With Madrone’s anchor firmly dug into the sandy bottom of the harbor at St. George’s, it was time to get down one of the best parts of cruising – enjoying a brand new place.
Bermuda’s road layout is leftover from the 17th century. There’s a network of narrow roads winding their way through and over the hills, and both car and scooter traffic treat the island-wide 35 km/h (20 mph) speed limit with disdain. The result is not super pedestrian-friendly.
One option is to use the extensive bus network. But we decided to join the hordes of riders and rented a scooter for a few days. Our TGB (which stands for Taiwan Golden Bee, of course) Hook featured a buzzy 50cc engine, scraped up sides from previous tourists likely getting too close to the many roadside rocks, and an impressive cloud of exhaust from it’s two-stroke on every cold start.
Over the course of three or four days touring the island with our trusty TGB, we stopped four times to pull out the paper map provided along with our scooter. Each time, a friendly Bermudian immediately pulled off the road, rolled down their window, and asked if we needed any help.
That matches what we’ve experienced almost everywhere we’ve gone – almost everyone we talk to asks what we think of their island and instructs us to “Please enjoy your stay on Bermuda”. It’s nice being in a place where folks are so proud of their home. And after our touring, we’d say they’re right to be proud.
