Today we go on the “Coast-to-coast Scenic Drive” excursion around
Grand Cayman. We had to get up very early
since we arrived just off port and begin our tour at around 7:00 am which is just shortly after we anchor. So while we are waiting on the upper decks, we were able to view the pretty
sunrise.
The ship does not “dock” at a pier in Grand Cayman and we have
to get to shore using one of the tenders/life boats from the ship. Only today the swells are big and rough and
it is taking some time to get on and off of the tenders, so our 7:00 am tour start time didn’t happen until after 9:00 am. There’s
Carmen, last in line to get on.
We get to the dock and get off the tender/life boat. I get a picture of the tender with the town in the background. The picture does not show how rough the seas are, but just before this picture was taken, the tender was
lower so the exit from the boat was level with the dock, about a 2-foot drop/rise.
After getting to our bus we begin our tour by heading north on the West Bay Rd and
made a short stop at the Tortuga Rum Co.
Inside we (or I should say I because Carmen does not drink alcohol) sampled the rum and the rum cakes. Both were good. I should have Carmen come with me so I can get double shots!
Just behind Tortuga Rum Co. are the Caribbean Sea and the
north end of Seven Mile Beach. With the wave action, there are some nice breakers hitting
the rocks.
The waters here are a pretty blue and look very inviting. Not so much from the surf hitting the rocky shore,
but for the views. We could have stayed
here for some time watching the waves break on the rocks but, the bus is waiting.
Our next stop is Hell. So I can now say that we have visited Hell and have the passport stamps to prove it. Yes, we went into the Post Office where they will stamp your passport for you. We also mailed a couple of post cards which will have the Hell post mark.
Pretty much Hell was named when a dignitary visited the
location where these rock formations are located and said it looked like
hell. The name stuck. Now the Post Office is here along with a
souvenir shop, but not much else. Oh, we also took Hell
Drive to get here.
While in Hell, we saw many roosters and chickens that
run free on the island. This is one of the
roosters that was nearby and had some good color.
Welcome to Hell, or should I say goodbye from Hell, see-ya. Our visit was not very long, mostly just so people can buy and mail a postcard and see the rock formations that signify the town's name. Now we are off.
After leaving Hell and as we continue our drive around the
island, we see a number of the iguana that makes the island home. The driver of the van we were in slowed down where
several sunned on a bridge so people could get a picture. I hear they taste like chicken!
We traveled passed the airport and then through Bodden Town
to reach the coast where several “blowholes” are located. Unfortunately, because the wave action is
moving in the wrong direction, there is not much in the way blowhole activity. We did get a picture or two when a couple of large waves did came our way.
Continuing along the coast road, we pass where the “Wreck of
the Ten Sails” is located. We are told
that there is really nothing to see since the wrecks happened in the mid 1500-1600’s. There is nothing to see, except the reef
which we can see along our drive and this screw, from a ship purposely run
aground for the insurance. On to the beach.
Reaching Rum Point, our final destination at the end of the island, where we disembark and
take in the beach. There are a number of
people snorkeling along the beach area. The water is very clear with some grass on the bottom.
There
are also with several personal water craft available if you choose to go on a
ride. The temperature of the waters is about 84°.
From the beach we can look out along the dock to where the
sightseeing and snorkeling boats are.
As on most beaches where travelers go, there is a directions
tree. No different here. Although, they do not point to
the right direction, it merely recognizes where the employees are from.
While walking around the beach, there are beach chairs and picnic tables. So, while we are here, we have a little lunch at the Rum Bar. Nearby where we ate, there are also directions to “Relax, you’re on Cayman Time”.
Instead of drinking a rum runner, we found another iguana on the beach, only this one is the
painted type. We have seen a few of these around the island and this is the closest one we have been near.
On our return to the ship, the driver of our van stops by
the “shoe” tree. Couldn’t get a good
picture because we are sitting on the other side of the van and we didn’t stop. In any case you get the idea. Shoes going up the tree beginning at the ground up to about 20 feet above the ground.
Back in George Town, we took a quick walk around town before
getting on the next tender back to the ship.
Like on other islands, here Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville is prominent on
the main street. There are other places like a Harley Davidson store, but there are so many people here, we just head back to the tender.
After getting back on the ship, which took some time since the wave action hasn't subsided much and having left Grand Cayman in our wake, we
were treated to a gorgeous sunset.
We stayed up late watching the sunset by the outside pool
area where we had dinner at the buffet and also enjoyed the songs of the disco era along with the ship’s
dancers.
