s Sarahโ€™s bell from her โ€˜Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardโ€™. Moving straight to the top of her โ€˜Dessertsโ€™ leaderboard were the sugar free Profiteroles. Sarah said they tasted amazing and never seen any of these anywhere that were sugar free and didnโ€™t mess her blood sugar up. We told the waiter how good they were and soon the chef came over and chatted to us as we thanked her too! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 
ย 
Now that was a fantastic ending to an even greater day!ย Happy Birthday Sarah!!ย โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ I LOVE YOU!! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ ย 

Sarah Happy Birthday Cards
ย 
ย Thanks for joining us on this fantastic day on Bonaire! Have you been here before? Have you ever been in/on a Unimog? ๐Ÿค”ย 
ย 

โ˜€๏ธ #59 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Willemstad, Curacao” ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ผ (2019)

The Blind Sightseers logo

ย ย ย Hi friends and welcome to Day 59 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!

Curacฬงao Logo

ย ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ผ Good morning friends!

ย Welcome to day 2 of this ‘Tropical Delightsโ€™ cruse. Wow what a colourful place! Letโ€™s see what shore excursion weโ€™re doing today?! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 

Discover Curacao Island:ย ๐Ÿ˜ฒ ย 

Youโ€™ll get to see two of the islandโ€™s biggest attractions on this tour, starting with a drive past the islandโ€™s salt flats and on to the Hato Caves. They were formed below sea-level and today theyโ€™re full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Next up, weโ€™ll head over to the Chobolo Liqueur Factory, passing the Queen Juliana Bridge on the way. At the factory, youโ€™ll get to see how the islandโ€™s famous Blue Curacao Liqueur is made. The drink is distilled from the dried peel of bitter oranges, and youโ€™ll get to taste it for yourself.

Lastly, youโ€™ll head back to the ship via downtown Willemstad โ€“ you can get dropped off if youโ€™d rather stay and have a look around.ย 

Our ship in the dock looking down from the bridge with the surrounding town

On the coach…๐ŸšŒ

After we boarded the coach and met our tour guide, we drove up and over the dock and had a fantastic view of the ship!

Hato cavesโ€ฆโ˜€๏ธ ย 

Leaving the air conditioned coach we walked into a wall of fire (i mean heat) and made our way to the bottom of the steps for the Hato cave. After a steep, difficult and gruelling climb up lots of uneven and twisty steps, we finally made it (super sweaty) to the top which is the mouth of the cave. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ ย 

Upon entering the cave we were quickly ensconced with darkness. Our torch could not pierce this blackened world so we stopped, turned around and let other people squeeze past as we walked back out. We told the guide (who was waiting outside) that it was way too dark and dangerous for me and Sarah, so we made our way carefully back down the steps on a tactical withdrawal.ย 

On the plus side, We found a fantastic small yellow cafe which served local coffee. We walked to a table with a beautiful view (and breeze) and it was so quiet with only a handful of locals sipping their drinks and chatting. ๐Ÿ˜€ We heard the group arriving and it wasnโ€™t long before we were back in the coach.ย 

The Chobolo Liqueur Factory…๐Ÿน

bottles of Curacao hanging on a display wall

Sarah was excited to learn all about the origins of this drink and how it was made, as she and her friend Caroline used to like this drink back in the day! The guide also gave us little testers of each flavour to see which ones we liked and disliked, then we could buy the ones we wanted in the gift shop. Sarah bought a bottle to send to Caroline as sheโ€™s never had one from the actual place before and we thought sheโ€™d love itโ€ฆShe did! ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

Back at the ship…๐Ÿ›ณ

After a lovely iced coffee and quick refresh we thought weโ€™d have a little walk into the town. It was pure midday burning sun and it seemed to take about half an hour just to walk the length of the ship. But we kept going and finally got to the stunning bridge, and knew we were heading in the right direction.ย 

Me stood on the right of a panorama with the boat in the centre and the colourful buildings behind me.

