Bermuda: Taxi & Glass-bottom Recs

[vcdarty]

Just back from May 29 Summit sailing to Bermuda (separate thread for that), and want to share two shore experiences. Day one we four wanted an overview of the island--first time for all of us. Had a splendid tour with cabbie Roddy Simons. 4 1/2 hours from Dockyard to St. George via north shore and inland routes, return mostly via south shore, with plenty of stops along the way: the 1609 Chapel, the Somerset "drawbridge", views views views, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, a discussion about island cricket, St. George, Warwick Long Beach, and much more. Roddy was perfect for us--articulate, personable, well-informed, spontaneous, unrehearsed and good-humored. We HIGHLY recommend Roddy Simons (photos of his great-grandparents, both educators, are to be seen at Commissioner's House). We paid a little over $200. Clean, comfortable vehicle. Worth every cent.

 

Day three we did the glass-bottom boat thing with Captain Tony's Coral Reefer, a small (maximum of 12 passengers) craft with a draft of only 9 inches, so when we passed over reefs and the wreck of the Vixen we viewed coral and tropical fish just as if snorkeling. Without getting wet. Tony is a likable, voluble guy, loaded with information ecological, geographical, personal, piscatorial, historical, and just about everything else. We were eight on the boat, paid $40 each for 2 1/2 hours plus-- a bargain. Tony's website is Aquatic Bermuda.

 

And, BTW, we loved the island.