"Let me help you find Bermuda" a Bermuda Travel Page by dlandt

Welcome to Bermuda. The sigh says it all. You have come to one of the best places on Earth. At least, that was my opinion after just a few days on the island. The people are nice, the culture is laid back, the weather is easy, and the sands are timeless. Bermuda had a better feel than almost any other place I've visited. With West Indian charm without West Indian poverty, with British orderliness without British hurriedness, with American convenience without American sloppiness, Bermuda has a charm of its own.

Bermuda seemed to have the look and feel of the Caribbean only without the poverty. Many many people are of West Indian descent, and form the cultural basis of the island, only better. Whereas the Caribbean islands tend to be poor and crime ridden, in Bermuda, you can walk anywhere, go places etc. without real fear of crime.

There is a British tradition in Bermuda, but it seems confined to pubs and a few cricket matches. The island's tie to the UK seems rather tentative and much more formally political, just as its ties to the US seem to be much more commercial and economic than cultural or social, despite the fact that you can watch American television. Both countries maintained large military bases on the island, but the cultural impact seems to be quite minimal on the whole. It is almost as if the islanders and their economy operated in a separate world.

Bermuda also has a strong strain of Portuguese culture. One quarter of the island's inhabitants are of Portuguese descent, and you can buy Portuguese or Portuguese style food and drink in any grocery store. ATMs offer you a choice of English or Portuguese, and the Portuguese figure prominently in museums dealing with island history and culture.

Bermuda is like no other place I've come across so far. Tiny, small, but diverse, with a booming economy and a very keen sense of identity.

Funniest looking horse I've ever seen