This was Sarahโ€™s favourite place as she could gaze upon the vivid colours of the buildings that lined both sides of the dock.

View of Curacao colourful Buildings 1

View of Curacao sock 1

IMG 4816

The town…๐ŸŒ‡

We had a little walk around this beautiful town to see what we could find, and first of all we found a clothes shop! โ€œOoohhh i wonder if they sell a caribbean shirt for meโ€ i said as Sarah was trying to find the most colourful section. Sarah then pulled out a fantastic orange and black shirt with Curacao written all over it (see image lower down). โ€œYes iโ€™ll have that oneโ€ i said with a huge smile on my face. Sarah also bought a top with Curacao on the front and we left the shop to find more souvenirs. We didnโ€™t have to wait long as we found another bauble for our Christmas tree, yay! ๐ŸŽ„ ย 

The sun was burning hot and microwaving my bones as i walked round like the ‘Ready Brek’ man causing a heat haze around me. So Sarah stopped at a small bar and got us a bottle of ice cold โ€˜Amstelโ€™.ย 

Thenโ€ฆ๐Ÿ˜ฒ ย 

โ€œHOWDY!โ€ Both Sarah and i spun around and faced the american man from yesterday as he continued โ€œOh Sarah, I love your trainers theyโ€™re so colourfulโ€ we said โ€œWow how amazing that youโ€™re here, we thought weโ€™d never see you again. How are you?โ€ He said that his cruise ship had to wait a long time for the big bridge (one weโ€™d just walked over) to lift and let us into the dock, so we arrived a lot later than you. Shortly after his wife turned up and we started chatting for a while, before saying โ€œMaybe weโ€™ll see you tomorrow? I canโ€™t believe youโ€™re here todayโ€. ๐Ÿ˜€

After parting ways (again) we started on the long trek back, but we did get to walk back over the bridge with the colourful buildings, yay! ย 

IMG 4819

IMG 4800

IMG 4811

ย On the ship…๐Ÿ›ณย 

We quickly nipped back to the cabin so i could put on my new shirt, then we walked out on deck as i wanted a photo in Curacao whilst wearing my new Curacao shirt. ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

Me stood in front tof the colourful Curacao buildings wearing a Curacao orange shirt

IMG 1759

IMG 1761

Towel creature…ย 

ย On our return to our centre front cabin we found our first towel art. Sarah thought is was a rabbit sniperโ€ฆPlease let us know what you think it is in the comments below?! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

IMG 4838

IMG 1766

ย โ‡ง Sarah on her tranquility seat โ‡งย 

ย And finally we were blessed with a beautiful sunset from our cabin window, wow what a day!

IMG 4826

Thanks for joining us at this wonderfully colourful placeโ€ฆHave you been here before?

Weโ€™ll meet tomorrowโ€ฆSame timeโ€ฆSame place for another adventure!ย ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

โฌ…ย Previous Dayย ๐ŸŒดย Next Dayย โžก

โ˜€๏ธ #60 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Kralendijk, Bonaire” ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ (2019)

Bonaire Logo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!

Welcome to Bonaire on this fantastic occasionโ€ฆI wonder what surprise is in store for Sarah?

Arawak Off-road Safari…ย 

This trip is all about getting to grips with Bonaireโ€™s historic best bits. Clamber aboard one of the 4x4s, and in a couple of minutes youโ€™ll be whizzing along the off-road trails.

First, youโ€™ll climb into the Subi Rincon hills, where the convoy will stop at a set of time-worn Indian caves. Then, itโ€™s on to one of the islandโ€™s only two towns โ€“ Rincon. Keep an eye out for the honey-yellow church tower as you pass through, then hop off the truck when you arrive at pretty Boca Onima. This rocky stretch of coastline is home to some of the best cave art in Bonaire, which gives you a real glimpse of the islandโ€™s past.

One of the best bits is saved โ€˜til last โ€“ the beauty spot, Seru Largu. This cross-topped monument sits on a raised platform, setting you up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.

