It was Tuesday afternoon, and the sun finally decided to show up. Not one grey cloud in sight. Everything was shining in its most vibrant hue. The trees, the richest of greens. The water, the bluest of blues. The flowers, the reddest of reds, most violet of violets, yellowest of yellows. Even my pink shoes looked their pinkest that day. Did I also look my brownest? I tried to find peace in these colors and in the sun too. I walked out on the patio overlooking the marina from the Fairmont Gold Lounge and took one final look at the Hamilton Princess + Beach Club. The Pink Palace, they call it- the nickname is not too far from the truth.
From the inside, the historic walls of the Princess Hamilton are adorned with an iconic art collection that includes original artwork from artists such as Andy Warhol, Nelson Mandela, Bansky, among many others. And from the outside, the majestic pink walls stand tall and make the perfect backdrop for a serious collection of plants and flowers where tiny lizards live happily. I tried to focus and indulge in the beauty that surrounded me. To be present. And thankful. To not think too much of the travel ahead, my connecting flights, the work that awaited back home, the surgery…
My hair, still drying from my morning dip in the infinity pool, was braided in tiny cornrows styled in various shapes and zigzags. I opted for no hat or headwrap that day. I was dressed comfortably in loose pink shorts and oversized button up. I walked through the glass door and I took one final look at the palm trees and marina, then headed to the lobby where a very cheerful and upbeat man named Cyrus picked me up to take me to the airport.
I sighed while climbing on the passenger seat of the van. Cyrus noticed my melancholic mood and quickly tried to change that. His Bermudian accent filled the car as he pointed out different parts of the island. He was a natural storyteller and like every other Bermudian I’ve ever met, he was extremely kind, and carried his Bermudian pride as though he was a proud ambassador of the colorful island.
The drive was beautiful. The water was a vibrant teal surrounded by pastel colored homes topped with white stepped roofs, palm and banana trees, bougainvilleas, and many other stunningly vivid flowers. I had forgotten about that drive since I arrived in the nighttime on Saturday, and everything was pitch black. I expressed with disappointment to my new friend Cyrus about how I was looking forward to a sunny, adventurous stay, but instead, how against my luck, it rained 90% of my short stay. Although his response was empathetic, he confessed how much the island needed the rain. While visitors like me complained, Bermudians rejoiced.
You see… Bermuda has no fresh water springs, rivers, or lakes, and its residents rely on rainwater to perform their everyday duties. Every home comes equipped with a tank that get filled up by rainwater with the help of the white stepped roofs. After being provided with that bit of information, I felt pretty silly about complaining because I really had nothing to fuss about. I was invited by Princess Hamilton on an all expense paid trip to Bermuda. I snagged the opportunity and invited by good, old friend, Jessica for a mini girl getaway. We were going to have fun and make the best of the trip, rainstorms or not. And that’s what we did!
How did we fill the time while it rained? Well, unless it was pouring heavily, we were out and ready to go. We took advantage of the Princess Beach Club at the first sign of slight sun. There was no sun. We were just highly optimistic. And yes, it rained when we were at the beach, but we still had a blast with drinks in hand. Jessica is a swimmer, and I’m not. She went for a few dips and used the paddle board while I lounged about and stuck my toe in the water a few times. We enjoyed a phenomenal meal at Marcus, went for a night pool adventure, and strolled through town. We made dark and stormies in our room, played board games at the Gold Lounge, and just spent quality time as friends. It was wonderful and chill, and perhaps that’s what we needed.
