Nora & Her Family
in the Caymans
Jason came through, so we should be connected.
Our family holiday had a bumpy start, but it's been
smooth sailing since.
Everyone managed to get to the airport hotel where it was
drinks, dinner and early to bed as we needed to catch the
5:30 A.M. shuttle to the airport the next morning. Everyone
made that, too, though there were a few yawns and heavy
eyes. Hauled our small mountain of luggage to the Delta
counter where we're informed, gee, sorry, the fight to
Atlanta's delayed. Delayed beyond the time where we can make
our connection to the Caymans. The offer is to switch us to
American, which will fly us to Miami, then the Caymans, or
haul us down to National Airport. Either way, our first
class seats are history for the second leg.
Nobody's happy with this, and since this has happened to
me once too often with Delta, I'm crossing them off my list.
Wait, wait, wait while the clerk fills out the transfer
forms. Haul luggage down to American counter. Wait, wait,
wait while we're plugged in there. I remember why I hate
traveling. LOL.
Still, the flight to Miami is only about 20 minutes late
taking off. Now the problem is getting everyone from E
terminal to C terminal. They have no carts in Miami to scoot
you over. So we walk, and walk some more.
The short fight from Miami to Grand Cayman is only about
20 minutes delayed taking off. Most of this delay is after
we're all scrunched into our three across coach seats.
But an hour later, we've landed. Shuffle through one of
the longest Customs lines I've ever seen. They take this
stuff seriously here, apparently. Get through that and have
to go through a second, longer, slower line where the woman
officer in charge of our section is checking at least one
bag of every passenger. Jeez. Yes, sir, my mother looks like
a smuggler all right.
Find a place for Mom to sit in the shade while Dan and BW
go get the van we've rented for the first week. The air is
warm and thick--I just suck it up. Everything's green and
blue. The van arrives quickly--yay!--and we're off to the
hotel.
Traffic is surprisingly heavy, and the island is neat and
pretty as a postcard. Lots of money down here, and it shows.
We find Seven Mile Beach and after one little mistake, our
hotel. The main hotel is on the opposite side of the road
from the beachfront. It's big and white and surrounded by
flowers and foliage. It seems very British colonies to me.
Everyone is smiling here, warmly welcoming. The front
desk clerk cheerfully begins to check us all in while he
associate offers us champagne, mimosas, fizzy water, or
anything else cold and refreshing we might like. I manage to
refrain from kissing this woman on the mouth and just take
the champagne.
Our rooms are on the beachfront complex. Driving across
is tricky with that heavy traffic, and no stop light, be BW
does the job. Over here we have another pretty white, flower
strewn building, and a small lobby with our own concierge.
We're welcomed, sent up to our rooms with our luggage in our
wake.
We're all on the first floor--and as my mom's room isn't
quite ready, she comes in with us after we all peek into
Dan's and Stacie's suite. It's just lovely. Bright, cheerful
colors, bit doorwalls with a view of the sea, and a little
balcony off the bedroom.
We have a two bedroom, with Jason taking the second. And
a big terrace off the parlor. Room enough for chaises and a
table, chairs. I know we'll be living out there a lot.
We dump stuff, toss clothes away, then head down to the
restaurant for lunch. We're all starving. A margarita
revives me just fine, and sitting on the pretty restaurant
terrace we eat like refugees.
We get Mom into her room and she opts to take a rest.
Can't blame her a bit. The rest of the crew heads down to
beach and pool. Two pools here, one with a swim up bar.
Everything with tropical gardens swirled through lining
walkways. I plop down with a book and another margarita by
the pool. Jason plops down in a chaise by the beach. The
others try out the sea.
I wander down at one point, notice Jason is zonked. Watch
the boats, consider another drink. Why not? Take it with me
up to the room where I can stand in solitary spendlor on the
terrace. Note Jason is still out, and am glad he's pulled
the awning over his head or he'd been extra crispy by now.
Read awhile longer, make the effort to put my clothes
away properly. Wander down to the shops and buy a hat and a
very nice breezy beach shirt. Wander down to the beach
again, where Jason is still dead asleep. Sit with BW a bit
and suggest we just order pizza for dinner and eat on our
terrace.
Jason finally changes positions. LOL. Sits up like
someone coming out of a coma. Pizza works for him. It works
for Dan and Stacie, too. My mom is happy in her suite, and
tired from the long day. She opts to just watch a little TV
and turn in early.
I have a nice time on my terrace watching a catamaran
take off for its short sunset cruise. And the sky is going
pink over the water.
We order a variety of pizza for the five of us and sit
out in the balmy dark. Despite the long day, everyone is
relaxed now. But we're all tired out and make it an early
night.
Which is why, I suppose, I was awake at six the next
morning. I'm a good girl and go down to the health club for
a quick workout. Shower, then call Mom and ask if she'd like
to have her breakfast over here on the terrace. BW rises and
we order up. A nice, lazy morning.
Later we gather our troops for the visit to Hell. It's a
tourist trap, but we're tourist after all. The guy who runs
the little giftshop in Hell dresses like the devil, and
greets customers with the expected: How the hell are you?
Har.
We buy silly souvenirs, and drive around quite a bit.
Mostly because we got lost, but it gives me a chance to see
again how neat and pretty this island is. Nice, tidy houses,
lovely lush gardens.
We do a little more shopping, then bop by the main hotel
for lunch. The grounds are gorgeous there, but I'm happy
with my sea view.
Back home to change into swim suits. A dip in the pool
for me and my mom, a dip in the sea for everyone else. Mom
and I sit and read, chat, swim. Then she goes up to have a
cup of tea and relax in her room.
A group of Texans has invaded and are drinking and
carrying on at the pool bar. Some of them have already
burned lobster red. I think the alcohol may help them get
through the discomfort for awhile.
We're going to the Caribbean night seafood buffet. But
there's time to hang out on the terrace, read more, stare
out a the water.
There's a cat walk over the highway that connects the two
hotels. This, with the two flights of steps, is going to be
too much for my mother. We'll have to shuttle back and forth
to get her over there if we decide to go back. Tonight,
she's happy to get into bed with her book.
We pass little man-made lagoons and waterfalls, sweeps of
verbena in every shade, that Alice in Tropicland foliage.
Hibiscus, jasmine.
The buffet is popular, and it's not hard to see why.
Everything if fresh and made to order. One section is set up
for salads and appetizers, another for rice and beans and
lobster. Another for shrimp, fish, mussels, steak. Then
there's dessert. A two piece combo is playing. Terrific
voice on the lead singer. Nobody's going to leave here
hungry or unhappy.
BW eats, naturally, some of everything. I have some
exceptional sauteed mahi-mahi, and some shrimp, and a bite
of BW's lobster.
A lovely, and necessary walk back home in the warm night.
And early to bed.
Today, we're getting on a catamaran for a ride to
Stingray City, then another snorkeling site. Mom's staying
behind. She's not fond of the fishies. LOL.
Nora
Nora's Cayman
reports are ©
2001 by Nora Roberts & ADWOFF
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