My visit to Bonaire was wonderful and I met so many great people and visited gorgeous attractions and locations. I visited the north and south sides of the island over a two-day span, and let me tell you, it's a place you HAVE to see. One of the places i visited was Rincon (located on the north side), which was established in 1527 and is one of the oldest towns on the island, it was also the home to the slaves who worked the salt pans. I stopped for lunch at Posada Para Mira, a local restaurant that sits atop a hill and serves authentic cuisine, including iguana stew. Honestly, I was going to be adventurous, and try the iguana, but they were out. Instead, I went for the goat stew, and it was tasty and not too spicy. The meal came with rice, salad, fried plantain, and funchi (a side similar to cornmeal), that is served with most meals in Bonaire. It was a great lunch and lthe restaurant has some of the best views you'll find.
Because of Bonaire’s dry climate, cactus abound on the island, it's in every nook and corner. So after luch I was excited that we would be visiting the Cadushy Distillery (also located in Rincon), where the alcohol is made from a cactus, yup, that prickly plant you admire from afar can produce liquor. The distillery has a courtyard with a shaded garden, and visitors get to sample the liquors and the spirits. The owner, Eric Geitman, was there and explained the distilling process, he also talked about the different liquor pairings: Local tip: At Eric’s suggestion I tried the Awa di Lamoenchi (Cadushy of Bonaire liquor and Sprite) it was very refreshing.
Another must-see stop in Rincon is Magazina di Rei, originally a storehouse built in 1824 where the provisions of slaves were stored, which is now a museum. Magazine di Rei is the second oldest building on Bonaire and the museum tells the history, culture, and people of Bonaire. You learn how the people lived on the land and many of the traditional customs are still practiced today. Local tip: I learned how to build a cactus fence and played some of the traditional instruments that were used to celebrate the year’s good harvest, one of the instruments was a giant seashell!
