Grand Cayman

It has been mostly overcast and rainy these last two days, which is like a knife in your heart when all you want to do is lie on the beach and snorkel. 

Grand Cayman is a very flat island with a ribbon of road circling ¾ of its perimeter. I’m sure baring traffic you could probably do the whole drive in an hour. The driving is on the left side, despite cars being both left and right drives. A multitude of traffic circles defeats me but not Kyran the intrepid. Along  the drive there are many signs for public beach access. These short pathways lead to various types of sandy beaches – almost all completely empty.  The beaches on the less populated east side are strewn with small pieces of litter. Definitely mars the pristine nature and makes you less inclined to put down your beach chair. Most of the beach approaches are quite shallow which is potentially accessible for me but sometimes the waves have carved out quite the sand step which is almost impossible for me to step up when the waves are pulling you back in. 

Getting here was quite dramatic. Kyran and Paul had to work 15 hours from Friday afternoon until Saturday early evening trying to get the second exam room finished for the locum. It meant we got a very late start to Spokane on Saturday. We ended up having to try 2 border crossings as the Metalline crossing closed at 4pm.  By the time we got to Spokane we were forced to eat supper at 1am. Walking back from the diner to the Davenport my knee suddenly collapsed and I fell and severely sprained my ankle. The pain was excruciating. By Sunday I could barely walk. A few steps and I would become shocky. The only positive thing that resulted in was being whisked around in a wheelchair in the Seattle, Miami and Cayman airports. The staff were diligent in accessing short cuts even through customs so it made our airport experiences almost stress free. Luckily despite my foot remaining hugely swollen the pain abated very quickly and I was walking without significant pain by Tuesday.

The population of Grand Cayman went from 6000 in the 1960’s to over 60,000 now. That rapid gain has manifested in very significant traffic and lots of condo developments that are partially finished. Some look abandoned. Covid has been hard on the islands on the tourist front  - they still have mask mandates and several restaurants that were listed in the guides just 2 years ago have permanently closed. There still is not the tourist numbers that they usually have. I love it because it means almost no one on the beaches. The history of the island is very interesting and unusual. There were no native human inhabitants so when it was initially discovered in the 1600’s it was teaming with unique wildlife – apparently sea turtles were everywhere. It didn’t see much development for several hundred years – partly because mosquitos were introduced in 1802. Mosquitos loved the island so profoundly that horses and cows would die from inhaling clouds of them. Mosquito control didn’t happen until the late 60’s. Before then it was unimaginable according to a local in his 80’s and people had to walk around with smoking pots to be able to breath. Weirdly he still pines for the days of the closeknit community that existed prior to the 70’s. There were no roads, electricity – just very tenacious people that lived off the sea, -marketing turtles, ropes and seamen. Very few men remained on the island as they had no way of having an income. They would leave the island to work as seamen and send money home. 

The locals are exceptionally friendly. We frequented an open pub/ restaurant and met several gregarious types. The lack of any type of taxation is worrisome. It is hard to know where the government gets the money to provide infrastructure etc… I think the bubble will burst soon. It just doesn’t seem tenable with extremely wealthy people moving in – paying a nominal tax to buy land and then no taxes again. There really isn’t any way of making money for the locals other than tourism. They are marketing themselves as a destination for water recreation – diving etc… It might work for awhile but it isn’t enough to lift the locals out of a subsistent type lifestyle.

The snorkeling was wonderful. Not as much coral as I hoped but fairly vibrant fish populations and very friendly sting rays. We did a day trip to Stingray city – just a shallow area in the middle of the large bay on the north side. They are so habituated to being fed that they are quite aggressive in their eagerness to see you. One collided with me so aggressively from behind that my legs collapsed. I hustled back to the boat to avoid more collisions.

Our days were spent exploring beaches, some historic sites and museums and then out for dinner. It was a very relaxing and addictive way to wile our days away. I already miss it profoundly.

 

Turquoise Turks and Caicos

Kyr in his beach reading position

The historic natural flora on Iguana island

Handsome iguana on the island

Dear Jojo

Kyr on Fort George beach

Club med Turquoise

Happily going on a Big Blue excursion.

