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Western Caribbean Excursion Georgetown, Grand Cayman
June 15, 2008
We arrived at 8 am and would depart at approximately 4:00 pm from Georgetown. The first tender to leave the ship was at 8:30 am. Generally, we like to get up early and tour the port-of-call in the cool of the day; as a result, we were on the first tender to depart the ship. This first part of our visit was touring Georgetown on our own. Let me say, we found the people to be very friendly and encouraging. The area was very clean and looked prosperous. They were happy and peaceful unlike the Jamaicans who appeared to be angry. One individual, we met in Georgetown, said that when Jamaica became independent it withdrew from the British Commonwealth. It's economy went downhill and has not recovered, unemployment is high, and the crime level is high. Grand Cayman stayed within the British Commonwealth after its independence and has flourished. There is high employment and Grand Cayman has flourished in general. Let me digress a little. If you are really into shopping when cruising, you should attend the port and shopping show at the beginning of your trip. They will give you the information you need to plan your time wisely while on shore. You will get a map of the shopping areas, the shops that are reliable, and discount certificates. In addition, they will point out were you may receive free gifts that do not require purchases. Of course, these are used as advertising by the merchants; but it is interesting to visit them. We had received a card when attending this meeting that required us to get nine stamps from various shops in Georgetown. The card had to be turned in when we returned to the ship for a cash drawing. While attempting to find these business, we had a wonderful adventure touring on our own. There was a colorful mural depicting the history of Georgetown from its very beginning to the present. It was a very unique piece of work consisting of painted tiles well-planned and executed. The people were happy to help us when we could not find a street, and the merchants were friendly when we asked to have the card stamped. Having completed the card and touring Georgetown on our own, it was time to go back to the pier to join our guide for a tour called the Trolley Roger. It would take one hour at a cost of $48 for the two of us. We toured in an open-air trolley through downtown and the residential area of South Sound. The guide was dressed as a pirate. He was rough looking and had a rubber sword; he was a Canadian living in Grand Cayman on a 7-year work visa. To him Grand Cayman is paradise; he did not have to shovel snow. The government, he said, is very protective of its citizens. Jobs were hard to get for foreigners; they are given to residents first. You could buy property in Grand Cayman, but becoming a citizen would be difficult. Many centuries ago, there was a shipwreck of a British vessel carrying a member of the royal family. As result of a miscommunication between the other vessels traveling with it, all vessels shipwrecked. The inhabitants of the island went out and rescued the people. King George was very impressed with this rescue. The king declared that the people of Grand Cayman would never have to pay taxes. So they live tax free to this day. In downtown Georgetown, the guide said there at least 500 banks which is a major part of their economy. With all their banks and excellent economy, they still have to import most of their goods. They use to export some products in the past. Palm leaf ropes was one product they exported until nylon ropes became popular. He demonstrated how strong palm leaf ropes were by weaving a short rope for us and testing its strength. It truly amazing how strong it was. On our tour we stopped and were able to walk on a stretch of beach. The colors of the Caribbean sea our beautiful shades of blue and green. We noticed no shells on the beach and asked the guide, why? He said the people go out everyday and gather the shells. One of the people in our tour group asked our guide how the island served hurricanes. During a hurricane, the island disappeared from the radar because it was inundated with water. According to our guide, wooden homes (some from the 1800's) fared better than newer cement ones. The guide reminded us of the rum cake for which Grand Cayman is famous. Some of the tour group decided to go to one of the restaurant that serves it. After a full day, It was time to go back to our ship. Disclaimer:
We are not part of the cruise line or any association affiliated with them. This is just to help you maximize your cruising experience.
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