In 1935, the painter, Marsden Hartley, described Bermuda as "nothing whatever but sunlight - soft air - and the water like thermal baths." His words are quite prophetic.
I swam in Bermudan waters during the height of the summer and actually perspired from the water's heat. When flying into Bermuda and scanning its 150 diminutive islands and isles, the British colony is shaped like a scorpion's tail, 21 miles long and a mile wide. It is a volcanic hiccup over 100-million years old, perched on the summit of a submerged mountain rising 15,000 feet from the seabed and surrounded by coral reefs that prevent natural erosion. Beyond the reefs, the ocean floor slips into a three-mile abyss.
Bermuda is stranded 600 miles east off the nearest terra firma (North Carolina) - it gives the impression of a slice of rural England cut from the United Kingdom that has drifted to the mid-Atlantic.
On arrival, I immediately sensed Bermuda's inveterate atmosphere: roads no wider than a thin alibi, lazily winding their way up estuaries of streets and meandering along walls of lush verdancy, then plunging down like a devalued dollar until I'm eye-level with an intoxicating patchwork of aqua and turquoise water kissing sand the color of a pink baby's skin and as soft as talcum powder. Images from Somerset Maugham novels infuse my mind - a picture of tea and cucumber sandwiches on a pastel-colored veranda, driveways enveloping little cherub fountains, manicured lawns you could putt a golf ball on, and the casualness of the people set to an imperial way of life. Weekends slip into drowsy, languorous days under the sun. Sunday is like a dream. There's cricket for the locals and golf for the tourists.
Like grown up schoolboys, local business attire consists of navy blue blazers paired with pink, yellow, red or grey Bermuda shorts and knee-length socks. There is a laissez-faire elegance to Bermuda where cotton-candy hued stores are de rigueur and picturesque limestone homes with their unique white icing-cake, rippled roofs and eyebrow-shaped windows overlook resplendent vistas.
Bermuda appears a paradox: life is slow paced, but business flourishes. The idyllic beauty of the Island is the magnetism that draws tourism, yet the local prices (and airline charges) are exorbitant, consequently forcing tourists to seek other exotic destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean. As a result, tourism has declined by 70%, threatening the future of the hospitality trade.
Nevertheless, Bermuda is a survivor. The British and U.S. navies left a financial void when they departed. This was replaced by tourism, which sank even further after 9/11.
Yet this vacancy has been superseded by commerce - Bermuda now boasts the world's second largest re/insurance capital (there are more than 300 insurance and finance companies with offices there) and one of the fastest growing information technology and e-commerce centers, collectively making up Bermuda's impressive multi-million dollar revenue.
Firms based here can receive guarantees of no income tax, capital gains tax or profit tax until the year 2016. Because it is a tax haven, the standard-of-living in Bermuda is stratospheric. Rent for a studio apartment can start at U.S.$2,000/month and grocery bills can look more like home mortgages. The reason for these extravagant prices is that merchants are required to ship in virtually everything and pay a whopping import duty, hence, the high mark-up. What else could explain a U.S.$6 box of cereal or a U.S.$8 deodorant? You might wince, but spare a thought for Bermudans who must work several jobs just to eke out a living. Few can afford to retire here and if you think you would like to buy property, make sure your bank account is equivalent to that of, say, Ross Perot.
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Although Bermudans can be smug about their Island, they do have reason to be. It is extremely civilized, sophisticated and modern. Stirred but not shaken - Bermuda is a concoction of British tradition and sensibility, American business savvy and Caribbean flavor on a piece of land smaller than Manhattan. Bermudans are also polite, caring and friendly and want to remain so. For instance, when boarding a bus, it is advisable to say hello to the passengers. You may occasionally get an odd look but the majority will return the gesture, especially on a Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Bermuda Day parade, which occurs on May 24, is often rained out. So it's uncanny that May is considered the "Honeymoon Month" during which to visit. Other notable festivals are the Race Around the Island (an often-treacherous powerboat race--a driver died in 2002.) and the World Rugby Classic where former international rugby players from South America, North America, Britain and Europe compete with Bermudans. Bermuda Heritage Day offers the public a glimpse into what commerce and politics was like in the 1700s as all the heritage buildings throughout Bermuda become accessible - and there are many. Bermuda is not for the rambunctious or those who seek sunbathing au naturel. You'll find yourself in front of the magistrate's court! However, if you want to get away for rest and relaxation, Mark Twain said it best: "Sometimes a dose of Bermuda is just what the doctor ordered."
Mr. Clive Branson is an advertising Creative Director/Copywriter who resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Although he pursued a life in advertising, he continues his love for photography, writing and travel and his work has been commissioned by a variety of national and international magazines.
Here are some places I would recommend to any first-time visitor:
Where To Stay:
Relatively Inexpensive
Grape Bay Cottages, Paget with private beach
The Reefs, South Rd., Southampton with secluded beach
Waterloo House, Hamilton near shopping
Blackbeard's Café beside Fort St. Catherine, St. George
Expensive
Horizons and Cottages, South Rd., Paget with own golf course
Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Hamilton
Elbow Beach Hotel, South Rd., Paget beside Elbow Beach
Where To Eat:
Inexpensive and ideal for lunch
Café Continental, Hamilton
Pasta Basta, Hamilton
The Paraquet, South Rd., Paget
Moderate dining
Tio Pepe, South Rd., Warwick
Paw Paw's, South Rd., Warwick
Moderate to expensive dining
Coconuts at The Reefs, South Rd., Southampton
Café Lido and the Seahorse Grill at Elbow Beach
Ascots at The Royal Palms Hotel, Pembroke
La Coquille, Hamilton
Aqua at Ariel Sands Hotel, Devonshire
Horizon's, South Rd., Paget
For more information: 1-800-BERMUDA or www.bermudatourism.com
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