I live to snorkel. At least part of me does. I have entertained the idea of diving, but faced with the hardships that I have encountered simply trying to snorkel, I’m not sure that diving is for me. 

We booked this club med partially because it offered exceptional snorkeling. It does, but not with the easy access I was used to. On our first day we dutifully lined up to hopefully be one of the chosen 40 taken on a large pontoon boat out to one of the snorkeling areas close to the edges of the reef. I was particularly anxious to be picked because I was finding access to the water particularly difficult at the wave pounded beach. Getting on the huge pontoon boat was very difficult for me as it was low tide and involved a large step at least 2 feet down with no railings and the boat moving violently against the dock with each wave. I almost didn’t do it because my anxiety was so profound as I can’t even step down 6 inches without handrails. Eventually I sat down on the dock, grabbed a far off pole that suspended the boat roof and jumped. The people on the boat cheered as I think they were starting to think I might never be able to do it. The snorkeling was worth it – very clear and lots of fish and coral so I was able to shelve my anxiety until the arrival back at the dock. Getting in and out of the boat on the water was easy because of the ladder. Back at the dock things were dicey again – now a huge step up with a wildly bucking boat  against the dock. I begged them to let me jump into the water and finally they did and I swam to shore. The whole production was quite deflating to me because I hadn’t considered access to the water to be a huge problem before this trip.

After this I spent a few days of feeling defeated and forlorn about the physical difficulties accessing things I love. The conditions for the next few days were not conducive to snorkeling anyway, so I tried to mentally figure out how I would face the next time. Then low and behold I noticed a few days later that the pontoon boat stayed quite a ways from shore and the snorkelers were forced to swim both out to the boat and back again. I felt somewhat vindicated that I wasn’t the only one thwarted by what I perceived to be a dangerous situation even for the able bodied. I had noticed a few patrons hobbling around on crutches and wondered if it took someone getting hurt to change the policy. I’d like to take credit for alerting them to the simple solution of people jumping off and swimming to shore because when I suggested it they acted  like I was suggesting going to the moon and were very reluctant to indulge me.

After this, and our successful excursion with Big Blue to the islands, I decided we would splurge and go on a snorkel excursion with Big Blue. I am so glad we did. The boat Octopussy was familiar to me and reminded me of the Barbie boat. The guides were very interesting and warm. The snorkeling was dream like. I saw 2 large sharks and normally I would have been terrified but I had finally internalized the message that the sharks around here are harmless. 

After an hour of exceptional snorkeling at the reef edge we were taken to protected island for a local rare species of iguana. The island sanctuary boasts the original fauna of Turks and Caicos. The dear little iguanas were facing extinction prior to their island sanctuary from the introduction of dogs and cats to the islands. Now their great foe is rats. Apparently they have recently made it to the protected sanctuary and are eating the eggs. I hope conservation efforts to eradicate the rats are successful.

On our way to another protected island to frolic on a beach – Fort George - the most lovely beach on all the islands according to the guides – we were approached by the dearest dolphin Jojo.  He stayed with the boat and obliged us with rolls and dips up. You could just feel the emanation of his warm personality. I said to Kyr – his interest and playfulness with people seemed very dog-like to me. Jojo has quite an interesting history. He was part of an initial project over 17 years ago to  try and release dolphins in captivity into the wild. Jojo was somewhere in the states and several of them were released here at the same time. Only Jojo hung around. Apparently dolphins don’t like shallow water so you never find wild dolphins within the reef. Not Jojo – he only likes inside the reef. According to Kyr the shallow waters must remind him of the tanks of his youth. Kyr thinks he probably has anxiety about deep water. Jojo is about 35 years old and even from within the reef he has managed to attract wild females and is the proud father of several young dolphins from different mothers. I was besotted with his attempts to engage us.

Now we are faced with our last night in this idyllic place. I have really liked the club med turquoise. The food as usual is wonderful. The staff friendly. The rooms clean and comfortable. Some of the entertainment has been spectacular. Last night we were treated to an aerial extravaganza above the pool with many trapeze artists. They had collected everyone in the resort in round tables surrounding the pool and we all had wonderful supper and watched the entertainment.

