Ohhh Grand
Cayman, the beautiful Caribbean atoll surrounded
by crystal clear water and powdery white
beaches......
I guess we
could start by giving a full history of the
Islands, by
describing how and why Grand Cayman has over 600
banks and scores of financial institutions, tax
exempt companies, captive insurance
conglomerates, that Columbus first sighted our
Island in 1503, (I wonder why he never stopped
and relaxed on the beach a while......I surely
would have!) but you can find that
information on a gazillion websites. I
rather explain why tourism is still our biggest
economic factor and visitors just keep coming
back year after year. Like many timeshare
owners, you just might be on your way to meeting
your home away from home on your next visit
here.
The people
The people of
the Cayman Islands, now 40,000+, are
amongst the friendliest found. The lack of
prejudice towards race or color makes up a
society were all are equal. Many visitors
comment "We went to a restaurant and were seated
by a Canadian, an Australian took our order, an
American served us dinner and a
Caymanian
brought us the bill..." Cultural diversity has
helped the Island reach a comfort level to all
who visit incomparable to other locations found
in the world. There are small instances,
hardly noticed to all of who have lived here for
a long time, that make life here enviable to
most visitors. The other day, a friend was
driving his family to the airport when his car
broke down. Within minutes a car stopped
(my friend lifted his car's "hood", the Cayman
sign of road distress) to see if they were ok.
Not only did the person who stopped take
everyone to the airport, he even brought my
friend back to his car and gave him a tow to the
mechanic. That story sounds normal and
boring if told to a Caymanian, outlandish if
told in other parts of the world.......
Crime
Crime is
almost nonexistent here, we enjoy one of the
lowest crime rates in the world. Perhaps
it's a product of extremely low unemployment
rates or it's Christian heritage, ether way the
low crime is what makes Grand Cayman (not to
forget it's sister Isles Cayman Brac and Little
Cayman) a favorite family vacation spot.
Here you will find no solicitation, rude/pushy
street vendors, beggars or people loitering.
Well, many of us do loiter on the beach quite a
bit, but that's another story....
Infrastructure
With
unparalleled state of the art telecommunications
systems, world class medical services and
education, road systems, quality and quantity of
products, one can't help but feels as if we live
in the "real world". Just a trip to one of
the many Super Markets will give you an idea of
what I'm talking about. There you can find
fully stocked shelves with all of the products
found in North America as well as European,
Central/South American and Asia. Water is
potable Island wide and "electric blackouts" are
so few that they have became an enjoyable
novelty. If you are lucky enough to
experience one, make sure to step outside and
look at the stars or go to the bar, they usually
serve free drinks because the cash registers
don't work....
The beaches
The beaches
should have been first on my list of importance
but what good are beautiful tropical beaches if
one can't walk on one at night to look at stars?
The powdery white sand combined with the every
shade of blue and green imaginable of the
crystal clear water makes the beach
irresistible. Without the ever-present
beach vendors found elsewhere, our visitors (and
don't forget the locals!) can relax for hours
and soak in the rays in peace. Walking the
beach at night is one of my favorite pastimes,
the stars, sound of the waves and overall
tranquility makes life magical. The other
day, early in the morning, I was walking my dog
on the beach. When not far from my house
there was a couple sleeping on a blanket.
A couple of drinks still sat next to them from
the night before, as well as her purse and other
artifacts. That surely made me appreciate
where I live, where else in the world can you
sit on a beach at night and simply fall asleep
for the night? You should have seen his
face when my dog woke him up by licking his
face, but that's another story..........
The Diving
and Snorkeling
The Caymans
have long being considered one of the top dive/snorkel
destinations in the world. That being
said, most people don't realize the full reason
behind the number 3 rating in the world awarded
by many, if not all, dive magazines. It
could be the clarity of the water, (100ft
visibility is considered just an o.k. dive here
by locals, we are more used to 200ft viz) the
sheer drop of the Cayman Wall, an indescribable
feeling as you look over a ledge that is deeper
than the Grand Canyon or the abundant sea life.
Well, all those things are somewhat expected by
most divers since they have read all the reviews
by the "magazine experts". What people
mostly miss or should I say "take for granted"
is the proximity to dive sites found Island
wide. It only takes minutes to reach the
Cayman wall from any part of the Island by boat
or even by fin power. Shallow dives and
snorkeling sites are
just as accessible as well. Yes, shore
diving and snorkeling are two of the best gifts nature could
have given us, as locals usually just "jump in
and swim out" top our favorite dive/snorkel spots.
The professionalism and friendliness of all
dive operators, the safety factors such us
hardly any currents, big waves or cold water
temperature make Grand Cayman a pleasure to
explore by all ages. Diving in 86F°
water will spoil you for life!
Restaurants
There are currently 300+ restaurants in the
Cayman Islands. You will be able to find
multi-national cuisine as well as local
delicacies such as Conch, Lobster and Turtle.
So, if you will be visiting for just one week
you will have to pick wisely from the multitude
of choices offered here.
