Category: The DayBook

Happy 100th Cecil!

Easing back into real life after 9 days of lazing around. Think to start planning my exit to Kona end of next month. I so don’t like staying put. Jackrabbits in my boots for sure.

Big event for me today: I chased a bus and caught it. Two blocks. I was hauling my elderly ass. Lucky I didn’t break something or go into cardiac arrest.

I am rather pleased with my garden boxes. The formal boxes got more sun than I thought they would. I can have more choices next summer. Wish my sweet potato plants had bloomed.

And the Wild Child box is just that wild.

Didn’t do much today. Had to rest up from my 9 days of lolling around. I did “declutter” my so-called pantry. And, I did some work in my bathroom. Have to strike while I am still on my UltraLight Travel high.

I was a card-carrying member of the Longshoremen’s Union in the late 1960s and early 70s. ILWU Local 142. Back in the day I didn’t cross picket lines. I “Looked for the Union Label”. And I never ate California table grapes. Wine grapes were OK. But, I mostly drank really crappy local beer, Primo, or much better imported San Miguel not wine.

The kupuna did the heavy lifting – the 177-day strike etc. Mahalo Brothers and Sisters. “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Packing didn’t take long. Everything fit into the tiny backpack.

The only things that I took and didn’t use were:  a couple of bandaids, 6 feet of nylon twine, and that cane sticking out of the pack.

While waiting for the plane, I did this little post action report for myself.

Traveling ultra light.  I liked it. I didn’t miss anything. At least not enough to have lugged it around on two cabs, two metros, two buses, two planes. And kept track of for 9 days.

Two skirts and two shirts were all I needed. I don’t think that any one noticed that I always wore the same thing a lot

One pair of shoes was fine. One swimsuit was sufficient. 

I really didn’t need three sets of undies. But, hey, they’re small. 

Got along fine with just the phone and the Kindle. And the power bank.

I would have used my camera if I had it. But, my experience was in no way compromised by not having 3 pounds of camera gear. 

The folding water bottle is awesome.

The phone does everything the iPad does. Just smaller. 

Traveling ultra light is very liberating. I will do it again. And I might just declutter the Old Bat Cave a little. Less is best. 

And one last advantage: 20 minutes after I walked in the door the coffee was made and the unpacking was done

I believe that the organizers of the march must have been surprised by the turn out. Bermuda is a very conservative place. But support for the event was such that everyone was marching and almost no one was left to watch.

So, I bussed it to the market and walked on home. Read some. Floated around the sound some.

Well leave at noonish tomorrow for the airport. Should be back at the Asylum by dinner time.

Took two ferries to St George for breakfast today. Had grilled cheese and bacon sandwich with coffee. And a fine meal it was. Bob Marley on the radio. Manchester United posters on the wall.

Then I wandered around St George. It isn’t the most high tech place on the island.

It was hot so I bussed back to my part of Bermuda.

Found this great lizard on my walk from the bus

Breakfast today. I tried something different. Got a takeaway egg sandwich and a coffee and headed off to a shady park bench.

Early this morning while drinking my first coffee, I was surprised to see a modest size cruise ship passing by. It has about 650 passengers. There are two big ships out at the cruise ship dock. But this little one came right in to town. Seems more civilized.

But I know nothing about cruise ships.

No real plans for my last two days of lolling around. Nothing except more lolling.

You know, I am somewhere between 75 and dead, but I don’t feel grown up. Thinking that I am missing the “grown up” gene. Oh, well.

Back to serious lolling around. Big news in today’s Royal Gazette is: vector control reports lower rodent sightings. Now, isn’t that good news?

While floating around in the sound this afternoon, I wondered: what if we put bedbugs in nice sturdy ziplock bags and checked into the Orange Lord’s hotels all over the planet? Just think about it. Channel your inner Saul Alinsky.

Okay enough sitting the woods on fire. It’s photo time.

Today, after breakfast, I paid a visit to the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo. It is a better aquarium than zoo. But for a country of 66,000 people, it is a nice but tiny zoo.

They have a tank full of huge lion fish. Guess they want everyone to know what lion fish look like. Bermuda’s lion fish program is “to beat them eat them”. So far the lion fish are winning.

I took the ferry to breakfast, bus to the aquarium and two buses home. Bus riding here is totally old school. Google doesn’t know anything about the bus or the ferry. You can walk or drive with Google’s help. But for public transit you are on your own.

Heck, in Singapore, Google even knows how crowded the bus is and will suggest that you should wait 4 minutes for the next bus if you want to have a seat.

The Bermuda vacation is halfway done.

I have lots of pictures of “where the bear was” or “where the whale was” but I think this is the first “where the breakfast was”.

I need to expand my breakfast options. I eat at one of two places One place has better food but crappy service. The other has good enough food and fine service.

Today’s adventure was walk about Hamilton, with a long stop at an outstanding used clothing store. Of course, a can only make a tiny purchase if any. Didn’t buy anything today.

More hibiscus.

I love parades and oh so proper Bermuda is having a Pride parade on Saturday. These things are usually over the top. But, I am wondering, this is a place where investment bankers wear pink shorts with matching knee socks to work. So how outrageous can one be in Bermuda. I don’t think there will be fat men in green tutus (a regular bunch at DC Pride parade) and it is way too hot for leather.

Something to look forward to.

Last night’s sunset. Lot of clouds.

Funny thing about getting old. I think I have all the time in the world. But I know that my chances of seeing 99942 Apophis’s near miss fly-by of Earth in 2029 is less than the chances of a collision. 99942 is a near Earth astroid.

Nobody is promised tomorrow. Until then: laissez les bons temps rouler.

Lots and lots of boats around my lodgings. There might be more boats than cars in Bermuda.

As planned, I had a very lazy day. I tucked myself inside at about 5pm because it looked like a storm was coming. But now at 6:30 the wind has stopped and the sun is back. So, I guess sunset viewing is back on my schedule.

This was last night at sunset.

This is fruit of what we call the hala tree in Hawai’i. The Bermuda version is different. Since the hala was brought to Hawai’i by the original voyagers maybe they selected the plants that best suited their needs. The hala provided everything from an emergency food source to the “fabric” of the sails that powered the voyaging canoes.

Hibiscus, totally useless, but lovely.

This is the view from my bed. Views are very important to me. It is important to have a nice view while practicing “lolling around”.

And this is my swimming/ocean lolling area. A steady stream of pleasure craft sail and motor past.

Tomorrow, I am thinking, will be much like today except no trip to Hamilton for breakfast and provisions. The ferry doesn’t start until 10:30 which is seriously past my breakfast time and the grocery store is closed. All the stores are closed. I don’t think it’s a religious thing, I think it’s a lifestyle thing. People want to be outside with their families.

Last shot is the road back to my lodgings from the ferry.

Don’t seem to be able to insert photos using the phone. Let’s try again.

It works if I use cell service not the house wifi. I just looked up and noticed that I am sitting smack under a very prolific coconut tree. I should move. But I am tired.

This is the room.

This is my all of my stuff, under my seat with room to spare.

I walk up to the Bermuda customs guy. “are you traveling alone” he asks. “yes” says I. “you have to get your checked bags before coming through customs” he says. “I don’t have any checked bags”. “well, where is your luggage” he says. I gracefully twirl aound and say “here”And how long are you staying? He asks. nine days.

With great reluctance, he let me into Bermuda.

And this is what was in the little backpack. Didn’t take long to unpack.

I have bussed, subwayed, planed, taxied and walked to the grocery today. Wishing the sun would hurry up and set so I can hop in bed

From my deck, just now.