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Who remembers the Bermuda hurricane in September 1987?
What about the one in the UK in October of the same year?
Not me!
Escaping Through The Bermuda Triangle
That was the year my friend and I ventured to Bermuda for two weeks in October, for our church convention – and managed to escape both hurricanes.
Not only that, we didn’t even get close to the Bermuda Triangle!😅
This was the first place abroad I had been to besides Dominica.
It was a beautiful little island which even the storm-battered areas couldn’t spoil. It’s like we found a little paradise.
Wish We Could Stay In Paradise!
We had a spectacular time and were almost devastated to get back on the plane home.
The heat that year was pretty intense. So much so that even the locals were feeling it.
This was the one and only place and time I went horse riding!
OK it was just a walk around the beach but still, it was on a beautiful grey horse called Tinsel. We had to get up very early to go on this venture but it was worth it.
Fun Activities
Amongst other exciting activities we also went on a boat cruise for the afternoon with our new friends from the church, motorcycle riding (as a passenger), nightclubbing (yay!) and of course swimming at the beach.
Actually I couldn’t swim yet so for me it was more wading. When I returned to London I booked myself swimming lessons. 😄
Bermudian Hospitality
When we were not booked in at our hotel we stayed with a family we had met when they had visited England.
The parents were into making sweatshirts so they were graceful in giving me a free “Bermuda University” sweatshirt.
My work colleagues at the time, back in London, used to tease that I had really bought it down the market!
British or American – Which?
Although Bermuda is a British colony it was very Americanized, I suppose because it’s much closer to the USA.
They used US dollars probably more than their own dollars. Good job we had our US dollars travellers’ cheques. Do they still make those?
It was in Bermuda that I first found out about Sprite, the drink.
I don’t know if it was already in the UK at that time but I hadn’t heard of it until I discovered it in Bermuda.
I was also partial to their grape soda and fish curry.
By the end of our stay my clothes were kind of tight.
By the way, I no longer drink or eat any of those things!
Romance Is In The Air
I had something of a crush on one of the local guys and we wrote to each other for a while.
No Facebook or Internet in those days.
Of course it fizzled out and the last I heard he had got married.
Unfortunately there was another local guy who had a thing for me but I didn’t feel the same way.
Looking back, I don’t think I handled that too well and maybe made it a little too obvious.
I really hope he found the love of his life and is living happily ever after!
British Or Something Else – Which?!
The only slight issue was the amount of times I was asked by people of all races including both locals and the many American tourists, how long I had lived in England.
You know, like when I said I was from England what I really meant was that I came from some far away black people’s country and that I had moved to London last year!
Furthermore, I was the only black person in the whole of the UK. 😄
Of course the world has got a lot smaller since then, so I’m guessing most people now know that Joyce is not only not the only black person in the UK, but also not the only one actually born here.
On one occasion I was amused when someone told me I talked like Lady Di!
Really?!
Not The Only Foreigners!
It seemed my friend and I were the only people from the UK on the island.
This probably wasn’t true of course! We did meet some other woman from Newcastle I think, but we didn’t know where the others were hiding.
We met other visitors, mostly from America but also from nearby islands. I even met a Dominican who had moved to Bermuda.
Palm Springs Loading…
By the way, I met someone from California and the following year I went to Palm Springs for the church convention and stayed with her and her family.
I sometimes wonder how she’s doing. She was dating some guy at the time so maybe she married him.
Oh, there’s another exciting topic maybe for another blog.
The Time Of Our Lives Indeed!
On our last night we attended a big party to go out with a bang!
Oh my goodness, this was probably one of the best times of my life!
Well it seems like a lifetime ago but I still remember it like it was yesterday.
I am still in touch with one person I met although she is not from Bermuda.
Over all it was an experience of a lifetime. One of those times where you feel if you went back the memories would be spoilt.
Know what I mean?
Tell Me About The Time Of YOUR Life!
What fond memories have you had you can brighten up your mood with?
Come on, what was the time of your life?
Comment below!