I have managed to wear all of my outfits and Kyr and I have almost satisfied our insatiable people watching habit.

Turks and Caicos

Our guide Elvardo

The island landscape of dense bush.

Kyr checking out old plantation buildings

Limestone bat caves

the north coast of Middle Caicos island

The beautiful turquoise waters

Loving the sea and sand

Young handsome beach bum

Our guide Elvardo piloted the rented Jeep along the narrow, tarred limestone roads of North Caicos island like a benevolent, drunk captain of a yacht. Gently correcting the steering only if the Jeep veered fully to the wrong side of the road. As we swayed back and forth along the centre line, Elvardo happily turned to the backseat to expound on all the island lore. The poor passenger in the front stared straight ahead as if to inspire Elvardo to keep his eyes on the road.

Turks and Caicos is very unusual mostly for its small population – just over 30,000.  It consists of series of islands that are limestone accretions of a coral reef. Historically it is the result of a land mass breaking off Central America and plopping here on the edge of the Caribbean. The locals are quite adamant that they are on the Atlantic, not the Caribbean. Having so few people means that things that I ordinarily worry about like environmental destruction – don’t seem to loom large here. The reef is a protected environment and despite the plethora of resorts along the coast of the most populated island Providenciales (pop 30,000) the reef according to Elvardo who grew up here, born in the 80’s, is not much different from when he was young. I hope he is right.

Elvardo took us on a 30 minute boat ride from Providenciales to North island. We passed many mangroves and little islands, some that are the  private vacation hiding-grounds of celebrities. He gave us the most edifying tour of the North island (population 1000) because it is his home island.  His parents emigrated from Haiti before his birth. The entire landmass is quite flat and covered in dense bush with a few roads. There is not much livestock to be found and very few cleared areas. The bush is so dense that I can’t see being able to navigate through it. When I asked Elvardo what do work do people do – he said that they don’t need to work. There are no taxes on property except purchase tax. They can fish and grow things in amongst the bushes and that would be enough. The things he listed were weird things to solely subsist on in the modern world – corn, potatoes, taro, some type of pea, coconuts etc. but he seemed quite satisfied with the list. Practically the only cleared patches aside from people’s yards were some areas that were cleared by a cow that one of the islanders owns – the sole cow. He just ties it to spots in the bush and the cow gradually decimates the foliage – only eating the bushes. I was intrigued by this cow and got to glimpse her chowing her way through the trees. She looked pretty normal, but very tiny.

Turks and Caicos original native inhabitants were wiped out by disease in the 1500’s. After that it was colonized by disgruntled British loyalists who left the US after the war of independence. They attempted to grow cotton on plantations and ship it to England but after only 30 years, the enterprises failed because of cotton pests and the abolition of slavery in Britain. The Brits left and the slaves stayed on and grew things in the old plantation areas until a huricaine in the 1960’s destroyed most things. The original slave families still populate the island and Elvardo said it was hard for anyone but him to find a girlfriend because they were all somehow related.

We toured the old plantation – the ghost buildings of stones and cement made from conch shells and limestone still stand. Walking around the curly tailed ghekos jumped off the path like popcorn. We then tried to see flocks of pink flamingos in a pond area that they love – I just saw blurs of pink through the binoculars.

After driving along a recently constructed causeway that links the North island to the Middle island , Kyr became exhausted by his role as front seat vigilant passenger and promptly fell asleep(much to Elvardo’s amazement). Luckily he woke up in time to tour a limestone cave filled with 4 species of bats – 2 insect and 2 fruit. No rabies apparently. The caves used to be a lucrative supply of guano for fertilizer and explosives. The journey through the caves was about a half hour. I felt triumphant being able to navigate with only flashlights because there were sometimes narrow bridges between the columns and pools of sea water beneath.

We stopped at a beautiful isolated beach after lunch (I bravely ate fried conch –one of the islands historic main exports – quite tastey)  and revelled in the surreal colours that the ocean has to offer. It truly is a turquoise mecca – subtly shifting on the horizon from turquoise to a beautiful mauve. The oceans have been quite blustery – wave action intensely digging out deep troughs in the fine sand so that it is quite perilous to navigate both in and out. The water temp is nice. More chilly than Mexico. Everyday it has sprinkled a bit of rain but it doesn’t last long. The temp is in the mid to low 30’s.