This shore excursion was a second choice as the first choice was sold out weeks before weโ€™d even started our cruise. We were thinking about the 4×4 Land Rover trip weโ€™d done in the Azores(see here) but couldn’t really get excitedโ€ฆAs it was much hotter here and the thought of being crammed in the back of a Land Rover really wasnโ€™t doing anything for us today. So what we thought was going to be an anticlimaxโ€ฆTurned out to be the best trip of the whole holiday! Oh and iโ€™d just travelled in my best vehicle of all time! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

The 1961 Yellow Unimogโ€ฆ

Sarah & i infront of the yellow 1961 Uniog

Awww friendsโ€ฆ.Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Subi Rincon hills…ย 

ย Bertrand was our fantastic guide, and even better rally driver, lol. He said he had a PHD(pot hole dodger) although he didnโ€™t dodge anything but drove straight over everything which made the ride so much funโ€ฆWe were all hanging on for dear life as our bums were ‘getting airโ€™ as they lifted off our seats!! ย ย 

We ย climbed higher and higher into the Subi Rincon hills, where the amazing yellow Unimog stopped at a set of time-worn Indian caves. This place had lots of rocks to walk over and Bertrand told Sarah โ€œYouโ€™re a fantastic guideโ€ as she was expertly weaving me through the rocks! He told the group how the first explorers crawled through these caves in the pitch black, an inch at a time without knowing what was coming. ๐Ÿ˜จ ย 

Cave in Bonaire

ย Back on the Unimog…

Bertrand put the ladder in place at the rear of the Unimog so we could climb in and out. I was very careful the first time as i was feeling with my feet to find out how many (and where) the steps were. But after a few times i was flying off them! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

He kept slowing down and then (klunck) slamming it into low gear as he climbed ludicrously steep and rocky slopes until we got to a high viewing point. Ikept forgetting it was Sarahโ€™s birthday and not mine, lol!ย 

view overlooking the island of Bonaire

ย The Bonaire Donkeyโ€™s…ย 

The Bonaire Donkeys

We were screaming down a dirt track when Bertrand hit the breaks. He jumped out of the Unimog and tried to call out to the Donkeys to see if theyโ€™d come over. He told us:

Donkeys have been around on Bonaire since the 17th century. The Spanish brought the donkeys for transportation. When modern vehicles became available like pushcarts, donkeys were redundant and left to their fate.

Bonaire is a predominantly rugged and arid island, making it difficult for the donkeys to survive. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of donkeys on Bonaire present. Because the donkeys can move freely on the island this regularly leads to traffic accidents.ย 

Fauna ezel thumbThe donkeys live in small herds of about 20 animals and can be 40 years old. During the day they seek the shade of the trees. In the early morning or early evening the donkeys are usually active.

Since 1993 injured, sick and orphaned donkeys are cared in a shelter, called Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. Volunteers take care over 400 donkeys in a closed area. The shelter is open to visitors and is located south of the airport on the Kaya Ir.R. Statius van Eps.ย 

I heard โ€œEEEYYOOORRREEE, HONK, HONK, HONK) and Bertrand said โ€œOk i hear youโ€ to the donkeys and โ€œThey donโ€™t want to say helloโ€ to us as he climbed back into the Unimog and drove to our next stop…

Wait a minuteโ€ฆHow did Sarah take a panorama whilst sat in the Unimog? “Nobody likes a show off, lolโ€ ๐Ÿคฃ ย 

Panorama of the lakes and saltflats with the wind turbines in the centre on the horison
ย 
After another blitzing ride we parked at the beauty spot, Seru Largu. We walked up quite a few steps to get to the top, but it was worth it!
ย 
Sarah & i overlooking the island of Bonaire
ย 
This beautiful place sits on a raised platform which set Sarah up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.
ย 
Panorama of the island of Bonaire

ย Bertrand stopped in many interesting places, he even fed lizards by hand as we stood on a sandy park burning to a crisp.

