There are definitely worse ways to spend a vacation. Sail Cayman’s Captain Orneil Galbraith hosted a charter on our 47ft yacht Splendour in the Wind the week before Christmas.
Our guests left a very cold US and made the most of the sun, wind, warm water and stingrays in Grand Cayman’s gorgeous north sound as they snorkeled the barrier reef and Stingray City.
Thanks for choosing Sail Cayman, come sail with us again!
Sail Cayman has been based in the Cayman Islands for well over 20 years. Ask us any day if we would like to leave and the answer, without hesitation, would be a very firm ‘no’.
So when Sail Cayman stumbled across this article which was published on the Huffington Post and written by Amanda Walkins, we simply had to share it as the article and writer captures life on an island spot on.
Lessons are learned every day — or at least they should be. Whether positive or negative, life is full of daily experiences that change us and affect us. Living on an island in the Caribbean for two years has taught me many valuable lessons I may not have learned living Stateside. In case you aren’t currently basking in tropical sunshine like me, allow me to impart some of my newfound wisdom.
Lesson #1
Electricity is overrated. The thought of being without power for hours or days at a time probably would have shocked me before I lived here. Now that I’ve been through a few rainy seasons when power outages are fairly common, I can say from experience that living without power for extended periods of time is not going to kill you. Yes, I have all my electronics here: laptop, iPhone, Kindle, you name it. I’m not living off the grid. So when the power goes out and I have no internet and no means of “entertainment,” I suddenly remember what it is to just breathe. And relax. And hear nothing but the waves and the wind. And I remember that the world keeps spinning regardless of how much or little I do every hour. Power outages are excellent opportunities to disconnect and reflect. And you know what else happens when the power is off? You talk. You actually put the phone away and you talk to the person next to you. Without distractions. When is the last time you did that with any regularity? It’s a reality check. (Sail Cayman must add here that, in Grand Cayman, power outages are extremely rare, but good times talking to friends whilst on the beach or on one of our boats never gets old).
Lesson #2
The Rolling Stones were right. “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.” Sometimes you go to the supermarket and there is no chicken, or bread, or milk, or tomatoes…or whatever it is that you wanted and intended to get. Sometimes you just can’t find that part to fix your kitchen appliance. Or that specific light bulb to fit into your favorite lamp. You can’t always find what you want on an island, but you can find the things you need. And you can get really creative in the process! New culinary concoctions are a favorite pastime here, or “kitchen-sink” meals. Buen provecho!
Lesson #3
You don’t need it. While I just told you about getting what you need, the definition of need has changed for many people. We often say that we need things, when in reality they are superfluous. “Needs” and “Wants” are entirely different, but they’re often intermixed and confused. You don’t need new clothes. You might want some, but unless your current clothes are literally falling apart at the seams, you are not in need. Stains happen, holes happen, and wearing the same thing several times a week is not a sign of impending doom. When you’re not inundated with commercials telling you what you’re lacking, you tend not to notice what you or anybody is else wearing. You also don’t notice what type of phone they have. Or whether or not they own a vehicle. While I can only speak for the expat community in my adopted island, we just don’t give a damn. We’ve adjusted to know that we might not find what we want, but we don’t need it anyway. That knowledge is incredibly liberating.
Lesson #4
Seasonal eating is always best. I used to live in Washington, DC where farmers’ markets were the norm, but I still had every type of food at my fingertips. On an island where shipments don’t always arrive, it’s best to rely on what’s locally available as much as possible. Eating seasonally is healthier, it’s cheaper, and it’s so much more exciting. Flavors are more vibrant and fruits are juicier. Nothing beats picking fresh cashew fruits off a tree to suck on their sweet nectar. Nothing beats eating fresh lobster tails just caught that day by local fishermen. The anticipation is palpable as new fruit seasons approach and different fishing seasons come up. When you drive around the island in early spring, keep the windows down to fill your car with the flowery scent of mango. It will fill your lungs with joy. Feel free to stop on the side of the road and snag one off the tree, too. Nobody will sue you, I promise.
Lesson #5
Time is a concept, not a dictator. “Island Time” is a real thing, but it should not be solely for islands. We love watching tourists adjust to relaxation over the week or two they spend here. You can see a physical change in people as they take the watch off, leave the phone in the hotel room, and forget about where they “have to be” or are “supposed to be.” Scheduling every minute of a day makes you ask where the years went. When the sun rises, a new day begins. When it sets, a new night begins. It’s as simple as that. The sun doesn’t live by the clock and you don’t need to either. That realization can change your entire life.
Lesson #6
As writer Karen Blixen (pen name Isak Dinesen) wrote,”I know the cure for everything: Salt water…in one form or another. Sweat, tears, or the salt sea.” There’s nothing that one or all of those can’t fix. Breathing in salt air daily is refreshing to the soul and reminds you that you’re alive. After breathing city air for several years, I think I’m gaining back time lost on my life by living on the beach now. The healing qualities of nature cannot be overrated.