We finished the day back at club med, having heard the local gossip that this club med location is closing soon. Kyr and I were shocked because you haven’t seen anything like the manic energy of the GM. I can’t imagine anything closing with that dynamo at the helm. Kyr thinks it may be like a captain going down with the ship. I hope not.

Goodbye Cancun

Biologist/photographer in Action

"Colors de Cancun" having a rest before her next excursion

Me waiting patiently for the evening to begin

View from my lounger at the snorkelling beach

Smiling Iguana ( if you can see his charming smile)

I just got home to blooming azaleas and lilacs; a full month before I've ever seen them here. So it is not the beautiful vegetation and warmth that I am missing but the complete relaxation. I got home to an impeccably clean house ( and even swept back porch) and happy,content animals; so I feel so happy to be home, but still I long for that intense heat, the beautiful food and really - the sweet friendliness of all of the Mexican workers at the resort. Since most of the cliental was from France and quite aloof - I'm not missing the other resort attendees that much. But I would go back in a heart beat. Even Kyr and his friends are potentially planning a end of year celebration there next year which would be perfect for young guys - so many sports to do, so many beautiful G.O. girls. I can't imagine a better time. 

When I was lying there at the snorkelling beach yesterday - looking up from one of my books ( both Kyr and I finished 3 novels - readers paradise!) I spotted a drone flying above the snorkellers - one in particular. No matter what she did the drone was there. I got a really creepy feeling thinking that maybe this is what awaits us - random flying objects that can get obsessed and harass us, with no immediate recourse for the person being harassed. I told Kyr about it when he woke up (hot sun and surf is quite a soporific). He managed to glean while we were leaving the snorkel area that Club Med is trying to start an instagram acct and the film footage from that drone is part of it. The subject of the drone's scrutiny was a young lovely asian girl, so perhaps they are trying to attract the Chinese market.

I had no cell service while I was away and the internet was quite sporadic so contact with my clinic was not as intense as in previous holidays. Sadly, one of my favourite patients died while I was away. It was hard to help manage his case while I was so far away, but with today's technology - they sent me photos of his blood smear etc, I was actually able to see what was happening. I wonder if that is such a good thing. I am very attached to my patients and loathe the idea something might happen to them when I am not there, but now it is almost impossible to escape. So I wonder how much holiday - escape from our daily lives - do people really get anymore? I think it is now the time to recognize that even the most devoted person needs an occasional break from their livelihood. Club Med tries to facilitate that by no having free Wifi and even then very hard to load, blah,blah... but I think the time is coming when we must insist on freedom from contact - at least for a short while - for us to recalibrate. We all need to uplug sometimes.

Isla Mujeres

Mangroves in the distance

Boat ride in the lagoon

Kyr at the north beach of Isla Mujeres

Kyr on the street of Isla Mujeres

Yesterday we started with a boat trip through the lagoon (10miles long), navigating through the mangrove islands and wondering what mammals would live there – just an arboreal existence above water. Too north for monkeys we thought, maybe some bats? The pace of the  boat “Colours of the Carribean” was slow and leisurely and Kyr and I sat confidently on the bow, though afterwards I was stricken with the idea I may not be able to get up again, not like the Barbie where I could lower myself through a portal into the cabin and not actually have to stand up. I spent the journey worried about it, especially when Kyr said the decking was getting slippery from all of the ocean spray. But I surprised myself with the somewhat ease with which I hoisted myself up with the help of the side railings all around the boat. The boat was very stable even when we made our way onto the open ocean, probably because it was a Catamaran. The story of the boat interested me. It apparently sat unused and idle in a marina in Florida for 5 years, when two guys bought it: a guy from Normandy Nico, and a Canadian. They worked on the engine for over a month and then boated across from Florida to Cancun. The journey took them 4 hours. They spent the next 6 months repainting and refurbishing everything, with the idea of doing snorkeling, diving tours. Right now Nico has a contract with Club Med which is good because it is the only resort busy all year because of the Europeans who come even in the summer when the North Americans stay away. They employ 4 local men, the Canadian guy must be a silent partner because only Nico is here running the show. He said that Cancun 40 years ago was 2000 people. With the boom in resorts it has grown to over 1 million. It has grown so quickly that there was no city planning and it is a mishmash with no centre or green spaces. It sounds quite awful. Everyone keeps saying how ugly it is. I wonder about the infrastructure – the sewers, electricity, water… where do they get everything? And horrors of horrors where does everything go?

