Posted by Seth on November 13, 2010 under Trip Reports | 
It was a bit rainy for the couple days I was on the ground in Bermuda this week. Nothing drenching but a bit of drizzle and mist off an on throughout the stay. No big deal really, even walking around in the weather, and I got the benefit that often comes with misting rains: Rainbows.
Photographing them is harder than I think it should be, but I tried anyways. Some of them came out OK.
I was at the airport a few hours early for my flight so I had the opportunity to wander around a bit in the area and take in a few sights. The bridge from the airport area to Hamilton was washed out in a hurricane a couple years ago. Now that the new bridge is in place the remnants of the old bridge are used as a fishing pier.
It is not completely clear if the signs are left over from the previous days when it actually was used for traffic or not. Nor is it clear if the prohibition is against fishing in general or just fishing for humans. Either way, I did enjoy the view.
And then it was back into the terminal, through immigration, customs (no problems when leaving Bermuda) and security and into the gate area.
Too bad that Bermuda is so expensive; it really is a beautiful place to visit.
Posted by Seth on November 13, 2010 under Trip Reports |
To paraphrase the esteemed Dean Vermer, Unshaven, untucked and ignorant is no way to go through immigration, son. This is the lesson I learned on Friday as I navigated the HMC gauntlet entering Bermuda.
Indeed, I was a bit scruffy looking. I hadn’t shaved in 4 days or so and the gray stubble was showing quite nicely. Also, it was a rather early morning for the 8am flight out of JFK so I slept most of the flight over and I probably looked the worse for it. Most egregious, however, was that my travel habits apparently do not mesh with those of the typical Bermudian visitor.
How long am I staying? Only one night.
That was bad.
Where am I staying? With a friend.
This was worse.
What is the friend’s address? I do not know.
Ruh-roh.
Much like Nickelodeon, saying I don’t know to a Bermudian Customs officer is a recipe for disaster. I had the street address and I knew where the office was that I was meeting the guy, but I didn’t have the full address of the apartment and I didn’t know the last name of the guy who owns the apartment I was staying at. They REALLY do not like that sort of answer.
There were many other questions and at least one Google search based on showing the guy my business card for this site. My bags were thoroughly inspected (nothing particularly strange about that) and, eventually, I was able to get a mobile phone number for the Customs guy to call my friend and verify my story. It only took about 45 minutes to clear up the confusion and I eventually got in and took care of what I was in Bermuda to do.
But hearing the guy say, “I’m really uncomfortable with letting you in based on what you’ve explained so far,” was definitely a bit of a jolt to the system.
Posted by Seth on September 7, 2010 under All You Can Jet, AYCJ, Trip Reports |
The first day of All You Can Jet 2010 is here and I’m flying. Not really any way things could have gone much better. Well, maybe a little bit, but not enough that I’m complaining. I woke up this morning in Guyana so that meant a bit of a later start on the AYCJ adventure for me. I actually didn’t make it back to JFK until around 1:40pm but I was through immigration and customs and inside T5, boarding pass in hand and hanging out with some old and new AYCJ friends about 45 minutes later.
I knew that I’d miss the kick-off party because of the arrival time from Guyana. Still, I held out hope that there would be a few freebies around to pick up even after the main party had dissipated. The first AYCJ item I spotted was actually outside security in the ticket counter area. One of the crewmembers had an AYCJ 2010 pin on her lanyard. I was somewhat racing past to get inside to meet people but I stopped short upon seeing the button. A bit of chatting later and we agreed to a trade: one of the extra bag tags I had (thanks, Morgan!) for her pin. A no-brainer in my mind. Deal done, I attached the pin and headed in to the terminal.
Inside I immediately went to my usual seat. In the food court there are two raised platforms. The higher one has a plethora of power outlets to go with the great views of folks coming and going in the terminal. The very first day the terminal opened I sat up there for hours soaking up the experience; I haven’t left since. Just my luck as I got up there – I spotted AYCJ legend 30DaysOnJetBlue hanging out with a few other folks. Introductions and handshakes quickly devolved into conversations of itineraries, tips and destination debates. The AYCJ community truly is one, even if very much an ad hoc one that ebbs and flows depending on who’s around at the time. The common bond – a love of travel – is a great way to meet and engage with completely random strangers.
Speaking of completely random strangers, returning from the service counter where I was trying to get my return boarding pass printed I saw an AYCJ luggage tag hanging off a red backpack attached to a tall guy walking through the food court. Community needs fresh blood to grow. Before I knew it Adam was explaining the itinerary he and his wife had mapped out. They live in Toronto and drove down to Buffalo to start their adventures. A week in California followed by Bogotá and then maybe Bermuda. I invited them to join us for more travel talk which they did eventually once they realized we knew where the power outlets were.
