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My mother, Neen Sandeg, who's 79 years old, has been coming to Bonaire since December 1995, and this is her 20th visit.
I think it's really special. She always travels alone even though she is afraid of flying, but she can do it.
She always asks for special help from the KLM crew, so the stewardess helps her to find her seat, to go up and downstairs and helps her with the immigration forms. (This is particularly important because she doesn't speak English and all the forms are in that language.)
In 2000 she was very ill with leukemia. So when the doctor gave her the permission to go to Bonaire, she decided immediately that she would. That was the 12th time. TCB's head at that time, Elsmarie Beukenboom, was at the airport and my mother was the special visitor that day.
Nowadays, TCB gives awards to repeat guests when they stay in a hotel or apartment, but as you know, my mother always stays at our house, of course!
My mother is always very happy when she is on the island. She bikes every day from Belnem to Kralendijk to visit my office and to visit De Freewieler. Then she drinks a cup of tea there with (my husband) Frank and goes back home. She always wants to bike back to our house because, as she says, "The wind will bring me."
A lot of people recognize my mother and wave when they meet her on the street. The guards at the Plaza Resort open the gate when they see her coming. They may talk a little or just wave and then she goes on through. Really, she loves Bonaire and all our friends. She's like a mother to them.
She does all the crazy things we do: spending the night at plantation Bolivia, sleeping in a car; kayaking in the mangroves; snorkeling (almost every day) with me; visiting caves (not really inside); sitting on a quad, for a ride with Frank or me; sailing with Simone and Margon's catamaran.
We are going to celebrate this visit by taking her out in the Aquaspace at sunset. I think she'll like it. Wilma Bohm
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