Days off are few and far between these days, and so when the lonely single Monday finally came that was scheduled to be all mine this week, i set out to make the most of it. I pooled all of the tools I had available...a camera, a phone, a scooter, and a plan. I was off to scoot-tour the island and take some pictures. I was heading to St. George's, that end of the island that is just too far away to venture to very often -- yes, it's 20 km away from town -- surely that requires a full day of planning. Funny how I manage to stay so busy in a 5 km radius and view a 20 km drive as a full day trip!
Pulling up my trusty google maps, I looked up Fort St. Catherine's on the map to determine exactly where it was. I noticed Tobacco Bay was on the way, and I realized I had never even been to Tobacco Bay, which is very famous for its scenery. Once I had my bearings, and my plan, I hopped on the scooter and began the journey. So I drove, and drove, and drove...keeping in mind that 20km when the speed limit is 35 takes a lot longer. When I finally reached the airport, I pulled over to take in the view. Not of the airport, but of the calm water across from it.
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| Across from the airport |
A few minutes and a few text messages later I thought I had the rest of my day planned out. I was then treated to a plane coming in. I was not alone. There are usually a few cars parked near the airport or the docks as people just like to see the planes and cruise ships come in and out. I thought it was a nice contrast to have the jet over top of the sailboats.
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| Coming in for Landing |
Happy with the start of my scoot-tour day, I carried on towards St, George's, pleased with the clear blue skies and warm sunshine. Map having been consulted, I still managed to take a wrong turn or two, and so I scooted around St. George's narrow and steep roads until I found my way. After a few wrong turns and subsequent backtracking through most of the intersections in the vicinity, I finally topped the hill and got a sight of Tobacco Bay. It is truly beautiful.
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| Tobacco Bay |
Tobacco Bay is outstanding for a sense of peacefulness. It is situated at the end of a narrow road that goes through a now defunct golf course where there is almost no traffic or sounds of civilization. The water is calm and still, not even the gentle swooshing of waves is present to break the absolute stillness of the Bay. This is one reason traveller's who are seeking a true retreat will sometimes hole up in St. George's...the town is as far away from the hustle and bustle of tourist shops, nightclubs, and crowds as you can get. St. George's was, after all, not only the first capital of Bermuda (until Hamilton took over in 1815) but also the oldest continuously habituated English town anywhere in the New World. It even predates the establishment of the town of Jamestown, Virginia (although Jamestown had settlers first, the town was established after St. George's). The narrow streets and old buildings of St. George's still seems to provide a window into the past. Civilization may be a great deal different, but I suspect the pace of life in St. George's hasn't changed all that much in 400 years. That in itself is a rare and valuable thing. But back to Tobacco Bay....
The rock formations around Tobacco Bay are stunning, and I really enjoyed looking at the different formations rising out of the shimmering and crystal clear waters. A hoodoo here, one that looked like a child with arms outstretched playing airplanes...or a skydiver. I had a lot of fun looking at the rocks in different angles and trying to relate their shape to a familiar object (here i go about rocks again....it's an obsession).
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| My skydiver rock |
I am definitely going to spend a warm summer day on this beach next summer. Or maybe I will just allot some time the next time I try to go to Fort St. Catherine's, because I never did make it through the doors. By the time I finished photographing my rocks, my phone had gone off again, and as the best of days go, the well formulated plans were about to fall off into random adventures -- stay tuned tomorrow...for now it's time to post and get some sleep.
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| Bermuda's crystal clear waters at Tobacco Bay |
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