Island time

So being the adventureous people that we are, when we disembarked on Grand Cayman Island we immediately hopped on some scooters and took off to see what we could see. Actually the real reason was to get out of the downtown area where it was jam-packed with tourists from 5! cruise ships in port at the same time -- crazy crowded! Heidi, Paul & I are really comfortable riding motorized vehicles like this since we have had dirt bikes and off-road motorcycles for ever. Heidi and all our kids learned to ride when they were 8. The part of this adventure that was a little unsettling to me was the fact that traffic drives on the lefthand side of the road. I guess a left over from the British colony days. I just kept telling myself to "stay left" and it didn't take long to adjust. The biggest challenge came when we had to deal with a roundabout intersection. Thankfully we were basically going straight so we didn't have to go around and around and try to break out. I think the locals are pretty used to sightseeing tourists but I wasn't sure if that meant they would be cautious or they would just love to get rid of a few if possible!

Grand Cayman is mostly known for its' fabulous beaches and beautiful, clear water that is perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. Of course one of the biggest tourist draws is Stingray City. Heidi has been to Grand Cayman several times before and she had done Stingray City on "cruise day" and she said it was not enjoyable so we opted for a land based experience. Here is Paul going to Hell! I have tried to warn him that he is headed in this direction but he hasn't listened and sure enough, look at that! Just kidding, honey because Heidi and I were right behind him! This was a quirky little destination. It is a section of the island where the beach is this rocky, black, rough shoreline -- no sand at all. Very unique. We drove through the authentic, everyday areas of the people who live here on this island. It was fun to see the kids playing soccer and clothes hanging out on the clothelines. They have these tiny neighborhood grocery stores that are about the size of a backyard shed but they are all painted very colorful. I loved the one that advertised cow heads, cow feet and cow tripe for sale. We did find a delightful, oceanside grill and stopped for a delicious lunch. I ordered my favorite seafood, coconut shrimp!

We couldn't leave without being able to say we have swam in the waters of Grand Cayman so on our way back to town, we pulled over and Paul went for a dip. Heidi and I got in about up to our thighs but the water was colder than we expected (or needed). Don't you just love that Carribean blue color of the ocean... so beautiful! And the sand was the softest sand I have EVER run my toes through! So there you go, another day in Paradise!