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How would it feel right this minute to be lying by Caribbean sea with a refreshing breeze gliding over your body, while you develop a subtle bronze tan and finish your next tropical cocktail? The wife is off to duty free stores indulging her shopping whims. The kids have split up and are photo shooting at national park, and rest of brood is learning to windsurf around point. Where am I? That's right - BONAIRE!

Most people have heard of ABC islands - Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Located just 86 miles east of Aruba and about 70 miles north of Venezuela, and far outside hurricane zone, Bonaire's average temperature is 82°F, with a water temperature of around 80°F. Bonaire is reached easily by air - American Airlines recently opened its new American Eagle route from San Juan, Puerto Rico. What used to be a couple of hours in transfers is now only one or two stops away. The reason is obvious: travelers learned about this beautiful little island community just above equator at southern end of Caribbean.

Bonaire's history is long and colorful. Amerigo Vespucci first arrived in 1499. Slavers used island in late 1600s as a stop over to replenish their salt before long sail across Atlantic. Salt production on island's south end is still a major local industry. As Europeans settled in southern Caribbean, Dutch stepped forward and claimed several small islands under provincial authority. Today, Bonaire remains steadfast in it's allegiance to Netherlands commonwealth.

Bonaire's local language is just as colorful as history. Can you say Papiamento? If you can't, don't fret, it took me a couple of tries to get it right myself. Nevertheless, this rich vernacular is a combination of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English, with an occasional French, African, or Arawak word thrown in. You can get by easily, speaking English, Spanish or Dutch - official languages.

October 2001 - terrorism, anthrax, airports in turmoil and still it took us only nine hours door-to-door from our Winter Palace in fabulous Las Vegas to our luxurious accommodations at Aston Coconut Plaza Hotel five blocks off world reknowned Waikiki Beach. The Coconut was to serve as our stalwart base of operations during our two night layover on Waikiki.

We're on a 20th anniversary mission to Maui, with a hike to Diamond Head as a warm up. Neil, cool desk guy, checks us in in no time, recommends a bar and we're at Shore Bird Bar & Restaurant on beach. Mango Margaritas, spring rolls and sound of surf prime us for a short stroll towards Diamond Head. It's now about five pm local time and Waikiki comes alive, Tiki torches flicker and live music wafts through air at each hotel we pass. Duke's is choice for dinner; it's Waikiki cool, fresh fish done Duke-style - on open air patio and we're sippin' a '99 Duckhorn Sauv. Blanc and savorin - every minute of this paradisical respite. (Vintage wines abound on this tour, '97 cabs long gone in stateside wine cellars were to be found all over Islands.)

We're up early next morning, not hard to do with time difference, another advantage of being on Hawaii time. We've planned to hike from hotel, down beach, past zoo, aquarium and park, and up steep grade through a small neighborhood to top of Diamond Head - so called because western traders in 1700s mistook crystals in rocks for diamonds.

Finally we reach trailhead, pay $2 admission, make our way past T-shirt vendors and flashlight salesman. There are dark passageways on way to summit - trail was built by U.S. Army as part of a coastal defense system in 1908. My wife, Pam and I, begin 1.3 km climb from Diamond Head crater floor.

The infamous steps to Diamond Head.

The weather is hot. This is steep, rocky terrain, so in addition to our flashlight we've bought, we are attired in appropriate hiking shoes, plenty of water, sunscreen and bat repellant. The trail winds through crater floor as we climb 560 feet to upper gun emplacements - 74 concrete stairs, a 225 foot long narrow tunnel, a second stairway consisting of 99 steps, which leads to lowest level of Fire Control Stations. Finally we climb 54 step spiral staircase and find ourselves atop a piece of history, with best view on Hawaiian Islands.

We've made it, after 227 steps and an equal number of Japanese tourists. We discover a light breeze, a light sunshower, a rainbow, a million dollar view, blue skies, and an ocean that goes on forever. Behind us tower lush, green, tropical Koolau mountains covered with billowing white rain clouds, more rainbows, another damn rainbow - alright, enough with rainbows.