Good Morning, Bermuda! A historic fort marks the edge of the island as we round up toward the e try channel. It's barely 6:00 a.m. And no trouble getting up this day. We have never set eyes on Bermuda and we can't miss the sight at first light!
And quite a sight it is. After picking up a pilot, it takes two hours to slowly wind our way to our docking spot right in front of the town of Hamilton....on yes, Front Street.
The tug Faithful comes along our stern quarter for the last bit.
The starboard wing of the bridge is a busy place as the Captain, ship's officers and the pilot get us tucked snugly into what suddenly seems to be a very small spot. Prinsendam is 669 ft. in length, leaving about 20 feet to spare astern and the bow fitting smartly to the forward end of the space.
We supervise from deck 11...and then 9....and finally 7!
What a colorful place! We're off to explore Hamilton with a first stop at the National Public Library for free wifi. It turns out with two other cruise ships landed out at the dockyard berthing facility, and many crew members too, it doesn't take long to totally overwhelm the system and render it useless. We get off the few messages we want to send and take to the streets.
Oh my, the parks, the scooters, the friendly people, the interesting currency, the church windows, the boats, the maritime history.....
Queen Victoria's Park
Keep a watch when you cross the street....as the cars drive in the wrong side! Which is the right side here, which ever side that is. Note: there are no car rentals on the island of Bermuda. Probably for good reason!
We walk a few enchanting alley ways.
Pastel colors are everywhere. And scooters are everywhere!
We ask two Bermudian guys who look very local, "What's with the frog on the 20 dollar bill?" Neither one of them had a clue. But a fellow, who looked very much like a transplant piped up, "Oh, it's a national animal! They are all about, very tiny and green...and noisy."
In the afternoon we hop local bus number 7 and head for a pink sand beach. The cost is about $3.00 each way. Reaching the stop for Warwick Beach and Jobson Beach our eyes fall upon turquoise blue, BLUE water reaching up to BLUE blue sky, white tropic birds darting through the air....and then there is the sand....Pink, PINK sand! We have seen beautiful beaches before, but the sight before us definitely the most beautiful so far.
Ok, so we could have spent the whole day going from beach to beach. But then, you have to leave something for next time!
Look who we find clinging to the rocks in the splash zone! Chitons!
Back to the ship for "All Aboard" at 4:30, but a quick stop for coffee by the harbor.
As we slip out of the harbor, retracing our path through the same narrow channel we came through this morning,
I am once again amazed at this big ship squeezing in between the channel markers, so simply.
Goodbye, Bermuda. Next land in four days!!!
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