- British protectorate known as part of the British West Indies
- They drive on the opposite side of the street of course
- The island is full of wild chickens - they even appear within establishments
- To cross the crosswalk you need to push a button first otherwise you are fair game to get run over
- No real industry except for tourism and being a tax free haven for companies
- No personal income tax or sales tax
- Government revenue from levy against imported goods - all goods here are imported and expensive!
- Plus, government revenue from work visas and banking industry
- Grand Cayman time is really really REALLY laid back--no one is in a hurry to do anything quickly here
- Reef encircles the island
- People are very friendly
- Exchange rate for Canadians and even Americans is brutal: 1 GC dollar = 1.20 USD
- Immigrants cannot give birth here
- If you marry a Grand Caymaian you cannot divorce during the first seven years otherwise you are gone
- Work visas are all only temporary for nine years
- If you buy property valued at greater than $500K then you obtain residency status
- New hospital run specializing in heart surgeries, hip and knee replacements with doctors mostly from India
- Traffic circles everywhere and with signs "Give Way" rather than "Yield"
- No homeless in Grand Cayman given everyone besides a native is working and for natives they provide a home and welfare monies
- Many cruise ships stop at Georgetown
- Rum cakes are delicious
- Jerk pork is super yummy
- The waters are crystal clear in the most vivid blue colours
For both of us this is our last morning in Grand Cayman. We head down to the lobby area to use our 30GC dollar coupon for breakfast. Randy orders a banana nutella flambé crepe and orange juice. Lana gets a chia seed pudding and a bacon quiche. We take it back to our room and eat on the balcony overlooking the ocean and pool/beach below. Another cruise ship anchored. Lana needs to do some real work before we leave for the airport and I want one last swim. It is sunny off and on and still some wind. I found a chair right on the water's edge. In fact the water laps up below my chaise lounge chair!
Lana got a complimentary Champagne and we mixed the orange juice to create our own Mimosa for our last meal in Grand Cayman. We go out in style! ha ha
The view from our balcony on the third floor.
Cruise ship not too far away!
The beach front at our Marriott hotel.
The water is much clearer today although still not as clear as the Westin beach. Mark and Ruth are staying here as well and on the same flight out of here. Lots of fish can be seen even without snorkel gear. Large schools of small silvery tuna all around me at various places. Ruth said there are about 30 varieties of reef fish. Watched a huge cruise ship come into the harbour. It got sunnier as the morning got later. I swam a couple of times and enjoyed every minute of it. We need to check out by 11:20 am so back to the room for a shower and pack the suitcase.
Taxi to the airport driven by Barrington. He is originally from Jamaica. Paid $25USD for a ten minute ride. Good gig being a taxi driver here! The Air Canada check-in was a shit show. Completely disorganized and no priority check-in line. Lana needs to find her boss Dan's laptop that he forgot at security yesterday. She has to get out of the security line and then go back to find his laptop. I wait at Gate 6 as that is where Lana will fly out to Charlotte, North Carolina. I eat the jerk pork from yesterday - yummy! I pay $2.50USD for a small bottle of water!
It has been a great trip to an island we will probably never visit again given how hard it is to visit from Vancouver. Plus, it is rather expensive. I see Lana off at her gate and then make my way to Gate #2 for the flight to Toronto. I connect in Toronto to a flight to Vancouver and thankfully both flights are on time. It is a long travel day, but worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment