Our First Guests

My parents came this past week for a vacation and we kept them busy. We were so worried about the weather as it was slated to rain/thunderstorm the whole time they were here. (As a side note, for the month of May Bermuda was down over 3 inches of rain from previous years. We really needed the rain as water tanks are going dry and we have heard that it sometimes takes up to two weeks to get water delivered.) The weather actually turned out great and we were able to do a lot. We found out that scooter riding with guests is difficult. It doesn't make me want to get a car quite yet, but carrying towels, snorkel equipment, backpacks, and helmets isn't exactly easy on three scooters. My dad ended up riding his own, but commented that it was difficult riding on the left hand side, dealing with traffic, and learning all of the road signs and streets. My mom liked to ride on the back as she was able to look at all of the scenery.

A high priority is snorkeling for my family and we concluded that the snorkeling was good, but not great. We went to two locations and feel that we should try more places to see where the true hot spots are. We went to snorkel park which is in Dockyard. It is nice because there is free entry and then you can rent chairs, noodles, jet skis, really what ever beach related item you want. We also took a glass bottom boat out to two ship wrecks and snorkeled over the wrecks. The ship wrecks were really cool. We saw the boats of the Constellation and the Montana. According to a website titled skin-diver, "The Constellation was a four-masted, wooden hulled schooner originally built in 1918 and measuring 192 feet in length. During World War ll, she was pressed into service and used as a cargo vessel. In July 1943, she was bound for Venezuela, carrying a general cargo of building materials, medicinal drugs and 700 cases of Scotch whiskey. Today, her hull lies broken apart on a coral and sand bottom in 30 feet of water, exposing sacks of petrified cement, cups, nail polish bottles and a vast assortment of small items. The Constellation was one of the key shipwrecks in Peter Benchley's book, THE DEEP and later, the movie of the same name." The story on the Montana is this, "The Montana was an elusive ship of multiple identities, often operating under the name of Nola, Gloria, Paramount and Montana. She was a highly successful Civil War blockade runner that made frequent trips between England, Bermuda and North Carolina. Built in Glasgow, Scotland, this sleek 236 foot paddlewheel steamer could run at 15 knots. The shallow reefs of Bermuda accomplished what no Union gun boat could do and she sank in December 1863. She now lies in 30 feet of water, still partially intact. The wreck is marked by a huge steam boiler and two paddlewheel frames lying on their sides. Adorned with a heavy coating of hard corals, soft corals and all sorts of marine life, she is a beautiful sight."

Yesterday, we took a ride to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo. The zoo is $10 for adults and is really worthwhile. Some of the highlights include the harbor seals, a huge flamingo exhibit, the giant tortoises, and the alligator. The zoo highlights Bermuda's history and wildlife, and I actually learned some great things about Bermuda agriculture, animals, and the history of its settlement. My dad took a lot of great pictures, and I will post most of them on the slide show on my blog. The picture I have included in this entry is from Spanish Point. According to Wikipedia, "Spanish Point is a prominent headland in Bermuda located in Pembroke Parish five kilometres to the northwest of the capital Hamilton. It forms the eastern coast at the entrance to the Great Sound." It was really beautiful out there, especially on a sunny, warm Bermuda day.

My parents trip to Bermuda may not have been complete without the sighting of the giant Bermuda Cane Toad. We saw a giant toad out for a late night snack. He was by far the largest toad I have ever seen. I think he does great things by eating many of the large bugs on the island. We also read that the Cane Toads come out at night and warm themselves on the asphalt of the street. This can prove dangerous many are run over by cars. We know this to be true as we saw one quite smashed on one of our walks this week!

I have more to write about as we have been busy touring the island. We have also been taking advantage of the warming Bermuda waters as last we heard the water was 75 degrees. Once it gets up to 80 degrees we will really love it! I will write more again later this week.

Until next time...