I went into the water for the first time in 1999 - with the help of a wet suite a friend lent me. The water was just slightly cloudy in the harbour from the beginning of the algae built-up with the warmer climate. The underwater world was beautiful. I saw numerous sponges, mollusks, fish and many beautiful 4-eyed butterfly fish (2 of the eyes are false eye spots toward the end of the body). Green grape algae contrast with the red fire sponges and purple tipped anemones. Gobies hopped along the bottom while spotted rays break through the surface and splashed down noisly. The water was 77 degrees. I will probably start going to different parts of the island on the weekend to snorkel and explore. Next week, I'm heading back to the U.S for the first time in 6 months and will continue my trip for a week in Costa Rica. Definitely look for pictures and my Travelogue from there.

The various forts scattered all over the island are worth a visit. Bermuda is at a very strategic location between the Americas and Europe, so during the wars between the US and England, the island was heavily fortified by the British army and navy. The now abandoned forts and the history behind each one will give you an interesting glimpse into Bermuda's past. All forts are nicely maintained and mapped out on most tourist booklets.

July through August just blew right by. I was working nights and weekends due to over commitment from my company to our various clients. I was finally able to sneak away to the beach once a week toward mid-August. I even had to work on my birthday, overtime of course. The company promised compensation time for the overtime hours I worked, but they reverted back on that promise late in the fall when most of the projects are wrapped up. It's just one of the many promises that failed to materialise at the company. I'm still making good money so I'm going to stick it out for now and not bothering with overtime anymore.

On my last trip back to the states, I brought back a folding kayak. It's a kayak that folds into a big backpack, manufactured by Feathercraft. It's great to go paddling and explore the various small islands dotted all over the harbour. I go night paddling too, and on a night with a full moon and flat calm mirror water, the Zen-like atmosphere just made me feel so alive. The moonlight danced around me and tree frogs chirp on nearby islands. It's really one of the most excellent outdoor experiences I've ever had.

One hidden natural phenomenon are the phosphorescent algae in the waters of Bermuda. They usually appear late in the spring in early April and lasts until December. If you get a chance, try going to a place in the horbour where it's completely dark or have very little light pollution. Dip your hands in the water and you'll see hundreds of little glowing specs glowing neon green in the agitated water. I was kayaking around Rainbow Lake in Hamilton Harbour one night and with each dip of my paddle, thousands of these little algae lit up the water like magic and it's just awesome to watch.

Cruise ships come to dock at Hamilton at the beginning of the week and then leave on Fridays. I was expecting a large population increase but the additional tourists are barely noticeable. "Tourist Dodging" becomes a new sport when you try to walk around these over-weight slug-moving Americans who insist on walking shoulder to shoulder to block most of the pedestrian traffic. They also hesitate at pedestrian crosswalks where Bermudians are excellent in stopping for pedestrians. The tourists then eye the stopped car/moped suspiciously and cross slowly to the other side. People should beware, however, that these same cars and mopeds would happily zoom dangerously by you, almost hitting you, if you were not crossing at a crosswalk.