Beautiful Grand Cayman

Logan on the rope course.

When we returned to the ship after Dunns River Falls, my son and I went to the top deck and did the rope course which was fun. Great views from up there. Mom was doing better, even joined us for dinner despite the fact she couldn't eat much. So things were looking up.

The following day, at Grand Cayman, we had arranged to hire a 35 foot sailboat for the day. The captain and his deckhand were wonderful. It was the best excursion I have been on in the caribbean. We tendered to shore and took a van ride to the marina and headed out to Stingray City.  Stingray City is a natural sand bar proteced by the island on 3 sides and a reef on the fourth. The water is only about 4 feet deep. The southern stingray lives here. They are wild but domesticated. In years past fisherman would clean their catches here and dump the waste over the side. So the stingrays had a great habitat full of free food and safe from their main predator, the shark. Eventually someone started playing with the stingrays and feeding them. Now, hundreds, and on some days thousands, of people go out there to see them. It is just so cool to be a mile or so from land and stand in the ocean. The stingrays are swimming around your feet. Makes you jump when they brush against you and you didn't see them coming.

The gang at Stingray City

Brain coral

Kids at Rum Point

While out there we fed the stingrays, held them, had them give us a back rub. They are so soft. Kids had a great time. After the stingrays we went to the reef and snorkeled for about 45 minutes. While we snorkeled the deckhand cleaned out some conch shells, which he dove for the day before, and created a tasty conch snack which we ate on our cruise over to Rum Point. Had rum punch and beer along the way. Good lunch at Rum Point, let the kids play in the water and an hour cruise back to the harbor. Just a great day!  I was happy my mom made it out their, really made the cruise worthwhile for her. The kids even got to keep the conch shell! 

Relaxing on the boat!

So back to the ship we go.  And I get to prepare for the second formal night. Wearing a tie again. There is always something that has to go wrong no matter what!  Probably worse than the tie is that if you wear the tie on the ship, you are going to take a picture, if you take one picture, you are going to take at least two. At this point I change and head to the Red Frog Pub. Next stop, Cozumel.