Day 6 (November 14, 2023): Homeward Bound

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, but it will mean just a few hours of sleep, as Pam is on a 6:30AM flight back to Halifax, in order to teach at lunchtime.  I will be heading down to London for a Compassion Board meeting.

It has been a truly wonderful, restful, fun few days with our dear and long-time friends, the Johnsons.  We can't believe it's all over.  Grand Cayman provided a wonderful location for this get-together, and we will all hold the memories for years to come.

One last view of the resort on our morning walk.

A conch shell on the sand during our morning walk.

Today, we just walked 3km.  Another enjoyable breakfast on our balcony was the reward.

 

On the route back to the airport this morning, we stopped at the Blow Holes, on the south coast of the island.  These are two views.  When the waves hit, there are a few holes where the water is pushed up under much pressure, with this smoke-like mist being the result.

Look at that!  "Halifax Road" made us feel so close to home.

World-famous Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman's west coast is truly a beautiful beach, with the calm waters of the leeward side of the island as a major benefit. When we arrived there, a rainy afternoon was about to hit the island.  Our stop was a brief one to view the Governor's Beach section of Seven Mile;  shortly after we left, the heavy rain arrived.  This it the view from Governor's looking south...

...and this is the view looking north.

If you ever visit the Cayman Islands and see this on your boarding card as you depart, take a deep breath:  you're about to be in for a nasty surprise at Security.  I was randomly selected for a deep search.  And it was deep, indeed.  They pulled apart every item in my carry-on.  It was really brutal.  We've been all over the world, and we have never experienced anything like it.

Our American Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane was 100% full.  It left on time and arrived 10 minutes early.

Pam, heading to the rear stairs of our American Airlines flight to Charlotte.

Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, Cayman Islands.  Above is the new terminal, which opened in 2018.  Andy and Nicole's Delta flight to Atlanta is the one on the left above.

Rum Point, on the north coast of Grand Cayman, where we visited on Sunday.