Be prepared for surprises when travelling

North End

Be prepared for surprises when travelling

Recently, while lining up to board an international flight from Miami to the Caribbean, we heard an unexpected announcement. The Federal Aviation Administration had suddenly cancelled thousands of flights across America due to a damaged data base file that led to a system outage.

Stunned, we joined about 100 other passengers waiting to make new travel plans. My youngest son was expecting to pick us up at the airport in Bonaire. We called and he advised us to grab the next plane to the closest island, which was Curacao. Once there, we would be able to catch a flight to our destination – a short 20-minute hop across the water.

Upon arrival, we were devastated to find that the next scheduled flight would be in four days. To top it off, our luggage was still sitting at the Miami airport. Our saving grace was the resort reservation on Bonaire was being honored by its sister establishment on Curacao. Lodging consisted of a two-bedroom cabin, each with its own bathroom and a great room equipped with cooking facilities, fridge, dining table, sofa, and TV. There was also a wraparound porch where we could tan while reading our paperbacks or relax and observe the wildlife. Birds of all shapes and colours, as well as tiny iguanas, flitted among the flowering bushes, palm trees and stately soaring cacti.

What amused us was an eight-inch green parrot with a yellow throat which perched nearby and continued to stare at us, the new tenants. We were the latest curiosity in his magnificent garden of Eden. Never had we seen such a profusion of gorgeous blooms and greenery, expertly distributed across the hilly landscape. However, we had to admit, the steep roads were a challenge to us flatlanders.

Car rentals were available on the premises. Many took advantage of this privilege, as the resort was an hour’s drive from town. However we didn’t stray. There was a restaurant on the property and a short walk to the beach offered us an assortment of small diners fronting the ocean.

Hordes of young people from an adjacent resort packed the beach area. The noise level, aided by a drumming band was overwhelming. We were only too happy to return to our quiet enclave.

After four days of wearing the same clothing (luckily, at the last minute, we had thrown a bathing suit and a pair of shorts into our hand luggage) we were grateful for the arrival of our suitcases. The next afternoon, we booked a cab back to town and continued our journey.

The brief ride to Bonaire on a small eight person plane was another amazing “first”.

For the price of one, we were awarded the opportunity to enjoy two different islands. Each was a unique experience. What began as a disaster, turned out to be a delightful surprise.