Bermuda

May 9, 2017 Bermuda

We docked at Front Street in Hamilton this morning. Sunny, low 70s and low humidity.

Last night a group of women at the next table were planning their day on the island. We overheard much discussion about pink buses and blue buses, ferries and taxis. There are no rental cars, only scooters plus they drive on the wrong side of the road. Since I can't figure out which way to look before crossing the street in any wrong side of the road country, driving anything was out of the question. We opted for the Highlights of Bermuda tour.

Bermuda is 21 square miles with a population of 65,000. It's very clean and tidy with beautiful pastel painted houses. The roofs are steep and terraced made of slate coated with lime to reflect the heat. Downspouts capture any rainwater and feed it into huge cisterns (thousands of gallons) built under every house and building. The locals pride themselves on being courteous and polite to visitors.

Our tour group was just 20 people on a little bus. Three guesses who ended up in the back.  We covered what seemed like every inch of the island, north, south, east and west. I thought we were going to stop at the botanical gardens but our guide, Winston, was so excited about the upcoming America's Cup competition ("Our Cup. Our Island") that we spent the allotted garden time stopping here and there to watch the boats out practicing. They actually reclaimed land near the Dockyard area and built a huge complex of docks and cavernous warehouses for all the boats and paraphernalia for each participating country. These boats are f.a.s.t. We watched them idling about and then suddenly the sails were trimmed (Winston says the hand operated grinders are now pedal powered. I envision a life or death spin class.) and the boat would just take off, flying across the water leaving a phalanx of chase boats and jet skis doing their best to keep up.

There are countdown clocks here and there on the island. 17+ days until the real competition begins. In another harbor the Tall Ships are beginning to arrive. The transient yachts (sort of floating snowbirds that follow the sun) are docked or moored, prepared to spend an extra month here to enjoy it all before heading north to the US or east to the Meditrranean. It seems there are countless harbors (harbours?) and coves each filled with every imaginable craft. Winston has already begun to plan an America's Cup Cricket Week End House Partty. We're all invited.

I've never seen so many beautiful beaches with water so clear you can see fish swimming in the coves from the road. I didn't think the sand looked pink, but if they say it's pink why burst that bubble. The island was formed millions of years ago by two volcanoes that have since collapsed and retreated under the water leaving the coastline protected by reefs. Two immense round bays are in what were the the craters of those long ago volcanoes. The guest speaker on board is an animated and enthusiastic professor of geology from the University of British Columbia. While he did his graduate studies in some wet and bleak part of the U.K., one of his colleagues spent six arduous years studying the geology of Bermuda. He readily admitted if he had it to do over again.... Since he'd read his friend's dissertation he thought he'd spend his day here tracing the origin of the Dark & Stormy and, if time and liver allowed it, the Rum Swizzle, too. All in the interest of advancing man's knowledge.

I must confess that, once again, I did not avail myself of the opportunity to watch the pilot arrive at 6 am to guide the ship on the two hour trip to the dock. I'm figuring one way in, one way out so I'll observe the reverse trip when we leave later this afternoon.

Once again the Prinsendam's relatively small size allows us to dock right in downtown Hamilton, quite literally along the main drag. The behemoths are parked way, way far away. We spotted a couple of them when we were out and about today.

4:30 pm. Everyone is on board, the deep, chest rattling horn has been sounded and we're beginning the departure. I'd definitely come back here. Lots of gorgeous golf courses on the island so I wouldn't have to twist Jim's arm very hard.

We're now heading across the Atlantic to the Azores, four sea days. Our idyllic weather might be changing a bit, too. The temperature will still be about 70, but a good chance of showers and higher seas, going from one meter to two, which is still quite tolerable.

Time to stop and send this while the wifi signal is still strong.