Bermuda Highways
This posting has to tell the story of Bermuda's highways and byways, the roads that connect one portion of one island to another. These roads are often narrow, always twisty and hilly. More the norm than the exception, these roads are carved through limestone giving them solid "walls" on either side. The one lane highways are divided with a single line; yellow meaning not to pass as it is on a blind corner and you would have to be suicidal to cross it, or white meaning you can pass, park, have a picnic or whatever, right there in the middle of the road. There are no sidewalks on these roads, as Lori would tell you after attempting to walk to town and barely escaping with her life. There are very few signal lights and those few in down town Hamilton. So you can understand it when I say that the universal speed limit for all Bermuda is 35 Kilometres per hour maximum. You can also understand the Government of Bermuda restricting the size of automobiles. It wasn't until the last decade that this country even allowed cars! Most people ride scooters. Any tourist over 14 visiting the Islands can rent a scooter under 50cc. There are "no" car rentals. Those who "live" in Bermuda must take a test and pay registration, testing, insurance and licence fees in order to drive. For cars, the bigger it is, the more it will cost you, and this amounts to hundreds of dollars per year.
We expatriates from BC stifle our laughter when we see the "Bermudian bike gangs" with their Harley type Hogs which by law have their cylinders sleeved down to 150 cc. But the laughter is cut short when we actually experience what it is like to drive on the roads here. Other than a helmet, no protective gear is worn. It's sandals, shorts and T-shirt. Very often it's a mini skirt and stiletto high heals for the girls! The speed limit of 35 klicks an hour is a joke! Everyone seems to travel at least 55 k's/hr and often much faster than that. It's not the speed that is astonishing but the fact that everyone on the road thinks they are invincible! Go for a half hour ride and you'll experience at least one or two very near calamities involving yourself. It doesn't matter how defensive you drive. Many of the scooter drivers are Kamikaze Pilots! Part of the reason is the road regulations, which allow passing on the right or the left. It is very common to see scooter riders take their life in their hands and pass on totally blind corners. It is also common to have someone "stop" in front of you, on a major road, to pick someone up or shoot the breeze with a passer by! Try driving the speed limit and you'll have vehicles, including cars, passing you on the right and the left.
Yes, the commute here is a trifle hair-raising. To start with, everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. When there "is" a traffic light, the sequence is Red (stop) then Yellow (rev your engines) and then Green (peddle to the metal and pass anyone who lags!) It is not uncommon to see young Bermudians on their scooters, riding sidesaddle, passing cars on the centre line with a cell phone jammed up inside their helmet. The whole thing is to be "cool", even if it costs your life. And it does. Not a day goes by without hearing about someone getting creamed! One of the first questions asked upon arriving here is; "Have you got your Bermudian Tattoo yet?" Of course this refers to skidding down the asphalt in your shorts. It is inevitable. Sooner or later it will happen. I'm constantly astonished and alarmed when waiting for a chance to turn, on having a suicide rider brush by me at 60 with no idea what is ahead. Often these are the miniskirted girls in high heals!
Only one car per dwelling is allowed here. Each home is issued an "assessment number". Therefore, most everyone rides a scooter. No point in taking a car to downtown Hamilton anyways as there is no parking. We bought a Yamaha 115 cc scooter. We are trying to be careful but I'm afraid that the inevitable may happen. Some of the side streets we have to navigate are almost perpendicular and often very wet with ten foot high walls of limestone and no shoulders. It's a very different commute than the lower mainland of Vancouver, BC. It is also very beautiful with brilliant skies and lush tropical vegitation often converging above the road. We are now into October and still zoom about on our small scooter in a T-shirt, although Lori has yet to try her driving skills wearing high heals.
Of course part of the relocation process is finding an Internet Provider. We have agreed to share a connection to the Internet with our landlady and thus save on the monthly bill. Her tech guy should have us up and running by this weekend. I’m posting this entry through the computer here at work.
There is also a laundry room complete with washer and dryer and a bathroom accessible from both the bedroom and the foyer. It is all pretty empty now but we are on the lookout for a couch with a hide-a-bed for guests, a television and desk for the computer. 
We must also purchase a car, as the ride to work is a bit “treacherous” this time of the year. South Road follows the coast and the winds can gust up to 50 miles per hour and the rain is at times torrential. 
As a matter of fact, a “tornado” touched down on land a few miles up the coast from us yesterday and removed a few roofs. Just another tropical front passing through. See the newspaper article to the left and "read all about it!" ( Double click on the article and it should enlarge big enough to read) We were on our scooter at the time and the gusts of wind almost blew us off the road!
Our location is also great in the fact that we are right across the road from the Wyndham Hotel and it’s beautiful beach to which we have rights to because of where we live. It’s got changing rooms, washrooms, thatched umbrellas and lounge chairs. The shore is protected by a reef that begs to be explored with a mask and snorkel. Down the road is the Southampton Princess Hotel and its golf course. Just over Lighthouse Hill is Mark’s boat moorage and the Henry Eighth Pub Restaurant and wine store is only staggering distance from our drive! 