After a one hour, half the journey in the open ocean, the boat was tied to a bouy where several other boats had collected. We all jumped in (approx 20 people) and  snorkeled. They made us stay very close to our guide who fed the fish during the 45 minute swim, so that we were always in a school of black angel type fish. I found it difficult because it was such a slow pace and it was hard avoiding the other snorkelers. On the whole there weren’t many different fish to see and not much corral, but it was nice being out in the open ocean. My next greatest fear was how to get back on the boat, but once again I surprised myself with my resourcefulness. No one realizes how much lower body strength you require to go up ladders onto a large platform with no handrails. Let me assure you, without any leg strength it is very difficult. Having survived both hurdles, I became more confident leaving the boat. After snorkeling, we boated to Isla Mujeres – a small island with many people roaring around in golf carts. The town was ripe with tourist shops and desperate Mexicans begging you for “just one minute of your time”. I was suckered in repeatedly, in my quest to get change for tipping and trying to find a gift for my worker Karen. The exchange rate is quite confusing and in the end I bought things that I know I paid way too much for, but I feel like these people need whatever money I am able to give them. Afterward we boarded the boat and they anchored off the north beach where we jumped into the truly turquoise water. We floated around while Nico attended to our libations; pouring us mango rum cocktails from his floating cooler. It seemed the height of decadence to be floating in the warm waters, the hot noon sun beating down and sipping a mango drink. As Kyr noted the sea water saltiness of our lips just added the right touch to the drink.

We arrived back at the resort mid afternoon just in for a leisurely lunch at the Mexican restaurant where Kyr forgot his hat. Despite the hundreds of people eating there both at lunch and dinner a most friendly Mexican waiter brought him his hat at the end of supper. We were shocked that he remembered Kyr with all of those other people and Kyr hadn’t even known until that point his hat was missing. It would have been quite the tragedy to lose it, as Kyr is so attached to it that he met me at the Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver wearing it, having sported it all the way from the airport on the sky train. I was giddy at the sight of him in that hat which was quite incongruous for Vancouver, and now I realize not even that common here in the resort -uncommon enough for the waiter to remember. We are going back tonight to tip him. We don’t usually carry money so tipping is a very deliberate and concerted affair. While we sat on the porch the waiter  walked past, smiling and waving. He is very sweet.

Today has just been snorkeling and swimming. Kyr might try sailing tomorrow before we leave at 4:30 pm. It was all booked for today. Tomorrow is the 40^th anniversary  of the resort. I wonder what marvey things that they have planned. I’ll just post this then we’ll head to the common area to check out the activity and have snacks and drinks. I think I was made for resort life. I realize that I have spent many years collecting dresses that are perfect for wearing at resort evenings and not much else. I’ll have to come back several times to be able to showcase all of these dresses accumulated with such a ridiculous fantasy life in mind. What was I thinking???

Club Med Cancun part 2

Kyr's favourite beach activity - already on book 3

Ten of the reasons why if you are planning a trip to an all inclusive on the Yucatan Peninsula you have to stay at the Club Med:

1.The only bit of natural splendour in the resort strip. Club Med is nestled between a fairly protected ocean with the curve and atoll and a natural lagoon that makes the flora and fauna gorgeous and diverse.

2. The only beach for swimming and snorkeling. After my beach walk this morning  to the some of the other resorts abutting this end of the ocean, not only are red flags flying almost all of the time at all the other resorts(meaning you shouldn’t go in), but there were no lifeguards and no shade for any of the lounge chairs. The only beach with green flags and vigilant life guards protecting the beach is Club Med. (They even groom the sand every night which Kyr says is unenvironmental so we will write them and I’m sure they’ll take note.)

