Top 10 unique things, to see and do in Bermuda

Bermuda which is often referred to as a Caribbean Island, actually lies north of Cape Hatteras in the Atlantic Ocean. There are a 180 islands, but only the 9 largest are developed and these are are linked together by a network of bridges and Causeways. The country is divided into 9 parishes, with 2 municipalities - Hamilton the Capital, and St. George - which was the first permanent settlement on the island and is now a "World Heritage site".

The island has many unique sights, and many unique customs, which visitors will find fascinating.

There are no rivers, among the connected islands and of course no wells. Bermuda's water comes from the skies, and their unique way of collecting it. The roofs of houses in Bermuda are whitewashed limestone, with sloping gutters that guide the water into pipes that go into holding tanks. catching the rain water and funnelling it into the household taps. By law each house must collect 80 percent of the water that falls on their roof.

In contrast to the white roofs, Bermuda is famous for the pastel colors of their houses. Originally the houses were made from Bermuda Cedar and stone to which a pastel wash, supplemented by a tinted mix of lime, was added. It became popular to adorn the houses to match the colours, of the profusion of flowers, around them. While some of this has changed over the years, the majority of homes still portray the traditional pastels.

Bermuda has an excellent Transportation System - public buses, government run ferries, and taxis - and while not part of the transportation system, many people prefer to use mopeds and scooters, a common sight seen on the winding streets. Using the busses and ferries is very easy - the busses,that are marked pink are heading into the city and those marked blue, are heading out of the city. All destinations are clearly marked on the front of the busses, which operate frequently, allowing for a short wait-time.

There are four Ferry routes, all depart from, and return, to the terminal on Front Street in Hamilton. The routes are coded in colors of blue, pink, green, and orange, and each clearly shows the destination and stops of each ferry. Tokens or Passes are used on the bus and ferry and are interchangeable, they can be purchased for travel from 1 day to three days. One of the perks, I enjoyed when using the ferry - it was less crowded than the bus, had less stops, and gave a wonderful view of the islands.

Bermuda shorts are popular summer outfits but did you know that they originated in the early 20th century. They were designed for the British Military to wear in the hot weather, encountered at some of the "outposts" they were stationed at. On Bermuda this is a standard business attire, worn with a shirt,, tie, blazer and characteristic knee socks. While pink is a favorite color, bermuda shorts can be found in many other colors, and styles.

Perhaps the most known fact about Bermuda are their "pink sand beaches", and they really do have a pink tint. Red tiny organisms grow under coral reefs on the ocean floor, the powerful waves bring crushed sea life and coral ashore where it is mixed with the white sand, causing it to have a pink tint.

The majority of Bermuda's beaches are public, open from dawn to sunset, here are the best known ones - Horseshoe Bay a curved stgretch of pink sand; Tobacco Bay, good for snorkeling; Warwick Long Bay a secluded half-mile long stretch of pink sand beach and Dunes; Elbow beach, has a curve rfesembling an elbow, good for snorkeling with reefs close by; Jobson's Cove, small secluded beach with steep cliffs.

This was a major outpost for the British Royal Navy since 1809, when construction was begun. Most of the facilities were closed in 1951, with only a few buildings kept for support of British and NATO ships until 1995, when the entire facility was closed. Since then the Dockyard has become a "major tourist attraction".

The Royal Navy's administrative headquarters is now the "Clocktower Mall" shopping center; the Cooperage once used for making barrels is now the "Frog and Onion Pub"; buildings once used for munitions storage now house the "Bermuda Clayworks, the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, and the Dockyard Glassworks"; and the former Keep now showcases the Maritime Museum and Dolphin Quest".

The first Moongate was brought, from China to Bermuda in 1860, by a sea captain. The original chinese "Moon Gate" is a circular opening in a garden, that is used as a pedestrian passageway, but the Bermuda Moongates differ from this original chinese design, they are often left free-standing or attached to a low wall, and are used as a decoration in landscape gardening. In Bermuda they are regarded as good luck for newly weds to step thru, as they symbolize - unity, peace, and happiness - and can be found in many places around the island.

This is a small settlement, and one of the earliest, in Bermuda. It is on the southern bank of "Flatts Inlet" and once was used as a harbor. This village consists of shops, restaurants, and the Bermudia Aquarium Museum and Zoo. The pastel-painted cottages, well tended gardens, and palm trees, give a glimpse into the life-style and culture of the past. A festival is held here every October.

The world's smallest drawbridge was built in 1620, and was operated by hand - the rebuilt bridge retained much of the original structure, with two cantilifered half-spans, seperated by a 18-inch gap, which is bridged by a timber panel. The panel is removed from the center of the bridge, whenever a sailing vessel needs to pass through. The bridge is featured on many of Bermudia's banknotes.

This Georgian styled historic manor house, has remained architecturally unchanged since the late 1770's. It was a private resident until 1953, and has the unique distinction of - never having either plumbing or electricity; no kitchen or running water; no air-conditioning or ceiling fans; and no heating.

The manor house is now a museum, part of the Bermuda Historic homes, it stands at the top of Collectors Hill, flanked by Palmettos, and surrounded by rambling lawns, rose beds, and garden paths. This colonial house even comes with spine tingling ghost legends, best known is the one where a tourist took a picture of an empty room, on developing it showed a man sitting at a table, who is said to have once been a resident in the 1930's.

There is more unique and unusual places to be seen on this small island in the North Atlantic, ensuring that visitors will, not only find modern luxury accommodations, modern shopping centers, fine restaurants and hundreds of things to see and do, but also a look back into life as it existed many centuries ago.