Cayman Islands Trip 2023

You plan a trip almost a year in advance and, before you know it, the day to return home from it is upon you.  The last day is always bittersweet, and always leaves you with a weird reality of, “I know I have to go home, but I really wish we had a couple more days."    We were up at 6:30AM and did one last walk down the beach before breakfast.  Then it was packing time.  Check-out time is 10AM at the resort (which is super early for a resort).  We all piled into the Chevy rental at that time and headed back towards George Town, making two stops enroute:  the Blow Holes and Seven Mile Beach.  The rental car was returned amidst a downpour, and then we started the check-in / security procedures.  See the note below about an unpleasant aspect of that! Andy and Nicole were on a 2PM flight to Atlanta, while we were on a 1:30PM flight to Charlotte.  It's a late night arrival in Toronto for all of us.  We have a hotel hear Pearson Airport, ...

The four of us agreed that today would be a day of simple rest and relaxation here at the resort. And that is exactly what it was.  A 7AM rise, with breakfast on our balcony, was followed by another 4km walk down the beach.  Next up:  a couple of hours of lounging on the beach, lunch at the resort's beach restaurant, and an afternoon snorkel off the pier of the Morritt's Hotel (next door), which is among the top 20 snorkeling sites on Grand Cayman.  Pam and Nicole did some shopping at the strip mall across from the resort, and then we gathered in the Johnson's room for a glass of wine and popcorn before heading to a seaside restaurant for dinner in nearby Old Man's Bay on the North Side.   And that, my friends, is the recipe for a low-key day of pure rest in the Caymans. Given the sparse nature of today's blog entry, let me take a moment to summarize a few key facts about the Cayman Islands and its history: - Capital: George Town; - Area: 264 sq km; - Popul...

Sunday morning started with a brief rain shower, which was quickly replaced by the blazing sun.  Another day of 30C! In fact, the temperature range each day of this vacation is -- and will be -- from 28C to 30C.  While the heat and humidity is draining, you can at least admire the weather's consistency! Today was supposed to hold one main activity:  swimming with sting rays in the protected and shallow area on the north of the Island, known as Stingray City.  Alas, the wind was not cooperating today, and the captain of the tour boat we had hired informed us mid-morning that our noon tour had to be cancelled, as the waves at Stingray City were four feet high.  That was a real disappoint to all of us, as Stingray City is known as Grand Cayman's top attraction.  But that's how things go sometimes when you travel:  weather and local events (such as last night's traffic accident) are events we cannot control.  Life goes on, so we filled the day with ot...

 Ahhh.... Nothing like pulling the curtains across to see a sunny beach in paradise!  The first full day in the Caymans, and the view did not disappoint.  It was a 7AM rise (as Andy and Nicole are early-early risers, so we had to keep up with the Johnsons!  :-) ).  Having gotten breakfast groceries last night across the street, we started the day with a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, English Muffins, clementines, cereal, juice and coffee on our balcony. The morning was spent on the resort beach under a palm tree, and then a good long stretch in the water.  Being the east end of the island -- the windward side -- the waves can be strong here.  But today was just perfect, as was the water temperature. After sandwiches for lunch, we started our drive to he extreme northwest tip of Grand Cayman, to visit one of the island's best-known attractions:  The Cayman Turtle Centre.  So nice to see so many turtles in a protective and reproductive ...