The Cayman Islands

Forget everything anyone told you about any island that has “the best beach.” I can promise you, the Cayman Islands’ ocean is more clear and blue than any other island, with sand so white it’s blindingly stunning. In fact, the beach was so beautiful, we spent the majority of our time lying in the sun, swimming, and eating Jerk Chicken!

My boyfriend and I arrived to George Town at 10am and it was SCORCHING HOT. Uncomfortably hot. That sweaty and itchy type of hot. That, “I’m not tryna do anything or wear anything today” hot. But, this time I wasn’t as anxious and confused as I was in Ocho Rios, so the sun didn’t bother me as much. All I wanted to do for the day was relax, eat and get in the water. So, Lamonte and I paid $10 to get dropped off at the Royal Palms Beach Club via tour van. It was really easy getting a ride to the beach because the minute you step off the cruise ship, you’re met with a crowd of tourist companies who take you on tours, or to see sea turtles and stingrays. So, we just found the cheapest van and got dropped off a mile away.

Now let me tell you, this beach club was a wholeeee lituation that I wasn’t expecting. We paid a $2 entrance fee that granted us access to a swimming pool, a bar, a restaurant, cabanas, a GORGEOUS view of the beach AND THEY HAD BABY CHICKENS RUNNING AROUND! I AINT NEVER SEEN A CHICKEN THAT WASN’T AT THE ZOO OR DIPPED IN POLYNESIAN SAUCE AS A NUGGET! Here’s a time lapse of how we got to the beach, on my Instagram page.

The first thing we did was find a spot to sit and leave our stuff. To sit in a beach chair + use an umbrella, it’s an extra $25 charge (clearly unreasonable), so we just snuck and found two open chair without anyone noticing lolol. After getting situated, I finally got in the water! The sand was so white, it was nearly unimaginable. It wasn’t hard, or pointy like rocks either. It felt like I was walking on a hot cloud. The water was freezing cold, but even more beautiful. It took me 15 minutes to go in and fully submerge my body, but by the time the water came past my knees, I could still see my feet in the water! THATS HOW CLEAR IT IS! I know some of you are thinking “why are you this excited about clear ocean water?” Well, let me tell you! I’m from Philadelphia, so the beach I go to is in Atlantic and Ocean City. Everyone whose anyone knows those beaches aren’t the cleanest. Currently, I live in Vermont where my beach is actually a lake that has annual algae blooms and a layer of film and filth I have to jump over to get in the water. I’ve also been to the beach in Miami and while it can be better than Atlantic City, it’s still nothing in comparison to the Cayman Islands.

Once I was fully submerged in the water, I felt relaxed and at peace. There was a small current that gently massaged my body, and I watched a few boats pull in and out. It felt like the ultimate vacation. Later on, Lamonte finally got in the water and tried to teach me how to swim. I don’t quite understand the concept of swimming or how it actually works because I am TERRIBLE at swimming. Sometimes I watch people just float in deep waters and I get so jealous because I can’t do that! My body just doesn’t agree with the physics of swimming lol. But, I was able to learn how to do a cute little paddle, kick my feet and keep my body from sinking. I learned a little somethin’ somethin’.

After swimming, being taken by the current, panicking and taking photos, I got hungry. I walked to the restaurant/bar area on a stone patio in between the beach and the adult pool. The bar was covered in good energy. People were laughing, eating, drinking and smiling. Good music was playing and the bartenders were super nice. The person who took my order wouldn’t stop messing with me because I was a tourist with a bunch of questions, but eventually I ordered Jerk Chicken with beans, rice and a slice of watermelon. He gave me a dollar and a few coins straight from the cash register as a souvenir (A really sweet gesture!) after I thought their currency was the British pound.

Quick currency lesson! There are 13 countries that use the Pound Sterling and 33 countries that print Queen Elizabeth II’s photo on their bills. The Cayman Islands, specifically, is a British overseas territory so they’re not self governing. Since I have a PhD in Queenery (I love watching Crown on Netflix) I’m going to assume that the Queen appointed someone to be a representative of the Monarch for the Island (they’re also a financial haven…. ever heard of people hiding their money in Swedish banks? They do it here too! click this link to read about it.)

After receiving my food, I went back to my beach chair and DEVOURED this meal. The food was so good I completely forgot where I was. Jerk chicken will never taste the same unless it comes from the Cayman Islands! Once my food vanished into my stomach to nourish my soul in God’s name, AMEN, Lamonte and I decided to leave. This is where I noticed the cute little baby chickens running around. You see, I’m a city girl. So, the only time I’ve seen chickens were in the zoo or a farm somewhere in Hershey PA. The last thing I expected to see roaming around on the beach were chickens!

We were a mile away from our dock and had a few hours to spare, so we decided to walk the way back (we also ran out of cash for the cab). While a mile is long, it was honestly a fun walk. We got to roam around the Island, heard roosters screaming, got some cute touristy photos, stopped to go shopping and drink smoothies from a gorilla themed smoothie shop and talked to each other. Sometimes, on vacations, I tend to have a set schedule and things have to go according to plan. It felt good that I was able to slow down and relax so I could actually enjoy and see George Town without having somewhere specifically to go.

While George Town is expensive (one American dollar is 83 cents in the Cayman Islands), it was perfect. I could imagine myself laying on the beach and literally doing nothing all day, everyday. I never realized how great it feels to do nothing but relax for hours. I wish I had more time to be a tourist and try more food or learn how to surf (after I learned how to swim) and meet more people. If you’re in the market to vacation somewhere, where you don’t want to do anything but relax, reflect and recharge your introvert mind; I highly suggest visiting the Cayman Islands

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