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Tags: Airbus, AYCJ, AYCJ2010, Bermuda, Boston, Embraer, Flying, Guyana, JetBlue, Las Vegas, New York City, Photos, Toronto, Trip Report
Posted by Seth on May 9, 2009 under Trip Reports |
One nice thing about Bermuda is that there is no shortage of water. It is everywhere. The airport is carved into a strip of land just wide enough to hold it in the middle of the ocean, and the beaches and harbors surrounding the island are numerous and easily accessible. But the best part is the huge variety of blues that you get to see. Between the various depths of the water and the sky there are hundreds of different shades of blue out there. Quite beautiful, really.
And so, without further ado (or text), pretty pictures showing off the blues of the islands.
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| Looking down on the outer shoals on approach into Bermuda’s airport |
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| Looking off shore near the 9 Beaches resort |
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| OK…so there is some green in this one, too. |
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| Another view from the air on departure |
That’s all….some pretty shades of blue.
Posted by Seth on May 8, 2009 under Trip Reports |
In addition to its place as an insurance and financial powerhouse, Bermuda is probably best know for its pink sand beaches. At least that is what I’ve been told. And there are plenty of beaches available, though I’m not sure I’d really call the sand pink. No matter there, though. Depending on the type of beach excursion you are looking for odds are that Bermuda has an option to fit your needs. No nude or topless beaches that I am aware of, but there are a range of other options available, from desolate to crowded, social or isolated and even an option or two for full-service luxury or just a few random merchants selling services on the waterfront. There really are options to meet just about any need.
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| A quiet walk along one of the more isolated beaches of the South shore – Marley Beach |
Always a crowd on Horseshoe Beach |
Most of the beaches are along the south shore of the island, all within a couple miles of each other. They share the same beautiful, crystal clear (and quite chilly) water and the sand is generally the same – powder soft and wonderful to walk or lay on. But the difference in crowds can be quite noticeable. Marley Beach, for instance, was desolate when I visited. Horseshoe beach, on the other hand, is the most famous of the beaches on the island and it was packed commensurate with its fame.
Looking for something with a bit more style and luxury? Head over to the Fairmont Resort – Southampton. Their beach is directly adjacent to Horseshoe beach, just a couple hundred yards to the west. You can actually park in the Horseshoe lot and go through the gate between the parking lots to access the beach of the Fairmont. It is quite lovely and has a nice breakwater to help protect it from the waves and whatnot. There are also chaise loungers and fancy umbrellas and such, though all at a price – one I did not check for fear that my heart would stop functioning. At Horseshoe Beach there are guys renting umbrellas and chairs, too, and for more reasonable prices. Of course they are not quite as luxurious, but they are there.
Just a bit east of Horseshoe Beach is Warwick Beach and Long Bay Beach. If you’re looking for some quiet alone time on the beach give one of these a try. Long Bay is incredibly long (Duh!) and both parking and access roads are limited. This means fewer crowds and more space to spread out. Indeed, while there were a couple hundred folks on Horseshoe Beach one Tuesday afternoon there were a combined total of six visible on the much larger Long Bay/Warwick combination.
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| Finding some peace and quiet on the rather desolate Long Bay Beach |
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| The Portuguese man-of-war are prevalent in the waters and on the beaches. And the stings hurt. A lot! |
In addition to the normal hazards of relaxing on the beach – lots of sun and sand in crevices you might not know you have – there are two other significant threats in the Bermudan waters. The Portuguese man-of-war is particularly prevalent. They were literally EVERYWHERE on the beach. And there were plenty visible in the water as well. They come with a nice long tail that is covered with little balls of poisonous stinger. And they hurt like the dickens when you get stung. Plus you can be stung from many feet away so it really is hard to avoid them. Be very careful. The other big risk is of riptides. Fortunately those are less common, and there are lifeguards on duty at a few of the beaches where they are most common so that helps mitigate that threat.
There are also some pretty cool birds that circle the beaches. Their tails are particularly long which I’m sure serves some particular purpose but I have no idea what it is. They were still fun to watch flying overhead, and catching a glimpse of one of them nesting in a little cutout in the rocks at the western end of Horseshoe Beach was pretty cool, too.
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| One of the many long-tailed birds that are frequently flying over the beaches of Bermuda, resting and nesting in the rocks overlooking Horseshoe Beach |
If you happen to be out on the west end of the island, near the dockyards or otherwise in the Somerset Parish there are always the beaches at the 9 Beaches resort. They are very isolated and quiet, which can be a very nice thing. The beaches there are interspersed between the overwater bungalows that make up the lodging options at the resort. But since pretty much all beaches in Bermuda are open to the public there is nothing preventing you from using them, other than their incredibly inconvenient location relative to most other sights/destinations on the island.
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| The bungalows and one of the beaches of the 9 Beaches resort |
So pick your desired style of beach life and then pick the appropriate beach to visit. They are all a pretty quick bus ride from Hamilton or a walk from the majority of the guest houses and hotels in the Southampton or Warwick Parishes on the south shore.
