A GRAND GETAWAY

Mixing Business and Pleasure on Grand Cayman Island

April 29 - May 3, 2007

 

FROM THE AIR

We didn't take this picture but included it because it shows how the island resembles a foot.

 

 

OUR HOST

When Larry invited Bob to visit him on Cayman, Bob agreed without hesitation.

 

RUM POINT

Home of a delicious drink called a Mudslide, which of course we ordered up straight away.

 

OUR HOST

 

On our first day, Larry took us all around the island to get the lay of the land.  Larry is a fisherman and it shows in his tanned legs and by the way he looks out to sea.

 

WORDS FAIL ME

 

Thank goodness, Bob was there with his photographer's eye to capture the essence of Rum Point.

A boater's paradise!

 

BIRDWATCHERS

These two cute kids enjoyed watching the Grackles as did we.  The grackles were expert thieves.  We saw one wait until a woman turned her head and then leaped up onto the picnic table and snatched a French fry from her plate.

 

NORTHSIDE

 

We stopped for a beer and a plate of beans, rice and fried plantain.

 

SOUTH SIDE

This is the quiet side of the island, with the exception of an occasional blow hole or beach cafe.  

 

SEVEN MILE BEACH

 

We stopped at Calico Jack's beach bar to watch the sun set.  The crowd ranged from beach babes, to, well - beach babes.

 

BROWN FLASH

With the sun nearing the horizon, we settled in to watch for a green flash.  Larry's joke was that if you hold up a green bottle of Caybrew beer, you are guaranteed to see the green flash.  I can't remember what kind of beer Bob was drinking in a brown bottle, but he held it up and got himself a picture of a brown flash.

 

DON'T BLINK

Okay, here's the work part of the photo essay - a picture of Larry's new fuel delivery truck.  Alright then, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's carry on.

 

DOMINOS

 

Besides fishing, Larry's favorite activity is hanging out with this dubious crowd playing dominos.  After playing a few pretend rounds ourselves we could see why the game has become a late afternoon ritual.

 

ARNIE TAKE US OUT

 

Larry's partner, Arnie graciously offered to take us out for the afternoon.  Larry and Bob helped get the boat ready while Camille rummaged around in her stuff.  Notice the bandage on Arnie's finger.  He cut it clear to the bone cleaning fish. 

Camille watches as Arnie expertly threads his way through the canals to open water.  Then we headed right over to Rum Point and stood in the shallow water behind the boat, cooling off and telling stories.  Actually, we found it easier to kneel on the soft sand.  Arnie has an unlikely Scottish accent.  Unlikely, that is, unless you know that he comes from nearby Cayman Brac, a 12-mile-long island which was settled by  17th-century Scottish fishermen.

So, we're kneeling in a circle in the beautiful water off Rum Point, Arnie with his bandaged finger in the air to prevent it from getting wet, taking turns telling long, drawn-out stories and here comes a little stingray threading it's way lazily through our circle!  Life doesn't get any better than that!  A few more stories and we needed a beer, so we all sloshed our way to the beach and had one.

There are more Cayman Photos on Cayman Wild Life

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