Weโ€™d had a simply breathtaking trip on the fantastic yellow Unimog and we were really sad when we pulled back into the dock.

Back at the ship…๐Ÿ›ณ

After the incredible and mind bending ride in the Unimog, we quickly went on board and had an iced coffee before heading out into the town to see what goodies we could find.

It was absolutely scorching so the first place was a tiny local bar where Bertrand told us to try the locally (and traditionally) ย brewed beer โ€˜Bonaire Blondโ€™. Sarah sat me down at a small table and soon came back with a birthday celebration drinkโ€ฆThe 2 bottles of ice cold Bonaire Blond. The bottles were soon empty as the room was just too hot and we needed to get back outside.ย 

Yay, we managed to buy another bauble for our Christmas treeโ€ฆOh and i bought another bright and colourful shirt that youโ€™ll see at a later date! ๐ŸŽ„ ย ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

The Evening Meal…

ย As we walked into the usual evening restaurant we were guided to our seats. Sarah said โ€œSteve i think weโ€™ve sat somewhere we shouldnโ€™t, it looks much posher here and even the napkins are red instead of whiteโ€. After a few more seconds Sarah continued โ€œOh have you done this? Have you booked me a surprise birthday meal? I bet youโ€™ve done this!โ€ I’d kept quiet so far wondering myself what had happened, and wondering if i should tell Sarah that i had booked a special table for her birthday even though i hadnโ€™t, lol!
ย 
โ€œNo i havnโ€™t booked anything special but i wish i had nowโ€ i said as the waiter brought Sarah the menu. Sarah used the built in magnifier on her iPhone to read the menu aloud โ€œItโ€™s the italian restaurant, youโ€™re going to love thisโ€ โ€œNo way i thought you had to book for this oneโ€ i said wondering if they did Arancini (they did).ย 
ย 
The Italian restaurant was free like the main restaurant, the only difference is that you had to specify that you wanted to eat there which we hadnโ€™t. We still think they knew it was Sarahโ€™s birthday and sat us there without sayingโ€ฆBut we still donโ€™t know and it was a lovely surprise for Sarahโ€™s birthday. ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 
ย 
Then…

Profiteroles
ย 
ย โ€œDING, DING, DING, DINGโ€ YAY, Itโ€™s Sarahโ€™s bell from her โ€˜Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardโ€™. Moving straight to the top of her โ€˜Dessertsโ€™ leaderboard were the sugar free Profiteroles. Sarah said they tasted amazing and never seen any of these anywhere that were sugar free and didnโ€™t mess her blood sugar up. We told the waiter how good they were and soon the chef came over and chatted to us as we thanked her too! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 
ย 
Now that was a fantastic ending to an even greater day!ย Happy Birthday Sarah!!ย โค๏ธ

Sarah Happy Birthday Cards
ย 
ย Thanks for joining us on this fantastic day on Bonaire! Have you been here before? Have you ever been in/on a Unimog? ๐Ÿค”ย 
ย 

โ˜€๏ธ #59 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Willemstad, Curacao” ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ผ (2019)

Curacฬงao Logo

ย ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ผ Good morning friends!

ย Welcome to day 2 of this ‘Tropical Delightsโ€™ cruse. Wow what a colourful place! Letโ€™s see what shore excursion weโ€™re doing today?! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย 

Discover Curacao Island:

Youโ€™ll get to see two of the islandโ€™s biggest attractions on this tour, starting with a drive past the islandโ€™s salt flats and on to the Hato Caves. They were formed below sea-level and today theyโ€™re full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Next up, weโ€™ll head over to the Chobolo Liqueur Factory, passing the Queen Juliana Bridge on the way. At the factory, youโ€™ll get to see how the islandโ€™s famous Blue Curacao Liqueur is made. The drink is distilled from the dried peel of bitter oranges, and youโ€™ll get to taste it for yourself.

Lastly, youโ€™ll head back to the ship via downtown Willemstad โ€“ you can get dropped off if youโ€™d rather stay and have a look around.ย 

Our ship in the dock looking down from the bridge with the surrounding town

On the coach…๐ŸšŒ

After we boarded the coach and met our tour guide, we drove up and over the dock and had a fantastic view of the ship!

Hato cavesโ€ฆโ˜€๏ธ ย 

Leaving the air conditioned coach we walked into a wall of heat and made our way to the bottom of the steps for the Hato cave. After a steep, difficult and gruelling climb up lots of uneven and twisty steps, we finally made it (super sweaty) to the top which is the mouth of the cave. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ ย 

Upon entering the cave we were quickly ensconced with darkness. Our torch could not pierce this blackened world so we stopped, turned around and let other people squeeze past as we walked back out. We told the guide (who was waiting outside) that it was way too dark and dangerous for me and Sarah, so we made our way carefully back down the steps on a tactical withdrawal.

On the plus side, We found a fantastic small yellow cafe which served local coffee. We walked to a table with a beautiful view (and breeze) and it was so quiet with only a handful of locals sipping their drinks and chatting. ๐Ÿ˜€ We heard the group arriving and it wasnโ€™t long before we were back in the coach.ย 

The Chobolo Liqueur Factory…๐Ÿน

bottles of Curacao hanging on a display wall

Sarah was excited to learn all about the origins of this drink and how it was made, as she and her friend Caroline used to like this drink back in the day! The guide also gave us little testers of each flavour to see which ones we liked and disliked, then we could buy the ones we wanted in the gift shop. Sarah bought a small 3 bottle selection to send to Caroline as sheโ€™s never had one from the actual place before and we thought sheโ€™d love itโ€ฆShe did! ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

Back at the ship…๐Ÿ›ณ

After a lovely iced coffee and quick refresh we thought weโ€™d have a little walk into the town. It was pure midday burning sun and it seemed to take about half an hour just to walk the length of the ship. But we kept going and finally got to the stunning bridge, and knew we were heading in the right direction.ย 

Me stood on the right of a panorama with the boat in the centre and the colourful buildings behind me.

This was Sarahโ€™s favourite place as she could gaze upon the vivid colours of the buildings that lined both sides of the dock.

View of Curacao colourful Buildings 1

View of Curacao sock 1

IMG 4816

The town…๐ŸŒ‡

We had a little walk around this beautiful town to see what we could find, and first of all we found a clothes shop! โ€œOoohhh i wonder if they sell a caribbean shirt for meโ€ i said as Sarah was trying to find the most colourful section. Sarah then pulled out a fantastic orange and black shirt with Curacao written all over it (see image lower down). โ€œYes iโ€™ll have that oneโ€ i said with a huge smile on my face. Sarah also bought a top with Curacao on the front and we left the shop to find more souvenirs. We didnโ€™t have to wait long as we found another bauble for our Christmas tree, yay! ๐ŸŽ„ ย 

The sun was burning hot and microwaving my bones as i walked round like the ‘Ready Brek’ man causing a heat haze around me. So Sarah stopped at a small bar and got us a bottle of ice cold โ€˜Amstelโ€™.ย 

Then…

โ€œHOWDY!โ€ Both Sarah and i spun around and faced the american man from yesterday as he continued โ€œOh Sarah, I love your trainers theyโ€™re so colourfulโ€ we said โ€œWow how amazing that youโ€™re here, we thought weโ€™d never see you again. How are you?โ€ He said that his cruise ship had to wait a long time for the big bridge (one weโ€™d just walked over) to lift and let us into the dock, so we arrived a lot later than you. Shortly after his wife turned up and we started chatting for a while, before saying โ€œMaybe weโ€™ll see you tomorrow? I canโ€™t believe youโ€™re here todayโ€. ๐Ÿ˜€

After parting ways (again) we started on the long trek back, but we did get to walk back over the bridge with the colourful buildings, yay! ย 

