Bermuda

THE PLACE THAT PUT THE TRIANGLE ON THE MAP
Bermuda, also known as the Somers Isles, is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,000km west-northwest of North Carolina. It marks the northernmost point of the famed Bermuda Triangle, where a number of aircraft and ships have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Whether caused by mechanical failure, mother nature, paranormal activity or extra terrestrial beings, many of the disappearances appear to have been exaggerated or inaccurately reported to support the romantic notion of the mysterious triangle. Research librarian Larry Kusche claimed in his book The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved (1975) that the legend of the triangle is a manufactured mystery, perpetuated by writers who either purposely or unknowingly made use of misconceptions, faulty reasoning, and sensationalism - like when McCain chose Palin as a running mate in 2006. But I digress.

A BRIEF HISTORY
Bermuda was uninhabited when Juan de Bermúdez claimed it for the Spanish in 1503. He never actually landed on the islands because of the dangerous reef surrounding them but it became a popular stopping point for Portuguese and Spanish ships for the next hundred years. The British, led by Sir George Somers in 1612, were the first to send settlers to the islands and before long it was claimed permanently by the British and linked to Jamestown, Virginia. During the War of Independence Bermuda may well have been among the original colonies to join the rebellion but it's distance from the American east coast and the strong Royal Nay presence counted against it. Some Bermudan aided the rebels by providing ships, gunpowder and salt but after that proved an unsustainable economic model, many turned to pirating.  When Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, Bermuda became the oldest surviving British colony, and when Hong Kong was returned to China, it became the most populous as well. Today the finance and tourism industries dominate the economy and English traditions dominate the culture with fine pubs and courteous drivers on the left hand side of the road. US dollars are interchangeable with the Bermudan dollar and 1:1 (just like the Bahamas) but it's an expensive place to visit. Hotel rooms generally start in the $250/night range (excluding taxes) and an evening meal and drinks is easily $100 for a couple. For both Sara and I, the highlight was the excellent 'Dark & Stormy' cocktail - Ginger Beer and Goslings Black Seal Dark Rum.

A Dark & Stormy

IN AND AROUND HAMILTON
Bermuda's sleepy capital, Hamilton, is home to banks and reinsurance companies and filled with men in shorts, knee high socks and sandals. Our home for four nights was the delightful Edgehill Manor on the hill overlooking the city of Hamilton and the harbor. Edgehill is an old sprawling mansion, converted into guestrooms, overlooking the suburbs around the city center and a short walk to the city center and a host of dining options.

Edgehill Manor

We spent one day exploring the city of Hamilton on foot, wandering up and down the narrow streets and scoping out places to eat. We stopped in at a few banks to try to pick up some local currency but they were all extremely busy. It appeared that much of the population of Hamilton was either on their way to a bank, or just coming out of one presumably on their way to the next. I finally found an HSBC teller who was sympathetic to my plea for a selection of crisp new bank notes for my money collection. We ate at the Pickled Onion restaurant overlooking Hamilton Harbour and took advantage of the location to do some people watching.

Hamilton Harbour

Anglican Cathedral

The following day we caught the ferry to Ireland Island and the Dockyard where the cruise ships make their home. It's a wonderful place to wander around with a nice craft market, national museum and dock buildings. Near the dock is a wonderful English pub called the Frog and Onion pub, where we ate lunch, watched some of the opening day of the English Premiership Football season and shared a huge 50oz locally brewed beer. The ferry ride from Hamilton takes about 20 minutes and costs US$9 return.

The Bermuda Dockyards

Scooters are a great way to get around the island because there isn't a lot of traffic on the roads and the speed limit is technically 20mph everywhere. All of the scooter rental outfits insist that tourists wear white helmets to differentiate them from locals but the fact that I never went over the speed limit was probably a give-away for anyone that saw, or got stuck behind us. During the day we ventured back towards the airport to the excellent Crystal & Fantasy caves, lunch at the Swizzle Inn and some sightseeing in and around the historic town on St George's. The claim to fame of St George's, apart from being the former capital of Bermuda, is that it's believed to be the first and oldest continuously inhabited English town in the New World, settled back in 1612. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site boasting wonderful old buildings and churches including St Peter's and the eerie Unfinished church.

Scooter safety starts with white tourist helmets

Crystal & Fantasy Caves

St Peter's Church, in St George's Bermuda

Our stay was all too brief but after four days of sightseeing and drinking dark and stormy's (ginger ale and dark rum) it was time to fly back to Dallas, via Charlotte. It rained every day that we were in Bermuda but never for longer than 30 minutes before the clouds rolled away and the sun returned. The sub tropical climate meant the humidity was very noticeable, almost uncomfortable, but the sea breezes were refreshing.

The next trip..... a return to South America.