To Hell and Back – Grand Cayman

Island – January 6, 2018

We were able to make it to Grand Cayman although the captain later told us we were not able to actually anchor but had to keep the engines running all day to stay in play.  We were in port with the Germans and Italians - Aidaluna, Costa Deliziosia, and the only ship of a small company, FTI cruises, called Berlin (principal language onboard is German).

Tendering started at 10 am.  I did not need to be on shore until 12:15 to meet my tour group.  The ticket suggested to allow a half an hour for the tender but I decided since I was ready I might as well get a tender ticket.  I could always walk around town.  Turns out it was a smart move.  One of the tenders had engine problems so had to return and another one lowered and readied.  I picked up my tender ticket shortly after 10 and my number wasn’t called until 11:30. 

It had been raining heavily when I woke up but had tapered off to just sprinkling by the time we arrived in Georgetown, the capital of the Cayman Islands. There are three Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman being the largest at about 76 square miles.

The tour I chose was called “Cayman Island Highlights and Turtle Farm”.  We set off promptly at 12:30. There were 15 in our group in a mini-bus.  Kent was out driver/guide.  We started out driving along some of the priciest real estate on the island – Seven Mile Beach.  Lots of expensive condos and hotels along with a few mansions.

Our first stop was at the Turtle Farm.  They breed sea turtles here.  Capturing and killing turtles for their meat used to be one of the major industries on the island, so replenishing the number in the wild was important. 

We were able to see turtles at different ages (some live to be 100).  Know how to tell the difference between a male and female sea turtle?  The males have longer tails.  Most of the turtles bred here are released back into the sea when old enough. 

One of the high points of the day was being able to hold one of the baby turtles.  For being so small it was amazing the strength in their flippers.

Next after the turtle farm we went straight to Hell.  Yes, one of the districts on Grand Cayman is called Hell.  We were able to see the formations that gave the area its name.  Hell even has its own post office.

After leaving Hell we went to taste the rum cakes.  I usually don’t care for alcohol flavored food but they were very good.

Then it was back to the downtown area where I walked around for a bit before the rain started again and I took the tender back to the ship.

It was already 4 pm so I grabbed a sandwich in the Lido (I hadn’t eaten anything but that square inch of rum cake all day). 

Trivia was at 5.  Two of our group from yesterday was not there but we were able to get three more to join.  Today’s questions were much harder than yesterday’s and we only got 13 out of 17 points (winners had 16).

1)What color were the Ghostbusters overalls in the original movie?

2)What is Shakespeare’s shortest comedy?

3)Who captured the most headlines in Britain in the fall of 1888?

4)What is the length of a regulation soccer match?

We left port a little bit late and I watched the sail-away on the Promenade deck.

On the way to dinner I stopped at Guest Relations to leave a thank-you note for Captain Mercer for attending the Meet and Greet and ask why I had received a messenger bag for the wrong cruise and the wrong ship.  They had no idea but said they would check into it.

All seven were present for dinner.  I had a Caesar salad, Beef Stroganoff, and Crème Brulee.

The evening entertainment was David Meyer who played the Xylo-synth (sp?) (a high-tech xylophone) and played laser beams (no idea of how that is done).  His wife also performed in a couple of his numbers.

We gain an hour of sleep tonight and tomorrow is a sea day.

Museum still decorated for Christmas

The Governor's Mansion

A typical old-style home built with native materials

Two pictures of turtles in the breeding pond

Not fully grown yet

A view of the breeding pond with the center in the background

Holding one of the babies (Kent, our guide, is behind me)

             Wasn't expecting to get here quite this soon!

The post office from Hell

The "phytokarst"

                     Chickens run free all over the island

The cat paid no attention to the chickens (after I took the picture the cat climbed the chain link fence)

                                      School in Hell

                                 Cannibal chickens???

Five street scenes

   Another gift - a travel journal with the correct information!

Trivia answers…

1)green

2)Comedy of Errors

3)Jack the Ripper

4)90 minutes

Smooth sailing until next time!