The water screams with electric blue. Pastel-coloured homes gleam serenity upon the most jaded traveller. Wind drifts across your face with that calm feeling. Bermuda is truly a magical place! Juan de Bermudez, who discovered Bermuda in 1505, is who the islands are named after. As you know, I've never been one to laze on the beach or travel just to get drunk. When I visit a place, I take it by storm (or in this case, a dark 'n stormy) and do as much as I possibly can. I've been walking and geocaching until my feet nearly bleed and I've snapped close to a thousand photos in only a few days. Today I made a run for Cooper's Island, which is out past the airport. With the exception of my first day here, the weather has been very nice. This morning I hitchhiked with a local named Johnny, and he took me along Harbour Road, which is very picturesque. Yesterday I was given two bus tickets, so I opted for the bus out to St. David's. It didn't go all the way to Cooper's Reserve, so I had to walk the rest of the way. At Sunjammers Beach Bar I had a "Sunjammer Punch" which is fruit punch with two different types of rum (essentially, a rum swizzle). You'll notice quickly that Bermudians are exceptionally polite. Everywhere, from a trip to the supermarket to getting on the bus is always prefaced with a friendly greeting. After my tasty drink I began my exploration of Cooper's Reserve. Since I don't have a local SIM card I'm having to "piggyback" wifi hotspots all around the territory. Bermuda isn't really a country and, contrary to belief, isn't just one island but a group of islands. Four geocaches I'd go out in search of, in which I'd find three. The water never fails to amaze me with its electrifying colour.
Whilst I've been to many different exotic islands all around the world, I can say that waters of Bermuda are absolutely dazzling. Pink and blue are the colours of Bermuda. I was going to have lunch at Sunjammer's but I was very surprised that they close at 1 PM, with the manager telling me they cater to groups of tourists. It would be a fabulous place to have a drink and watch the sunset.
An interesting geocaching series I worked on today is about the shipwrecks of Bermuda. More than 300 shipwrecks surround the islands and there are more wrecks per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. After a hamburger and chips for lunch I made my way toward St. David's head where, along the way I was picked up by a local on his way to pick up his son from school. Shortly after, I made my first letterbox find in Bermuda, meaning I've found six different geocache types in these islands. Along with colourful water, Bermuda is home to an array of colourful flora.
I'm also surprised that you can find both bluebottles and cane toads in Bermuda. Vehicles and vehicle ownership have been a complex issue in Bermuda since roads and vehicles were first introduced. You won't find Hummers or large American utes (pick-up trucks) all over Bermudian roads as private vehicles can't be above a certain size, width, and length. Furthermore, vehicle ownership is strictly limited to one per household. This means that if a couple has three adult children living at home, they're still allowed only one vehicle. A lady was confused when I had my thumb out, and then she stopped and gave me a lift to the airport. Born and bred locals, they were really surprised when I showed them a geocache and how it's a modern-day treasure hunt.
Eventually I was dropped near the hospital by a local lady, and I decided to walk the rest of the way home along the Railway Trail. Locals and visitors alike go jogging and cycling at dusk. Stocked up with Gosling's rum and a 2-litre bottle of Barritt's ginger beer, I had the obligatory stuff to make some dark 'n stormies this evening. I would finish the day with another bad record on the geocaching front, as I only made 15 finds in 30 attempts today. Whilst I've had some lousy days in search of geocaches, I've had a fantastic day every single day enjoying the beauty, soaking up the sun, putting my feet in the water, and snapping photos of a place that isn't just beautiful, it's Bermudaful.
Sore feet and all, it was time to make some dark 'n stormies, and Anil and I would chat into the wee hours about what a great time I've had in Bermuda.
