KRALENDIJK – Bonaire’s final day of the year turned out to be exceptionally wet. From the early morning hours, rain poured down in torrents, a situation that persisted until the evening.

The roads, quickly flooded with water, became difficult to navigate. As a result, shops were noticeably quieter than they are usually on the last day of the year. In the streets of Kralendijk, groups of cruise tourists could be seen everywhere, seeking shelter from the rain.

The firework sales points had a rather dismal appearance for most of the day. At some locations, rain literally poured in, requiring emergency measures to prevent the fireworks from becoming entirely unsellable.

The vendors likely had a very different expectation for the year’s final day. Incidentally, as far as fireworks were concerned, it was noticeably quieter than in previous years. However, on New Year’s Eve itself, there were still plenty of loud fireworks in various neighborhoods.