Lesson #7
Nobody ever said, “I really regret that time I spent relaxing on the beach.” (Except for people who got really badly sunburned, but even that should be, “I really regret being lazy and not putting on sunscreen.” Just saying. It’s the tropics, people. If your pasty white skin hasn’t seen the light of day in a while, cover it up before we mistake you for a lobster…in which case, please refer back to eating seasonally and cross your fingers it isn’t lobster season.) Nobody regrets time they’ve spent enjoying life, time they’ve spent connecting with loved ones, or time they’ve spent unhurried and unburdened. Refer back to the lessons I’ve learned about island time, disconnecting to reconnect with people, and understanding needs versus wants. The world is going to keep spinning. What you do with your time on it will not change that fact. You can’t make it spin any faster or slower, so just enjoy the ride. I’m enjoying mine on a beach chair facing the endless sea. And I don’t regret any of it.
This article has been making the rounds but now Sail Cayman would like to add one more secret….we are adding ourselves to the list AND if you look at secret #8 you will see where Sail Cayman is headquartered.
Wherever you go on vacation or travel, popular sites and locations are popular for a reason. Whatever their attraction, whether it be a beautiful view or a tasty meal or an unusual land formation, activity or attraction, they have been tried and tested and been proven to be worth your time and effort to get there. However, there’s always another angle to visiting new places, and that’s the local’s angle. So, here are 10 things that the guidebooks won’t tell you about Grand Cayman that you might be sorry if you missed!
10. Mastic Trail
Grand Cayman is 79 feet above sea level at its highest elevation. People do not flock to this Caribbean paradise to hike and go mountain climbing. However, if you are in the mood for a nice mellow four-mile round trip hike — this is where you want to go. Located on the North side of the island this slow incline trail is full of birds, Cayman rabbits and other wildlife. If you park on the main road and walk into the trail, you can add another two miles to your hike.
9. The Shoe Tree
Ever since Hurricane Ivan, people have been writing their names and dates on shoes, flip flops, swim fins and sandals and tacking them to this tree on the East side of the island. It’s easy to find right on the main road West of Bodden Town.
8. Anchors
Tucked in at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club is a little convenience store called ANCHORS. This is the only package store that sells carry out alcohol on Sundays. So, if you find yourself high and dry on a Sunday during your stay — head to Anchrs for a six-pack of local beer or bottle of wine…..and the Yacht Club is where Sail Cayman docks our boats….PERFECT!
7. Cemetery Beach
This is a nice beach, and fairly well known. However, what most folks don’t know about is the awesome snorkeling reef that is a short swim out. There are schools of Tangs, eels, Parrot Fish, sea turtles, rays and the occasional Nurse Shark that will swim by. It’s an interesting walk in from the road to past one of the many historical cemeteries on the island.
6. The Pirate’s Den
PD’s to the locals – this sports bar has some of the best sandwiches and wings on the island. It’s in a little strip mall across from Seven Mile Beach, and you’ll miss it if you blink driving by. Enjoy flat screen TV’s a full bar and pool tables. Buffalo Shrimp are one menu item that should NOT be overlooked.
5. The Farmers and Artisans Market at Camana Bay
Every Wednesday from 12 noon to 7pm at Camana Bay local farmers and artists set up booths in a beautiful open air courtyard environment to show and sell their wares. Everything from fresh produce, to local arts and crafts is easily accessible and sold by the hands that grew and crafted the items. There is even an “open canvas” art exhibition that invites any one to sit and paint with beautiful view of the Camana Bay beach and harbor. While relatively new and mostly attended by locals, this event is open to tourists as well and is a perfect place to pick up unique souvenirs like Camanite jewelry and sculptures. I should also add that secret #2 can be purchased here.
4. Shopping Cart Pick-Up
It may seem strange, but will prove extremely helpful if you are staying in a house, condo or anywhere with a kitchen and plan on doing you own grocery shopping while staying on Grand Cayman. The two major grocery stores — Foster’s Food and Fain & Kirk — offer a cart pick up service all over the island. So, you load up your groceries and truck them off to wherever you’re staying and leave the cart out at the curb. The best part of this convenience is walking around at night before the pick up and seeing shopping carts all over the place.
3. Black Pearl State Park
That’s right, Grand Cayman has a skate park! It was opened and christened by the one and only Tony Hawk back in 2007. So, tell your kids to pack their boards because this park is huge and will keep them shredding all day long!
2. Cayman Pepper Patch
This local artisan pepper jelly is prepared in small batches and can only be purchased on Grand Cayman Island. It is 100% Cayman made, they do not ship or export this stuff – so stock up while you’re there. I cleared out a whole jar with goat cheese on cracked pepper water crackers. The brochure comes with many suggestions and recipes, but I can’t imagine anything that this stuff won’t make taste better.
1. Diving With Silversides
Every year the Dwarf Herrings come to the Cayman Islands around early summer and stay through the beginning of fall. The only way I can describe it is like being underwater in a swarm of a million bees that aren’t going to sting you… AND IT’S COOL! If you’ve seen the footage on National Geographic films or BBC World documentaries where giant masses of fish that all move in the same direction in unison — almost like a dance — and part when a seal swims though them… YOU’RE THE SEAL! This is seriously one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, and the dive shop to take you is Ambassador Divers. They know the waters, the reefs and the fish better than anyone on the island, and will make sure you get the full silverside experience.
So, if unique experiences with a local flair are what it takes to make your vacation a memorable experience — any one of these best-kept secrets of Grand Cayman Island should fit the bill to a fun and successful adventure. Check them all off your list or maybe these will lead to other adventures not mentioned here. Whatever the case have a blast and safe travels always!
This article was published online by the Huffington Post and written by P. Andrew Och
Sailcayman 