Perfect weather to fly.

From a global perspective, 2020 sucks big time: the virus rules, an important fraction of the political elite is proving itself to be malignant, lunatics abound, and the greater part of our planet is wrapped in plastic and is being devastated by water, fire and melting ice . Where are the dragons when you need them.

Sadly enough, from a local perspective, corona has Aruba in its grip again. So we are bracing ourselves for the viral shit that could be hitting the Bonairean fan as well. For starters, we don’t mingle anymore and in the supermarket we are the only ones with face masks. Which causes my captain to feel uncomfortably self-conscious.  He prefers to buy a freshly caught tuna from the locals.

It is against this backdrop of doom and damnation that we find ourselves in splendid isolation as we are still floating in the territorial waters of bonny Bonaire.

Each time we enter the octopuses’ garden, we forget all about 2020 and its woes.

But we also tend to be oblivious of the fact that we are land-dwelling mammals, always in need of O2. Meandering through corals and sponges, creatures great and small are vying for our attention. So when we dive, we take turns in reminding each other of the merely 200 bar in our tanks.

In the water, Ramses flies with the turtles and the rays.

On the water, his ambition is to soar with the frigate birds, the pelicans and the flamingoes.

Also my Captain is getting there in his own good time. And as my men are approaching “the zone”, I am undergoing some serious waterboarding sessions with an instructor on my back who keeps asking me whether I am still all there, or whether my lights went out.

Yes indeed. Blinded by my usual hubris, I have signed up for a kitesurfing course for absolute beginners. I must say: this absolute beginner is going nowhere but is getting quite good at relaunching the kite, after having it crashed for the zillionth time. 

One more week, and our son has to fly back to Belgium. It won’t be just the pics which will be losing their shine for a while.

A good thing that the next visit has already been planned.  There are many more colorful sunsets yet to come…..