3.Happy and friendly local workers. They seem relaxed and not harried, despite the difficulty in tipping anyone and the language barrier.

4. Very attentive conscientious staff. Don’t raise your eyebrows the wrong way or the General Manager himself will rush over eager to placate you and make everything right. And those darling G.O.’s(concierge types) just dance their hearts out every night for our entertainment.

5. Good food with tons of variety. Kyr’s supper last night consisted of frogs legs, sesame coated tuna steaks, rib eye and chicken nuggets with fries. Who could dream up such combos? And to please me, steamed cabbage. Does it get better?

6.It is a paradise for children especially – it is so delightful to see them running around so freely and happily. Dancing the night away with such joy. If only I could bring my nieces here.

7. The opportunity to dress up if you want, or not, no pressure- and just lounge about having snacks and drinks brought to you as you watch people around just having such fun, and seeming so happy and not that addicted to their devices.

8. The feeling of safety – always people placed inconspicuously about keeping  vigilant.

9. The sense that there is always somewhere to go, something to do if you feel inclined.

10. Lots of excursions if you feel like it and the guides are well versed and seem to take extra care compared to other guiding operations we witnessed.

Nicely painted toenails at snorkel beach

Kyr heading to our suite post snorkel

View from the lounge to the main beach

Fresh tailed iguana

Kyr heading to the snorkelling spot (just ahead)

View from our porch

Cancun Club Med

Even Iguana's stop to smell the flowers

When we first arrived, I wondered if I was cut out for the Club Med experience. I am a creature of habit and Hawaii loomed large in my memory with its familiarity and perfection in the tiny details. The idea of being cloistered in a tiny slice of beach down the at the bottom of a densely populated peninsula – huge resorts abutting the slim line of white sand and turquoise Caribbean sea, tall apartment complexes that actually stretch so far that they fade into the mist; made me feel very claustrophobic.  I hanker for the wilderness. During the week we are staying there are 900 other people – families, older couples, happily tucked in with us. The whole thing is  long low white stucco buildings spread out along 2km of  beach.

Iguana paradise

As I started to settle into the rhythm I became very thankful for the beach that we are on. It is the closest to wilderness on the pennisula with natural atolls that block the fierce wave action and lend itself to some protected coral areas for snorkeling. There are no other resorts south of this resort. It was first on the Yucatan peninsula 40 years ago. It still has that isolated dated charm. The rooms remind me of Greece with the twin beds and the Spartan furnishings and the  very faint odour of sewer. It now has merged into an experiential combo of Hawaii and Greece – with the lounging about in the mornings snorkeling, the jungle like flora, the plethora of iguanas, and then the social life at night. There is always some convivial entertainment to attend to every evening. So after we have a little mojito on the porch of our room and watch the ocean, we amble over to the central area. Tonight Kyr said there is a live band. This not having to pay makes dining a very relaxing experience – you never are waiting on the bill. So great.

Mayan Temple at Tulum

The first few days were very hard on me and probably lessened some of the charm because my leg was in such excruciating pain. I don’t think I will ever forgive that renegade dog and owner at Kokanee. The ocean waves were quite fierce and almost knocked me over so I couldn’t get in  on the main beach. The last two days we have been able to snorkel. Quite strong currents, but warm and some interesting fish. Kyr is in love with the new “Snorkl” mask I bought him. I am ordering one for myself as soon as we get home. My leg has settled enough that we were able to attend to some Mayan ruins. My ideas of functioning without a brace were very short lived. The combo of brace and 5 toes footware is making people quite considerate of my slowness on stairs etc… The lifeguard at snorkeling even gave me the thumbs up with the most unorthodox way I have to get myself in and out of the water.

Burnt girl at Tulum

Despite lathering on sunscreen, Kyr and I are burnt to a crisp. We spent quite a time in the shop discussing the benefits of those available  - since neither of us can read Spanish, in hopes of finally finding a product that works.

Mexican sea and sky

Happy mother and son at Mayan Ruins

Mayan ruin Iguanas

Mariachi band playing just for us a happy song

Kyr at lunch in the Mexican Restaurant Club Med Cancun

Kyr frolicking on the path leading back to the main club.