Skruodys Travels: July 2014

After two days at sea, we arrived at the Royal Naval Dockyard mid-afternoon on Sunday. We haven’t been here since 2005 and a lot seems to have changed. I suppose because the larger ships can’t get into Hamilton, Bermuda had to upgrade the Dockyard area to accommodate the many cruise passengers that visit from the larger ships. There were lots of touristy shops and restaurants, and even a small snorkel beach within walking distance of the ship. When the British Royal Navy built the dockyard in 1809, the could have never imagined what it would be like today. We were glad to get off the ship and walk around the area to do a little shopping.

The next day we decided to go back to Horseshoe Bay Beach where we visited in 2005 and loved. This was one of our very favorite beaches. So….off we went to catch the little pink bus to take us to the beach.

Arrived at the beach and it was just as we remembered! Except much more crowded. I suppose word is out!

We always talked about the famous fish and chips that is served on this beach and couldn’t wait to have lunch! Great! Except the price almost doubled!

After a few hours, we packed up our things, took the $2 shuttle up the hill and caught the pink bus back to the ship. The weather so far has been fantastic. We are keeping our fingers crossed since the forecast was for rain. So far, so good.

Our bus fare round trip was $8 per person. The ship tour which only transported you from the ship to the beach and back, was $30 per person.

After cocktail hour and dinner, we made our way to the centrum area where they had an aerial acrobatic show.

This ship has the huge TV screen on the pool deck where they show movies every night. However, all the movies that they were showing were geared towards kids! The Muppet Movie…….Frozen….etc.

On our last day in Bermuda, we decided to take a private tour. We’ve all been here before, several times, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen the entire island. We found the perfect guide. Ernie AKA One Leg. He was fantastic. Our first stop was at Sea Glass Beach. For some strange reason, all of the sea glass washes up on this beach. Very Interesting!

One Leg was quite an interesting character. Lost his leg in a motorcycle when he was 24. He just turned 60 and has been married 3 times. Still has an 11 year old son living with him. There was nothing that he couldn’t do. He walked up and down steep and uneven steps, bent down to the ground to pick up sea glass. We all were very impressed with him. Anyone interested in hiring Ernie can reach him via email at:

oneleg.ec@gmail.com

He charged $50 an hour and could fit 6 in his van. The tour takes 4-5 hours.

We then visited a beautiful cemetery, the worlds smallest church, fed some very hungry fish and saw the worlds smallest drawbridge.

One Leg was so excited to take us to St. Georges to see “The Dunking”. Initially, we thought he wanted us to see a “donkey”, but we eventually caught on. St. Georges is the second largest town in Bermuda and was the former capital, before Hamilton. It was founded in 1612 and served as the capital until 1815. Because of a shift of business and government to Hamilton, St. George did not have its streets and buildings demolished and rebuilt as in Hamilton. Therefore it looks very much like it did 250 years ago. We went directly to Kings Square where the dunking would take place. The dunking was used to punish gossiping and other 18th Century offenses. At noon, several days a week, the town crier appears in period costume to convene a mock tribunal. It was hilarious. But first – we stopped at a pub for a beer!

After the dunking (I think she was dunked 7 times), we went to a very nice, and quite pricey restaurant for lunch with a beautiful view. Since we were “on the clock” with Ernie at $50 an hour, we figured our lunch was close to $200. Hell, we’re on vacation!