As a complete outsider, I didn’t know exactly what to expect when we landed at L. F. Wade Airport on the far eastern end of the archipelago. Sure, I’d thumbed through the guides and scoured the Intertubes although that never truly compares to being there on the ground. I tried to avoid being overly touristy. Other times I fell into typical activities without any guilt. Some experiences tracked closely with my expectations and others surprised me.
Roads
No exaggeration, I now believe every crazy story about Bermuda’s roads. Wow. I don’t think a straight, level line existed anywhere outside of the airport runway or possibly stretches of the Railway Trail. Bermuda has nothing but hills, with little narrow roads — no shoulders or sidewalks — hugging and following the contours. Vehicles shouldn’t go any faster than 35 kilometres per hour (22 mph), a speed limit universally ignored. Then mix with blind curves, continuous traffic, and swarms of motor scooters passing dangerously.
Everyone honks. All the time. However I never heard a horn used in anger or warning. They’re saying hello. Everybody knows everybody so the honking never stopped.
Tourists could rent a Twizy (a tiny enclosed electric vehicle) or a motor scooter. They could not rent automobiles. I used taxis, my feet and a bicycle. It seemed too dangerous to drive on the left side of such terrifying roads simply waiting for accidents. Walking didn’t provide much comfort either, somewhat reminiscent of the old Frogger video game. Notice the road that led up to our Airbnb in Pembroke Parish on the outskirts of the City of Hamilton. Literally, they named it “Between the Walls” (map).
Good thing I liked the rest of Bermuda so much.
Cruise Ships
Only three cruise ships stopped in Bermuda during the entire month of February 2020. Why should they? People wanted to go the the warmer waters of the Caribbean that time of year. Nonetheless, two of those ships came to port during our visit. I researched the one above. It was Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas with its 4,000+ passengers, docking on February 12 and 13. It easily dwarfed the room counts of Bermuda’s largest onshore hotels.
We could actually feel the impact of such a large ship on such a small area. Clear on the other side of Bermuda, on King’s Square in St. George’s, suddenly we could find a ready supply of taxis without calling. On Front Street in Hamilton, sidewalks started crowding and restaurants filled. Twizy and motor scooter traffic picked-up perceptively. The average age increased as did the number of people using mobility devices. Then a quietness returned as they pulled out to sea.
We tried to keep our distance as best we could. I took the photo above from several miles away. It would take a scooter at least an hour to get there from the ship. Yet, even that far away, some did.
Last Stand of the Public Telephone?
It seemed almost like being in a time warp with all of the public pay phones available. I never truly solved the economic riddle that justified their existence in such great numbers long after their disappearance everywhere else. Twelve Mile Circle once wrote about the last public telephone booth in the Washington, DC area, all the way back in 2007! Even then it was an anomaly.
Our US-based mobile phones worked just fine with minimal extra charges because we had a plan with an international option. Maybe travelers from the cruise ships needed them? Maybe Bermudian mobile phone plans made it cheaper for local residents to spend 25¢ at a public pay phone? I dunno.
The vintage phone booths at the Royal Naval Dockyard shown above (map) were obviously tourist oriented. However, in many places including those not normally trafficked by tourists, more utilitarian pay phones continued to exist too.
Touristy Drinking
Some people enjoy drinking on islands. I certainly saw enough of that during the three days we stayed at a resort hotel. Admittedly, I enjoy visiting breweries — including one in Bermuda — although I also try to keep things in perspective. I’d rather keep doing and seeing things than drink my vacation away. To each their own, though.
However, we had to do the touristy thing too. Naturally we stopped at the famous Swizzle Inn (map) after visiting Crystal Cave. Who wouldn’t want to see “Bermuda’s oldest pub?” Was their claim true? Did it really matter?
Things of note, though:
- Visitors pin dollar bills and business cards to the ceiling and write graffiti on the walls. It’s their thing.
- It may or may not be the original home of Bermuda’s unofficial national drink, the Rum Swizzle.
- Their motto, “Swizzle Inn – Swagger Out” probably should be Stagger Out.
- Originally, Swizzle sticks came from a Caribbean plant called the swizzle stick tree (quararibea turbinata).
- I ordered a soda with my lunch.
The other big touristy drink in Bermuda was the aforementioned Dark ‘n Stormy®.
Gombey Troupes
Before arriving in Bermuda I thought of it more as a destination where people came to enjoy the beach, escape the outside world and maybe play a round of golf. In fact it has its own distinct history and culture.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority arranged for a Gombey troupe to perform in Barr’s Bay Park (map) at the after-party for the race we attended. I’d never heard of Gombey before. This tradition extended back at least to the early Nineteenth Century, originating with enslaved people brought from Africa via the Caribbean. Modern Gombey troupes perform during holidays throughout the year, particularly Boxing Day. Rather than describe how it works, it’s probably better just to watch the video I took. It included lots of rhythmic drumming, elaborate costumes, and spirited dancing directed by a captain with a whip and whistle.
Quirks of Geography
Sometimes it was easy to forget that Bermuda sits in the Atlantic all by itself with nothing nearby. It’s also really small. We got reminded of that every once in awhile. For instance, there were no bananas on the island during our visit. The boat with the regular banana shipment hadn’t arrived, I guess. People simply had to wait. Also, the lack of land meant each household could only own a single car, and generations of families either carved-up their homes into smaller sections or built additions. Finally, I wasn’t kidding when I said everybody knows everybody. We ran into that constantly. Always say nice things about someone because you’re probably talking to their cousin.
Later it felt really strange flying back into to Miami and seeing all that land down there.
Articles in the Bermuda Shorts Series:
- Follow the Leader
- Shoreline Scenery
- The Outsider
- Bermuda Railway Trail
- St. George
- Forts
- Architectural Details
- Museums & More
- Lists
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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