IMG 4819

IMG 4800

IMG 4811

ย On the ship…๐Ÿ›ณย 

We quickly nipped back to the cabin so i could put on my new shirt, then we walked out on deck as i wanted a photo in Curacao whilst wearing my new Curacao shirt. ๐Ÿ˜€ ย ย 

Me stood in front tof the colourful Curacao buildings wearing a Curacao orange shirt

IMG 1759

IMG 1761

Towel creature…ย 

ย On our return to our centre front cabin we found our first towel art. Sarah thought is was a rabbit sniperโ€ฆPlease let us know what you think it is in the comments below?! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

IMG 4838

IMG 1766

ย โ‡ง Sarah on her tranquility seat โ‡งย 

ย And finally we were blessed with a beautiful sunset from our cabin window, wow what a day!

IMG 4826

Thanks for joining us at this wonderfully colourful placeโ€ฆHave you been here before?ย 

To be continued…

Yay It’s My Birthday! โ˜•๏ธ๐Ÿ”๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ˜€

A portrait of me holding a small glass cup of Coffee

Hi WordPress family! As itโ€™s my birthday today…I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to raise a coffee and take a little time to thank you for your continued love, encouragement, inspiration and fantastic comments between all of you on this blog.

Iโ€™m sure youโ€™re dying to find out what my fave coffee is by now, lolโ€ฆmy fave is a double Espresso or a Cappuccino! What about you?ย 

I always talk to Sarah about all of you guys and how amazing it is to have ย this blog read and commented on from all around the world. But iโ€™d love to know which country/state etc to put to your faces? I have a flag counter in the bottom right of this blog and it says iโ€™ve reached 192 countries, but i have no idea where most of my fave bloggers are from?

So what iโ€™m trying to say isโ€ฆAs my birthday gift could you please comment below with your country and fave coffee etc? It would be a fantastic present for meโ€ฆIโ€™ll make another coffee here in Surrey, England, UK and look forwards to seeing you guys!ย ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

๐ŸŽถ HAPPY LOCKDOWN BIRTHDAY SARAH!!! โค๏ธ๐Ÿ˜€โค๏ธ

As we are safe during lockdown in our vault(i mean home, lol) i thought iโ€™d take Sarah back to last year to her amazingย โ€œCaribbeanย Bonaire Birthday Blastโ€ย ๐Ÿ˜€ย 

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ Tropical Delights Tour: Day 3 Kralendijk, Bonaire

Today was the birthday excursion for Sarah. It was a second choice as the first choice was sold out weeks before weโ€™d even started our cruise. We were thinking about the 4×4 Land Rover trip weโ€™d done in the Azores(see here) but couldn’t really get excitedโ€ฆAs it was much hotter here and the thought of being crammed in the back of a Land Rover really wasnโ€™t doing anything for us today. So what we thought was going to be an anticlimaxโ€ฆTurned out to be the best trip of the whole holiday! Oh and iโ€™d just travelled in my best vehicle of all time! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

The 1961 Yellow Unimogโ€ฆ

Awww friendsโ€ฆ.Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Sarah & i infront of the yellow 1961 Uniog

Arawak Off-road Safari…ย 

ย First, we ย climbed into the Subi Rincon hills, where the amazing yellow Unimog stopped at a set of time-worn Indian caves.

Cave in Bonaire
ย 
ย Bertrand was our fantastic guide, and even better rally driver, lol. He said he had a PHD(pot hole dodger) although he didnโ€™t dodge anything but drove straight over everything which made the ride so much funโ€ฆWe were all hanging on for dear life!! ๐Ÿ˜Ž ย 

view overlooking the island of Bonaire

ย The Bonaire Donkeyโ€™s…ย 

The Bonaire Donkeys

Panorama of the lakes and saltflats with the wind turbines in the centre on the horison

the beauty spot, Seru Largu. This cross-topped monument sits on a raised platform, setting Sarah up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.

