Grand Cayman Adventures

Nothing is more inviting than sun and 85 degrees on a cool November morning in NJ so I was ecstatic to be heading off to the Cayman Islands to visit Nathan and Jenn.  Upon my arrival we headed straight to the opening festivities of Pirate Week 2010.  The pirates came in via boat to start the parade off which was full of fun floats, music and pirates!

After a great parade we met up with two of their friends for an evening of dinner and donut making which proved for a great evening of fun and laughter!

On Sunday I spent the entire day at their pool enjoying the picturesque views of the Caribbean sea.  Who wouldn't want this to be the view they see every morning when they wake up?!  I would take this for my backyard any day!

 Sunday night we had a fabulous dinner at the Cracked Conch.  The ambiance at the Cracked Conch was delightful.  We practically had the entire restaurant to ourselves and sat right on the water.  The food was absolutely exquisite and the company was just as enjoyable.

 Monday was a holiday in the Cayman Islands in honor of Remembrance Day a British Holiday since the Caymans are affiliated with Great Britain. (Two years ago I was in London for Remembrance Day touring Westminster Abbey - History of Westminster Abbey vs. Boat Day in the Caymans - it's a toss up on which day I will remember more in the future - probably the warmer one!!!)  So one of Jenn's coworkers organized a boat day.  There were about two dozen accountants and friends assembled at the yacht club to begin an afternoon of sun, swimming, sting rays, and starfish!

Our first stop on the boat tour was to dive for conch shells.  Imagine twenty something accountants diving off a boat emerging from the water with beautiful white and pink conch shells and then having the boat captain extract the fish from inside and then seeing everyone eat the raw fish!  Priceless!!!!

We then made our way to Stingray City to swim with the stingrays.  I may have been screaming the whole time but it was the neatest experience ever.  The stingrays were so smooth and silky.

After Stingray City we made our way to rum point. The boat docked in the middle of the sea and we swam/walked through the sea to shore.  Rum point was a beautiful pristine beach and we relaxed there for a bit before heading to Starfish point.

I have never seen such beautiful starfish.  The intricate details of the starfish were beautiful.

After Starfish Point we headed to Kaibo for a nice dinner at dusk/in the dark on the beach.  Traditional Caribbean Island food was enjoyed by all.  On our way back to the yacht club on the dark seas we enjoyed seeing some fireworks in honor of Remembrance Day. 

On Tuesday Nate and Jenn had to go back to work so I kept myself occupied at the Ritz Carlton Resort and Spa all day.  I started my day off with a nice spa treatment then enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the veranda.  The Ritz is located right on Seven Mile Beach - the main tourist attraction beach on Grand Cayman.  I basked in the Cayman sun all afternoon with occasional dips into the Caribbean and some lingering walks up and down Seven Mile Beach.

I woke up early on Wednesday morning to make sure I got some more sun time before heading home.  I laid out by the pool taking in the beautiful views for a few hours before boarding my flight back to the states.

This was a short trip by my standards but it was perfect.  The weather, the views, the catching up with old friends, and meeting new friends made for a perfect first trip to the Cayman Islands and my last major vacation until May 2011.