The Cayman Stingby Heather R. Burke
Located in the British West Indies just 100 miles south of Cuba, it is these same beautiful tranquil clear waters that attract so many visitors each year to the Caymans. From around the globe tourists flock to dive the legendary wall, coral reefs, and abandoned shipwrecks. In addition to the spectacular reefs many fascinating, multi-colored sea creatures call these seas home. In fact, Cayman is generally considered one of the top five dive destinations in the world. We had come for a relaxing beach vacation with the kids. We found a beautiful �7 Mile Beach�, stretching along the West End of the 26-mile long Grand Cayman. The sand is so white, fine and pure, my daughter referred to it as �snow, only hot!� The Caribbean Sea is warm and brilliantly turquoise, which we found perfect for little snorkeling adventures. I am no diver, as I take issue with restricted breathing, but I was amazed at the variety of marine life I could see as I snorkeled along the surface. We swam with parrotfish, angelfish, big tarpon, grouper, and red snapper. We encountered nasty looking barracuda, stingrays, squid and the occasional sea turtle. These mammals are so accustomed to seeing divers and snorkelers that they are curiously friendly and will brush right up to you. As the trendy expression goes, these fish are �in your face�.�� Snorkeling can be a highly entertaining and educational family activity, once your children are strong swimmers. Cayman has done well in recent years to assure their underwater world is well preserved and unspoiled. As the islanders said to us at the Eden Rock dive shop, �take only pictures, leave only bubbles�. Once you slip into the relaxed, Caribbean attitude of the Caymanians, you will find that one week is not enough time to partake in all the activities, but along the beach you can rent every water sport imaginable. There are some great fishing charters if you are looking for a big catch of Marlin, Tuna, or Wahoo.
On the Island�s South side, Pedro�s Castle is worth the twenty-minute drive from 7-mile beach to explore the restored island home that portrays early settlers� island life.
This shopping Mecca is where the multitudes of cruise ships unload their passengers for the day, and these �boat people� then proceed to unload their money. There are some incredible tax-free bargains to be had on imported jewelry and crystal. We did find one more �sting� in Cayman, the �sting� to our pocketbook. In general Cayman is a very expensive destination. Although there is no property, sales or income tax, just a $10 per person departure tax, you do pay a pretty penny as most everything is imported. On this wealthy oasis, there are more banks than in all of Manhattan. Like Switzerland, Cayman has laws protecting the privacy of individual financial information. So this is why the Caymans are the money-laundering destination in every John Grisham novel. In fact, Tom Cruise graced the island for the filming of �The Firm�. There are too many accommodations to choose from on the beach. In fact, Cayman has been less than chaste in their development of condos, chain hotels and strip malls, and traffic has become an issue. Fortunately the beach and the surrounding waters are truly sparkling clean. Even on a busy holiday weekend, strolling the long, sandy beach is peaceful and refreshing.
As we held our son�s frightened little body at 1AM in �Casualty�, the British equivalent of emergency care at the Hospital, we were glad to be in the care of such warm Caymanian people.� �Ya mon, we see all kinds of stings from the sea creatures. The hot water and the vinegar take the sting out and he be okay,� said our doctor in his soothing rhythmic island tone. Resilient is youth and powerful is the draw to the sea. Two days later our son was back in that beautiful sea swimming and splashing, having the time of his life without a care in the world. When we gathered our parental courage for a night out, we explained to our Caymanian babysitter our son�s traumatic sea tale; she replied, �you don�t see many of our people in the water, do ya mon�. My husband and I did enjoy a lovely dinner at the Grand Old House, formerly famed Chef Tell�s restaurant. I highly recommend the native conch fritters and the deliciously fresh red snapper served Cayman style saut�ed with tomatoes, green peppers and wonderful spices. The traditional accompaniment of rice and beans cooked in coconut milk is outstanding. My husband could not resist turtle after his trip to the Turtle Farm; hold the shell please. �It tastes like chicken,� he declared. Sipping a Cayman Mama, an island favorite rum drink, while listening to The Barefoot Man and his steel drum band was the perfect end to a day in paradise. When you go to Cayman, bring your credit cards with a zero balance to charge up. The credit card bill upon return will sting a bit. Lather on the sun block, the sunshine is intense. Then take a step back into island time as no one is in a rush. The Caymanians have an expression �soon come�, which supposedly means �it is coming.� But don�t be too anxious about the �soon� part. Have another Cayman Mama and relax. Oh, and my son would advise, �watch out for the jellyfish, mon�. Author Heather R. Burke � 2000 by Heather R. Burke. Reproduction of this work, in whole or in part, including images, without written consent from the author and photographer is prohibited. -Updated 9-21-00- |
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�Ouch, something bit me� screamed our 5-year-old son. Moments before he had been so contentedly splashing in the gentle 6-inch waves where the soft white sand meets the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. Suddenly my husband and I were jumping from our beach chairs to aid our boy. Our family�s dream vacation in the fabled Cayman Islands, home to international investors and underwater enthusiasts alike, had a jellyfish �sting� to it. 
A fun all-day adventure is a snorkeling boat trip with Captain Marvin including a freshly caught lunch, snorkeling, and a swim with the rays in Sting Ray City. 
If you wish to remain dry, there is tennis, or even submarine rides. And Grand Cayman now boasts two seaside golf courses. I do recommend you make a point to visit the world�s only Turtle Farm, where they breed turtles for release, and paradoxically - for dinner at many of the fine local restaurants. The kids loved seeing the turtles in captivity, more so than any other stop on our one rainy day island tour. 
Speaking of island life, Cayman has one very strong advantage over other Caribbean islands, their incredibly friendly people. The Caymanians are a proud people; they have a higher standard of living than other islands, a much lower crime rate, and less racial tension. This made me much more comfortable visiting the plethora of duty free boutiques in downtown Georgetown. 
We stayed at the Beachcomber, an ideally located condominium property in the center of the 7-mile beach. Its beachfront location allowed us to lounge from our beach chairs, to the sea or the swimming pool. A short walk across the street from the Beachcomber is a full service grocery store, liquor market, and a few strip malls with shops and restaurants.