Saturday, November 7, 2009

Crusin'


"Ber muda was discovered in....G44...1503 by Juan de Bermudez" remarked Alejandro in a deep Spanish accent as he was calling BINGO numbers. Alejandro was part of the Cruise Director's Staff aboard the Grandeur of the Seas. His dry sense of humor matched his hard to understanding English and made any event where he hosted that much more enjoyable. Of course, even in the middle of the ocean, I couldn't escape Halloween. Alejandro and his "Finish that Lyric" co-host were dressed accordingly - a drag queen and a redneck. It was a hilarious way to leave Baltimore behind.

My cruise comparison was not your typical 5-day Caribbean party ship - I was on the QM2 that sailed from Greece to England. This was my first Royal Caribbean experience and I was very impressed. The ship was old but clean and filled with plenty of on board activities. BINGO was my favorite since I can't get dollar signs out of my head. In the end, I walked away empty handed and $100 lighter but it was worth it just for Alejandro's horrible jokes.
"Do you want to hear a joke my friends?" "Two peanuts walk into a bar. One of them is a-salted".

Bobbie didn't get it until about 3 days later. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting for the punch line. Once she realized what he said, she bust out laughing. Priceless.

Many thanks for Juan de Bermudez for discovering Bermuda over 500 years ago - what an amazing place! There are incredible beach views from every angle, beautiful blue sky and teal water. Everywhere you turn, the view is better than the last. We only had a day and a half dock but it was just enough time to get a feeling for the island and what to do next time I go back. St. George's is a small, historical town filled with beaches, bays, churches and forts. We took a great little train ride and learned all about the history. For instance - their burial rituals. Similar to cemeteries in New Orleans, they bury above ground. Land in Bermuda is premium, of course since the island is only 21 miles long resulting in the need to "recycle" graves. I'll explain. Above-ground tombs are like little boxes with removable lids. The lids list the family in the tomb much like a headstone. The boxes are filled with remains for generations. Once the tomb becomes full, they remove and start again. I didn't catch what happens to the now removed and I didn't ask. I was practically puking out the side of the train by the time the Q&A portion came around.

Aside from the strange burial rituals, the island is beautiful and colorful. The streets are narrow, often times not looking wide enough for 2 cars, let alone double buses. The bus and ferry system is wonderful - clean, reliable and cheap. It will take you all over the island. Like most public transportation systems, there are no seat belts, but in Bermuda the streets are narrow, steep and close to a cliff which makes for an exiting ride. It's certainly the most exciting way to see Bermuda, unless you want a real thrill and rend a scooter to tackle the roads yourself.


Hamilton is the city-center which most Bermudan's working in but living outside the city limits. Hamilton used to be the main dockyard for cruise ships, but with ships getting bigger and bigger, most no longer fit in the harbor forcing the government to build a new dockyard at the far end of the island. This sudden shift in tourism caused Hamilton to become a day-time city with most shops closed by 6pm. You didn't really feel the British influence outside Hamilton, but walking down Church Street, you might as well be on any street Long. Look at the Capitol building you might as well be seeing something plucked from a London country town - not fitting with the rest of the Bermuda colors.

Beautiful warm weather only lasted a day and a half before the cold and wind of the Atlantic returned. This certain wasn't the Titanic - I didn't think I'd need a door to stay alive (no such luck in finding a Leo of my own - just a bunch of dad's screaming "I'm the King of the World"). Seas were rocking on the way out and home - combination of the ship size, time of year and open body of water.

Spending two days reading indoor poolside was the perfect vacation!

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