Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Diver’s Paradise as a Father is a new non-fiction work about one long-time visitor’s return to Bonaire with his young son.
We used to say Bonaire was unhurried and undiscovered. However, when authors start writing about our little island paradise, perhaps we have been truly discovered! Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Diver’s Paradise as a Father is the latest non-fiction work about what we all call the diver’s paradise: Bonaire!
Just published in April 2020, Back on Bonaire is an entertaining travel-log about Bonaire, highlighting its culture, history, and well-known activities, dive sites, and nature areas. It’s the story of how one long-time visitor, author and photographer Andrew (Andy) Jalbert, sees the island through different eyes, once he and his wife, Becky, travel to Bonaire with their young son, Luc. When reading Back on Bonaire, one vicariously visits Bonaire on a seven-day vacation with the Jalbert family and some of their good friends. For those homebound right now with social distancing, this is the second-best way to vacation on Bonaire! (Of course the first would be to actually travel here, but we all know that isn’t possible these days!)
Andy Jabert is a talented writer with a way with words that is evocative and emotional. In many places, one cannot help but laugh out loud at the comical situations encountered when traveling. Here’s one of my favorite passages:
“When I encounter a special place, I experience an almost overwhelming desire to show it to those who are close to me. I’ve wanted to bring my mom here, my brother, and my business partner. I’ve wanted to show them the colorful reef, treat them to a plate of curried goat stew at Rosie’s, wade with them in the warm, protected water at Cai, drink a cold Amstel atop the stone stairs at Karpata, and take them along my favorite stretch of road, simply to enjoy the drive and the stunning views of the Caribbean Sea as we pass through the salt pans. I’ve dragged a dozen friends to Bonaire over the years, even training them to dive specifically for the trip. And, in a few years, if he wants me to, I’ll show Luc how to dive these waters as well.” – Andrew Jalbert in Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Divers Paradise as a Father
Back on Bonaire is perfect for any reader: Those contemplating their first trip to Bonaire will find it an excellent travel-log, mapping out an entire 7-day vacation. For those who have been here once or twice, it will rekindle that spark to plan your next visit. But it is those repeat visitors who come year after year after year who will truly receive the greatest benefit: seeing Bonaire through fresh eyes. I am sure that Back on Bonaire will trigger more plans for the next vacation. I know I’m planning a visit to Cai this weekend to revel in the sandy beach, warm shallow waters, and great mangrove snorkeling, so even an old-timer like me can get excited about Bonaire once again!
As a blog writer myself, I have struggled with attempting to define what it is that makes us fall in love with this island. Andy Jalbert has managed the impossible in his book, Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Diver’s Paradise as a Father. He has managed to define the indefinable “essence” of Bonaire which keeps visitors returning year after year. Each chapter takes you on a (re)discovery of the island that we all love so much–its famous locations, quirky personalities, colorful history, and unique culture are revealed as each page is turned. Back on Bonaire is a must-read for any Bonaire-lover!
Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Diver’s Paradise as a Father is available now.
Back on Bonaire is available now and can be purchased either in paperback ($15.99) or via e-book format ($4.99). Imagine how simple it is–just order it for your e-book, and you’ll be vicariously vacationing in Bonaire in no time!
About Andrew Jalbert.
Andrew Jalbert is an award-winning photographer, writer, and doting father. Throughout his twenty-five years as an archaeologist, scuba instructor, and dive guide, he has traveled extensively, publishing work on prehistoric sites, shipwrecks, travel, dive safety, and marine conservation. He first discovered Bonaire in the early 1990s and has been returning regularly since. Jalbert lives in Monona, Wisconsin with his wife, Becky, and their son, Luc.
Articles about Bonaire by Andrew Jalbert.
(Source: Bonaire Insider Reporter)