Panorama of the island of Bonaire
ย ย 
Sarah & i overlooking the island of Bonaire
ย 
ย Back at the ship…
ย 
After the incredible and mind bending ride in the Unimog, we quickly went onboard and had an iced coffee before heading out into the town to see what goodies we could find.
Yay, we managed to buy another bauble for our Christmas treeโ€ฆOh and i bought another bright and colourful shirt.
ย 
The Evening Meal…
ย 
We had a lovely Italian meal and the highlight for Sarah were the sugar free Profiterolesโ€ฆNow that was a fantastic ending to an even greater day!ย Happy Birthday Sarah!!
Profiteroles

๐ŸŒดDayย 1ย –ย 2ย –ย 3ย –ย 4ย –ย 5ย ๐ŸŒด

ย Join the โ€œBlind Sightseersโ€ on more adventuresย HERE

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ Tropical Delights Tour: Day 3 Kralendijk, Bonaire

YAYโ€ฆHAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!

Today was the birthday excursion for Sarah. It was a second choice as the first choice was sold out weeks before weโ€™d even started our cruise. We were thinking about the 4×4 Land Rover trip weโ€™d done in the Azores(see here) but couldn’t really get excitedโ€ฆAs it was much hotter here and the thought of being crammed in the back of a Land Rover really wasnโ€™t doing anything for us today. So what we thought was going to be an anticlimaxโ€ฆTurned out to be the best trip of the whole holiday! Oh and iโ€™d just travelled in my best vehicle of all time! ๐Ÿ˜Žย 

The 1961 Yellow Unimogโ€ฆ

Awww friendsโ€ฆ.Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Sarah & i infront of the yellow 1961 Uniog

Arawak Off-road Safari…ย 

ย First, we ย climbed into the Subi Rincon hills, where the amazing yellow Unimog stopped at a set of time-worn Indian caves.

Cave in Bonaire
ย 
ย Bertrand was our fantastic guide, and even better rally driver, lol. He said he had a PHD(pot hole dodger) although he didnโ€™t dodge anything but drove straight over everything which made the ride so much funโ€ฆWe were all hanging on for dear life!! ๐Ÿ˜Ž ย 

view overlooking the island of Bonaire

ย The Bonaire Donkeyโ€™s…ย 

The Bonaire Donkeys

Panorama of the lakes and saltflats with the wind turbines in the centre on the horison

the beauty spot, Seru Largu. This cross-topped monument sits on a raised platform, setting Sarah up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.

Panorama of the island of Bonaire
ย ย 
Sarah & i overlooking the island of Bonaire
ย 
ย Back at the ship…
ย 
After the incredible and mind bending ride in the Unimog, we quickly went onboard and had an iced coffee before heading out into the town to see what goodies we could find.
Yay, we managed to buy another bauble for our Christmas treeโ€ฆOh and i bought another bright and colourful shirt.
ย 
The Evening Meal…
ย 
We had a lovely Italian meal and the highlight for Sarah were the sugar free Profiterolesโ€ฆNow that was a fantastic ending to an even greater day! Happy Birthday Sarah!!
Profiteroles

๐ŸŒดDayย 1ย –ย 2ย –ย 3ย –ย 4ย –ย 5ย ๐ŸŒด

ย Join the โ€œBlind Sightseersโ€ on more adventuresย HERE

ย 

๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡จTropical Delights Tour: Day 5 Castries, St. Lucia

๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡จThe Incredible Pitons At Saint Lucia!

The Pitons of Saint Lucia from our Catamaran

Sarah & i booked a Catamaran cruise to the Pitonsโ€ฆWhat a stunning trip. Last year we had booked a trip through the multiple layers of the rain forest so we thought we would see Saint Lucia by sea this timeโ€ฆ.Wow, we were not disappointed.ย 

View of a posh resort in Saint Lucia from the Catamaran

Sarah & i onboard the Catamaran with Saint Lucia in the background

๐ŸŒดDayย 1ย –ย 2ย –ย 3ย –ย 4ย –ย 5ย ๐ŸŒด

ย Join the โ€œBlind Sightseersโ€ on more adventuresย HERE

ย