More Bermuda photos here
Posted by Seth on May 7, 2009 under Trip Reports |
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| Looking up at the Gibbs’ Hill Lighthouse |
There aren’t very many land-based attractions in Bermuda other than the rather beautiful beaches. Sure, there is the kitschy artists’ market up near the dockyards (right across from the cruise ship port – what a surprise) and there are a couple museums in Hamilton. But there isn’t much more to see beyond that. One significant attraction is the 160 year old lighthouse atop Gibbs’ Hill, the high point of the islands. There are dozens of wrecks scattered in the shoals around the islands, but many fewer incidents since the lighthouse went into operation.
The lighthouse itself is something of a modern marvel. It was the second ever built from cast iron. You can actually see the rust showing through the paint job in a few places. It was cast in about 150 huge sections, each approximately 6’ x 8’ large. These were then bolted together in sequence (they are all numbered) in a staggered pattern, allowing each level to rise above the one beneath it with the appropriate structural support. It is a pretty ingenious construction method actually, though the iron certainly does not wear well in the ocean breezes, so that isn’t particularly good.
There were also some impressive developments made with respect to the lenses used to project the light out from the tower. Diffraction is one of those things that mostly made sense when I needed it to because I wanted to pass the physics class but I really never did understand what the hell was going on there. Turns out I don’t really need to because the people who do need to actually understand it quite well. Anyways, the beveled edges on the lens allow the light to be magnified and directed quite effectively. Combined with the elevation of the lamp on top of the hill and the building, the light is visible 25+ miles from shore. That definitely helps keep the ships off the rocks.
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| The beveled edges are a key to the projection of the light onto the sea. |
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| Only 185 to the top! |
Climbing the lighthouse isn’t too horrible. It is 185 tiny spiral steps to the top but there are several landings along the way, most with informative displays and details on the history of the building. And at only $2.50 for admission (buy tickets in the attached gift shop) it is a pretty affordable destination in an otherwise ridiculously expensive destination.
The view from the top is also ridiculously impressive. It was very windy up on top, but that didn’t take away from the beauty of seeing the entirety of the country laid out before me. Really quite nice.
Getting to the Gibbs’ Hill Lighthouse isn’t the easiest thing in the world. There is a bus that gets pretty close and there are always taxis available, though they aren’t particularly cheap. Or you can rent a moped (no rental cars available on the island) and scoot your way over to the hill. That’s how I ended up getting there and it wasn’t too bad.
More photos from the trip here
Posted by Seth on May 5, 2009 under Trip Reports |
I’m just finishing up a five-day trip to the island outpost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I’m left with two main thoughts. First, I just don’t get the shorts with dress shoes and socks pulled up to the knee thing. Second, damn was that place expensive. The good news for me is that my expenses were covered since it was a work trip. And I found a couple gems that would help keep costs low were I to return on my own dime. But overall the cost of living in Bermuda is incredibly high. I’m stuck wondering just how the vast majority of the citizens afford to do so.
I understand that it is expensive to import just about everything to an island 700 miles off the nearest coast. There is very little local food being produced so that doesn’t help things either (though I did stumble across a farm at one point). And I’m quite sure that my cost sensibilities are skewed from life in New York City, but I’d think that such a bias would make things seem not as bad. I’d be wrong. A typical breakfast sandwich ranged in price from $4-8, and that is a takeaway sandwich from a greasy spoon (or as close as they get in Bermuda), not a sit-down place. Typical pasta dishes at the Italian place running $20 and up were about $5-10 high, at least, even for an “expensive” meal based on the quality. And we didn’t even eat in the best restaurants; I’m scared to think what those would cost.
The free internet service in the airport (pretty good performance, too) is subsidized by a corporate sponsor, Audemars Piguet, maker of luxury watches. I paid the same amount to rent a moped that I did two weeks ago for a minivan in Florida (though I wouldn’t want a full size car in Bermuda – not practical at all, plus they aren’t available to rent even if you want to.). A BLT sandwich at lunch was $16, though at least it had avocado to help justify that cost a wee bit.
And yet there are the vast majority of the folks living on the island who aren’t all that wealthy (or at least they do not appear to be). I’m sure that there are restaurants outside of Hamilton that are more reasonably priced. And I’m sure that the groceries out of town are a bit better, too. Most of the locals live out of town a bit so they at least have a fighting chance. At least we found a sushi place in town that was comparably priced to NYC (and pretty good, too; Yashi is the place).
But it is crazy expensive to be a visitor there.
Lots of photos from the visit here
I was at the airport a few hours early for my flight so I had the opportunity to wander around a bit in the area and take in a few sights. The bridge from the airport area to Hamilton was washed out in a hurricane a couple years ago. Now that the new bridge is in place the remnants of the old bridge are used as a fishing pier.
It is not completely clear if the signs are left over from the previous days when it actually was used for traffic or not. Nor is it clear if the prohibition is against fishing in general or just fishing for humans. Either way, I did enjoy the view.
