It was about 4 pm by the time we had docked, downed our
Swizzlers and eaten a lunch of stake and veges. With camera and Lonely Planet
guide in hand I headed first to meet Bud and Jeannie at the beach about 10
minutes walk away on the seaward side of the island. It was such a relief to
finally get IN the water after just looking at it for so many days. We were
joined in our swim by some local kids who obviously made this part of their late
afternoon ritual. Tough place to live!
Bud and Jeannie headed back after our swim but I journeyed
onwards, following the coast and stopping now and then to take pictures of the
picturesque cottages and lovely scenery. It was really quite a rustic landscape
even though I was essentially in the suburbs of the second largest settlement in
the country. I passed a horse and cart, cows heading in for milking and lots of
crops.
Eventually I found my way to the impressive looking Fort St
Catherine at the northern tip of the island and took another swim in the balmy
waters which again were teeming with local kids. I lay on the beach for awhile,
enjoying the late afternoon sun and then headed westward, still sticking to the
coast. I passed the golf course which once belonged to the now defunct Club Med
resort (the hotel itself is now a large ugly blot on the beauty of the
landscape) before arriving at Tobacco
Bay.
Tobacco Bay is
actually a shallow lagoon protected from the open ocean by several pillars of
fossilised coral. It is quite lovely and the perfect place for families. A distinctly non-touristy
bar adds to the ambience by blaring reggae music from the shore. I spent some
time just wallowing in the shallows and taking it all in.
I
left the coast shortly here and headed towards the main part of town. On the way
I passed more British fortifications, another golf course and along shady
streets brightened by colourful tropical flowers. I also came across the
unfinished church on the aptly named "Church Folly Lane". The church
had an almost ghostly quality in the last of the day's sunlight. My walk
continued on into the Town of St Georges and from there it was but a short walk
up the hill to the Dinghy Club again. This walk took me past many fine homes
with glorious views over the harbour.
I
got back just in time to shower in the lightening fast, pay shower at the Club
and join the others for drinks and dinner in town at the White Horse Inn. There
is was more Rum Swizzlers all round and for me a delicious mussel pie. Mussel
pies are one of the island's delicacies and rightly so if this is anything to
judge by. Jeannie was as usual in top form, regaling us all with her unique
perspective on things.
The key to getting around the islands of Bermuda is to rent a
moped, especially if you only have a day to see it all. I am extremely indebted
to Roy and Bud who did just that and took Jeannie and I out for a spin. We
started out by driving through St Georges, around the harbour and then crossed a
bridge onto St David's island which contains the airport. We crossed the
causeway that links these two islands with the main island.
We
continued south on North Shore Road, passing magnificent vistas of brilliant
blue water and tropical foliage. I was navigating from the back of Roy's bike
and obviously did not do a great job of it as we ended up in the capital,
Hamilton (pictured), without really meaning to...d'oh! Still it was fun to drive
around the one way street system, see the very upmarket shops filled with rich
tourists, spot the odd pair of Bermuda shorts and glimpse a proper English style
"Bobby" directing traffic.
We
nearly didn't make it out of Hamilton in one piece after Roy decided to take a
short cut, the wrong way around the roundabout! But we made it and headed
further south. We then took a series of smaller roads across to the South Shore
and stopped at Horseshoe Bay, part of the South Shore Park. This beach really
was close to paradise, except for all the golden towels. The main beach was
crammed full of people from the huge cruise ship we had seen in Hamilton, and
each one had the same Ship's towel. However none of this detracted from the
beautiful crystal clear blue water and dazzlingly white sand. We went for a swim
and I realised that I really didn't want to make my flight back to work
that afternoon!
It was soon time to head back and so we took the non-stop
southern coastal route all the way back to St Georges. We past the botanical
gardens and Spittal ponds, a well known bird watching sanctuary, and were
rewarded with a glimpse of the famous Bermuda longtails.
When
we got back to the boat I quickly showered, changed and finished packing, and
then Roy dropped me off in King's Square for a final walk around the town. A
cruise ship had arrived in the harbour and so I headed away from the throngs and
up a random side street. I spent a most pleasant hour simply wandering about and
taking photos of the delightful cottages painted in a variety of pastel shades.
Everyone I met was so friendly, especially the painter who assured me that all
flights for the day had been cancelled and so I'd just have to stay in Bermuda
after all. If only I could have believed him!
There
are lots of echoes of Britannia around the town which adds to very civilised
quaintness of the place. Everything has a British name and the Union Jack
proudly flutters in the centre of town. Even the accents have a distinctly
British sound to them. Add to this the fact that they drive on the correct side
of the road and are all cricket fanatics made me feel quite at home.
My hour was soon up and so I headed back to the main square to
buy a couple of souvenirs. I waited for Roy and Bud for several minutes before I
spotted them on the opposite side of the square. By this time it was getting on
and I ended up getting to the airport a little late. Unfortunately I didn't
quite miss my plane despite my best efforts, clearing customs just as the final
call was given for my flight. Just over 24 hours after arriving, I jetted out of
this tropical island paradise, vowing to return again for a longer stay in
future.
The first part of this diary can be found at:
More photos can be found at:
Read Robin's diary of Bermuda:
This diary is a continuation of 
