Back where I belong!

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Grand Cayman, December 20, 2008- January 3, 2009.

This is my third trip to Grand Cayman. I love it here; the first time we came, March 2006, I instantly knew that I had found the place on Earth the renewed my innermost being. I feel that my soul finds its comfort here and is refreshed. It's something I smell in the air, feel in the sand between my toes, sip in the rum...I am at my happiest when I am here. Time flows differently on Cayman. We'll get to the beach and I'll feel like it's been hours....and only one or two hours will have passed. There's no hurry and scurry here. It's peace and calm and joy.

A few notes to begin. First, please pronouce it correctly. It's Cay Man, not caymun or min. If it helps, think of the alligator cousin, the caiman...one of the precursors to this island's name. Orginally the Cayman Islands (there are three of them) were known as the Tortugas, which is Spanish for "turtle," because of the past abundance of sea turtles here. Now the only commercial turtle farm in the world is located on Grand Cayman, and it's a tourist attraction as well where the turtles are bred and harvested for the market. Cayman Turtle Farm is now part of Botswain's Beach (say bo-sun's for that word) where you can swim with a few turtles and a whole lot of fish. (We did it last time we were on island, in November 2007. The water was full of gross clumps of algea but mostly clear and there weren't many people so we got a primo experience...don't think I'd pay for it again, though.)

The Cayman Islands are the tops of coral reefs and the border on top of the Cayman Trench or Wall depending on what you read, and a prime scuba location. There are many shipwrecks here from high winds, rough seas, and treacherous reefs. Pirates once used these islands to stash their ill gotten gains, and Pirates Week in the winter is a big local celebration. You can take a dinner cruise themed as a Pirate if you'd like, or visit pirate's caves on all three islands.

My favorite thing here that's a tourist type event is to swim with the stingrays. We went out on our first visit in '06. I had an anxiety attack on the first trip and kind of missed out on the stingrays, but when I did get in the water, I realized that I had met someone special...those rays. They are amazing. It's like watching water ballet from the middle of the stage. This trip, we're planning to do the Waverunner stingray experience!

On our last two trips we explored all over. We met the Blue Iguanas at the Botanic Park; went to Pedro St. James, Hell, and Rum Point; found many beautiful beaches with great snorkling; made friends with the fishes; and I even went on a moonlight horseback ride.

This trip is two weeks of heaven. I'll post often about our daily adventures!

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Photos

Beautiful View
This is the view from our balcony out to the beach, from the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa, where we spent our first night.