Celebrating the New Year on the Jewel of the Seas – Day 3 Grand Cayman

Elmslie Memorial United Church-Grand Cayman

Today promised to be a very good day, Randy was finally feeling well enough to eat breakfast at the Windjammer.  We had discovered that if you walked straight through the Windjammer towards the back of the ship there was a wonderful eating area with a beautiful view of the water.  The other reason it was going to be a really good day, today we drop anchor at Georgetown, Grand Cayman.  We love Grand Cayman.  The island is beautiful, the people are very friendly, there is a lot to do and we always have fun.

We have been to Grand Cayman several times over the years and have loved each and every visit.  The first time we visited the island we did the touristy round of many points of interest around the island.  We visited the Turtle Farm, went to Hell and Back, and the Tortuga rum cake factory.

Our next visit we asked a very nice local resident how to get to a beach that is frequented by the locals.  He gave us the directions to a beach that was beautiful, had great snorkeling and best of all only a few people would be on the beach.  He also gave us directions for taking a local bus to the beach and it only cost $1.  While Randy was snorkeling he came face-to-face with a barracuda.  It was very exciting.  We returned to the port jumping on another local bus.  Not really sure what the bus would cost today but it was a pleasant way to travel around the island.

This visit we decided to just take a leisurely walk around the town.  The first place that caught our interest was a beautiful, small church that was celebrating its 90^th anniversary of the dedication of the sanctuary.  We took a few moments to walk inside of the Elmslie Memorial United Church.  I loved the wooden pews, the stained glass windows and enjoyed seeing the church still decorated for the holidays.

While we were there we notice a beautiful rooster and hen walking around the parking lot.  I’m sure to people walking by I looked a little weird stalking this rooster through the bushes and around parked cars but I was determined to get a picture.  Yes, I was successful.  I did a little research and could not find a reason why roosters roam free on the island but that is fine with me I just think it is wonderful!

Now it was time to turn our attention to important quests.  Like so many people today Randy was having withdrawal not being able to access his email and Facebook
accounts so one of our objectives this morning was to find a shop that had Wi-Fi.  I asked someone if there was a Starbucks around and he said, “No”, but told us that there was a coffee house just a few blocks down.

We stopped at the Café del Sol and I have to tell you it might as well have been a Starbucks, or for that matter any other coffee house that offered free Wi-Fi.  Every seat along the windowed wall was full of patrons using laptops, iPhones, etc. to get connected.  Randy was a happy camper.  Me, I ordered a Chai Latte and enjoyed my surroundings while he got ‘connected’.  The outside seating was very island sporting sectioned brightly colored benches and tables under a grass roof.

While drinking my latte I kept hearing a rooster crowing.  Intrigued I got up and went to search him out.  I finally found the rooster in the town square.  He was beautiful.  Eventually he made his way across the street all to the amusement of every tourist that walked by.

We struck out again stopping periodically in shops looking for magnets for Kristine.  Some years ago we brought Kristine a colorful magnet from one of the islands for her refrigerator.  Now, every time we tell Kristine that we are traveling she says, “Don’t forget to bring me back a magnet”.  Her refrigerator door is loaded with fun magnets that we have picked up from all over the western Caribbean.  On our trek we stopped for a cold, refreshing local beer called Caybrew at the Cayman Cabana bar.  The beer was very good.

We returned to the ship and promptly went back to the Solarium pool and enjoyed writing, reading, swimming, and at times, napping the afternoon away.

We were joined once again by our friendly tablemates, Jim and Erin and enjoyed lively conversations about food, travel and how we spent our day on the island.  The topic of food seems to be a favorite of Jim’s.  Dinner was lovely as usual but my favorite was tonight’s dessert.  The menu had as one of its choices a dessert sampler that included a flourless-chocolate cake, vanilla cheesecake and elderberry mouse with strawberry jelly.  Each dessert was just yummy and perfectly sized.  I walked away from the dinner table satisfied but not full.

The entertainment this evening was a comedic routine by John Joseph and Johnny B.  Randy loves comedy routines so he headed to the theatre.  I needed a quiet evening so I returned to the cabin and caught up on some reading and my  beauty rest.

Today was wonderful.  Tomorrow we stop in Cozumel.

Enjoy,

Mary

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