04/08/2013
I am probably going to get arrested for this...
I am probably going to get arrested for this...
When I arrived in Bermuda yesterday evening I did not have an onward flight booked nor did I have accommodation. I had planned to book a flight later in a the week as prices dropped and airlines tried to fill seats and my couchsurfing requests fell on mostly deaf ears aside for a few that weren't able to host. So when I got the border control, I knew it might be an interesting conversation. I could have avoided it, I guess, by lying on my immigration form and just filling in a random hotel address and number of nights I intended to stay, but I wanted to see if honestly is really the best policy.
It is not. After a brief chuckle the immigration officer referred me, which means sent me to the little room where they try and figure out what to do with you. There I was given two options:
a) I get back on the plane I arrived on and head back to London - not something I really wanted but wouldn't have been the end of the world.
b) I book an onward flight and accommodation and they would let me in to the airport - sounded like an okay option.
Having explained to immigration that I wanted the cheapest flight to the States in the next few weeks and didn't care were it was to, he decided that I was going to New York and that I was booking it at the airport in front of him. So he marched me to the American Airline office and a few discussions and $300 later I had a flight to New York leaving Thursday. Next up was the accommodation, which after a number of phone calls it was settled that I was going to stay at some guest house which was going to cost me $150 a night, he booked me in for one night (I said I would find somewhere else today), stamped my passport and about an hour after I landed, I stepped out into the sticky tropical air. I left in such a hurry that I forgot my recently booked airline tickets on his desk and had to return a second time to collect them, I could see the look on the immigration officers faces said, "This guy certainly ain't all there upstairs."
I got on the bus towards Hamilton after a lovely lady gave me her last two bus tokens, I was meant to change in Hamilton and get on another bus to find the accommodation I had "booked", maybe it was the lack of sleep or just the unknown of a new country, but I missed the stop and only approached the bus driver about an hour into the bus ride. By this time we were well passed the stop I needed so I was to get off and wait for the bus in the opposite direction. It was late and by this time I was extremely tired having only slept 3hrs the night before, I couldn't face searching for the accommodation, nor did I want to pay the $150 to stay there. I got off the bus and found what looked like a church, here I found a little grassy patch and lay down for the night.
I can't say it was the best night's sleep, but it was free. I don't know where I shall sleep tonight, but apparently there is a camp-site nearby which should suffice provided it does not rain.
It is not. After a brief chuckle the immigration officer referred me, which means sent me to the little room where they try and figure out what to do with you. There I was given two options:
a) I get back on the plane I arrived on and head back to London - not something I really wanted but wouldn't have been the end of the world.
b) I book an onward flight and accommodation and they would let me in to the airport - sounded like an okay option.
Having explained to immigration that I wanted the cheapest flight to the States in the next few weeks and didn't care were it was to, he decided that I was going to New York and that I was booking it at the airport in front of him. So he marched me to the American Airline office and a few discussions and $300 later I had a flight to New York leaving Thursday. Next up was the accommodation, which after a number of phone calls it was settled that I was going to stay at some guest house which was going to cost me $150 a night, he booked me in for one night (I said I would find somewhere else today), stamped my passport and about an hour after I landed, I stepped out into the sticky tropical air. I left in such a hurry that I forgot my recently booked airline tickets on his desk and had to return a second time to collect them, I could see the look on the immigration officers faces said, "This guy certainly ain't all there upstairs."
I got on the bus towards Hamilton after a lovely lady gave me her last two bus tokens, I was meant to change in Hamilton and get on another bus to find the accommodation I had "booked", maybe it was the lack of sleep or just the unknown of a new country, but I missed the stop and only approached the bus driver about an hour into the bus ride. By this time we were well passed the stop I needed so I was to get off and wait for the bus in the opposite direction. It was late and by this time I was extremely tired having only slept 3hrs the night before, I couldn't face searching for the accommodation, nor did I want to pay the $150 to stay there. I got off the bus and found what looked like a church, here I found a little grassy patch and lay down for the night.
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| View of the church this morning |
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| My little green patch |
I can't say it was the best night's sleep, but it was free. I don't know where I shall sleep tonight, but apparently there is a camp-site nearby which should suffice provided it does not rain.
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| Maybe where I sleep tonight. |
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