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Showing posts from 2019

Bermudaful - The castaway of Bermuda - Scantily clad women - Part 3

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Front St. Dinner We just happened to travel to Bermuda on a national holiday weekend, National Heroes Day . The island itself is made up of a mixed population of descendants from freed Africans and emigrated Europeans. Our white relatives speak of a subtle reverse racism, and there is a feeling of separation, an awkwardness. And on this holiday, the black population have created a Carnival-like parade. Whites are welcome (and I truly mean that) but it is clearly a nod to the Caribbean roots from the South Americas. As well, Front Street, the main shopping/business district for Hamilton and primary parade route, has architecture reminiscent of Bourbon Street. Unfortunately, the parade fell very flat, only 3 floats, and most townsfolk were participants with very few spectators, and even fewer white spectators. I hope it grows, a lot of time and money is spent on ornate costumes and on city barricades, but without an open-armed, inclusive spirit with the fairer-skinned and/or promoti...

Bermudaful - The Atoll of Bermuda - Cliff Diving and Cruise ships - Part 2

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After the caverns, thinking it a good idea, we went to a locale called the Blue Hole, a proper mangrove grotto. We were going for cliff diving. Based on poor estimate of distance, I nearly killed my mother with this hike (too), but she done did it, she may now be upset that we know what she is capable of; but in the future, I will send the 14yo boy to scout the terrain. The hole was enjoyable to look at but the approach was cobbled with sharp limestone. The kids decided it was too much effort and risk for bug bites. I was just hot and bothered and ragged. I wanted to jump but my family had already moved on to the nearby beach. So, down the hill mom and I retraced our woebegone steps. We did find some enjoyable cliff diving, at Admiral Cove , a reasonable launch of about 6-10ft off crabgrass and limestone outcrops, splashing deep into clear, briny Atlantic, with pink sand and carved pirates-cove steps. We created a real monster, aforesaid 14 yo keeps asking when the next cliff div...

Bermudaful - Island adventures in Bermuda - 14 yo son & 82 yo mother. Part 1

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Bermuda is an island, in the Atlantic, at the 32nd parallel. Diagonally akin to southern New Mexico, and the Mediterranean Sea. A volcanic island finned from a long extinct cone. Now, a limestone atoll built-up by millenniums of pink coral creatures sunning themselves with calm, clear ocean currents.  16 yo cabin boy from 1813 Aside from the prehistoric formation, the human story starts in the 1500s. Unlike the North American continent, it lies 650 miles east of North Carolina, and ~1000 miles north of the next closest Caribbean Island; this island sat, uninhabited, basking with birds and nature for most of its existence. Likely, it remained untouched due to its remote location and lack of any fresh water reserves. Any and all grottos are brackish; dense sea water below, fresh rainwater afloat. Bermuda eventually became a way-point for the British fleet to refresh from a long sail across the Atlantic. In 1610, the first hints of the Bermuda Triangle folk...

Lima: Food, Museums and Erotic Vessels, Peru - 8

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Our original plans had us flying into Lima and sitting at the airport for a late night flight home, but when our flight arriving to Peru was so incredibly delayed, the airlines bumped us for free to have an additional day in Lima. We arrived late afternoon and the tourist company planned for us a have dinner and a private tour of Museo Larco . This is one of the largest privately owned museum of Peruvian artifacts from 5000 BCE to the Incan era. Mostly, we were educated on the intricacies of potteries by pre-columbian people. The differences in the details across the art are too convoluted to be described; however, the collection is immense. There are two tapestry remnants that are in the Guinness World Book for weaving details and size. The tightest count by inch was made 1000s of years ago and from Vacuña wool and has a surprising amount of vibrant colors.They might as well have been weaving human hair.  The most intriguing display was not even a display but a video of the po...