".. a three hour tour, a three hour tour..."

You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave...

Having a lot of time on your hands has made Tom and I nosy neighbors - otherwise known as observant. For the last two weekends we have noticed a large cruise ship pull into port - the only cruise ship that we have seen here in Bonaire. Generally the arrival of a cruise ship in any other port means a 1000% increase in the number of pasty, confused looking white people walking through town. Not here - not a single conga line in sight.

We were back at Norca's Cafe and mentioned this to Norca, as she is now our source for all insider island info.

Us: "Hey Norca, what is up with the cruise ship that comes each Sunday but doesn't seem to have any passengers?"
Norca: "Oh, you mean the Scientology cruise ship?"  I try not to choke on my Nasi Goreng (delicious, by the way - you have to love a restaurant that can do South American and Indonesian cuisine).
Us: "The Scientologists have a cruise ship?"
Norca: "Oh yes, and I've been on it."

Scientology, you may recall, is best known as the church of celebrities - Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley (OK - the "A" list falls off fast). It turns out that the mystery boat is called Freewinds - part public relations outreach, part graduate school for Scientologists. The boat cruises this part of the world and invites the locals to come on the boat for an evening to attend concerts. According to Norca it also sails to Columbia and tries to convince former paramilitary fighters and the homeless that Scientology is the solution for their every problem. The graduate school part is that the highest level Scientology "course" that the devout can take is only given on this boat - nowhere else in the world. Paying for taking the course might make this one of the priciest cruises in the world too.

I grew up Lutheran in Wisconsin. I don't know about your experiences of religious "excursions" but can assure you that Lutherans do not own cruise ships in the Caribbean. Rather for me it was Camp Philip in the North woods. Wood cabins, outhouses and hot dogs over the fire. That was it. As we looked up at the boat yesterday and saw the lounge chairs, pool, volleyball courts and the handful of people walking around the boat I thought - these Scientologists might be on to something. In any case it proves that the weirdness here in Bonaire is on land... and definitely at sea too.