Cayman Kai and Rum Point
5/29/03
Journal excerpt - 7PM
Today I dropped David off at the airport, but not without one last test to my patience. For an international flight, one is told to be at the airport two hours early to have enough time for the extra processing of customs and other security-related factors. Well, David insisted on going by a gift shop (that was 15 minutes away from the airport) so that he could buy souvenirs for his friends back home. I waited in the car as he went in. About 15 minutes later (when he was supposed to be at the airport), I went into the gift shop to find that David had bought 50 souvenir turtles and he was individually wrapping them in tissue paper so they wouldn’t get damaged on the flight. I was puzzled. I actually think I passed this “patience test” (I didn't respond with anger), but for the wrong reasons. Personally, I think two hours at the airport is excessive anyway, so I didn’t feel rushed. However, I did wonder what David was thinking, but that’s a subject for another day.
We did make it to the airport in time. At least I think we did. David disappeared into the terminal and I didn’t receive a phone call from him later saying that I needed to return to the airport to pick him up (not that I would have gone and gotten him after the tissue incident - ( I'm joking, of course)). I assume that David made it back to the States safely.
I decided to spend my last
full day on the island exploring several of the spots that I had wanted to spend
more time at. I’m glad that I did. I found that there was much more to Rum
Point than I knew was out there. I had never before taken the road all the way
to Cayman Kai instead opting to stop at the Rum Point beach. The end of the
island turned out to be an upscale residential playground for the rich and
famous.
The community I found there
reminded me a lot of those in Beverly Hills, California. The streets were tight
together with little room to maneuver, yet hid large and luxurious houses that
faced the water. The scale of the houses did not approach that of Beverly
Hills, but the neighborhoods looked similar. The beaches behind the houses were
facing a private cove with water so serene that I could scarcely spot a wave on
it. If I had had my gear with me, I would have surely gone in for a snorkel.
When I approached one of the docks to take a photo or two, I spotted a turtle in the open waters. It had found a dead fish at the bottom of the shallows and was doing a little bit of scavenging. David had commented before he left yesterday how neither of us had seen a turtle while we were on the island (which he regretted not seeing). The Cayman Island mascot is the turtle and the island group was once famous for possessing turtles in large numbers. Grand Cayman still boasts an impressive turtle farm, which is popular with the tourists, but we chose not to attend. Some of the colors on the turtle’s shell were a surprisingly explosive red, gold, orange, and even a little yellow. I have never seen such beautiful colors on a turtle and wondered if a prankster was hiding nearby with an empty Crayola box.
I think if I were to ever go back to Grand Cayman, I would want to spend more time in the Rum Point area. It was far superior to other parts of the island, and would certainly be my target if I ever lived on the island.
On my way back into town, I
stopped off at a few other sites short of the town of Breakers, which is east of
Bodden Town. There are just so many wonderful places along the beach that it is
difficult not to stop to take a photo or shoot some video every two or three
minutes. In one particular place along the beach there lives the most
interesting trees. I’m not sure what they are called, but their leaves are a
yellow and brownish color and look a lot like trees in the states in
mid-autumn. Some of the leaves had already fallen off, while others still clung
tight. With the backdrop of the blue Caribbean waters and golden sand, these
trees created quite an intriguing and beautiful picture. I had spent time there
before.
It
wasn't far from this location that I encountered a pristine and abandoned beach
that ended up being my daytime tropical domicile for quite some time.
Right off the main highway was a set of shady palms next to the beach, complete
with shade, cool breezes, and a pair of rickety hammocks. I couldn't
resist enjoying a brief snooze, as I dream about these sorts of pleasurable
dream scenarios on days such as these
(please click here).
I don’t anticipate writing
again as my vacation is coming to an end soon. There really isn’t that much
more I want to do or say. I just went into town to get some dinner and now I am
once again relaxing under my favorite palm tree behind the Turtle Nest Inn. In
an hour or two it will be dark and I will watch the NBA conference finals on
television before going to bed. My flight in the morning isn’t until 1PM; so I
don’t have to rush to get to the airport . . . I can take my time.
All in all, this has been a most memorable vacation, which I was in dire need of. I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish. I swam with, fed, and held the giant Sting Rays at Sting Ray City, I snorkeled through some of the best coral reefs in the world, I spent many hours leisurely reading and writing, and I relaxed along Grand Cayman’s countless beaches and finally saw the waters I had pictured in my dreams.
Many people grumble at the conclusion of their vacations, but not me. God has blessed me to have done what I wanted to do here. I can go home now with contentment.
You may download my Grand Cayman 2003 screensavers at Webshots
