Deja Cayman Vu –  In an unusual turn of events, we found ourselves traveling back to Grand Cayman recently for the second visit in 2014.  This time for a week.  We decided that it was a great opportunity to try a new adventure:  flying to Little Cayman for a day.

In all the years and years of visiting Grand Cayman, Mike and I had never before taken the time to visit the two sister islands – which are Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Curiosity and the chance to see a house for sale on Little Cayman got the better of us and I booked a flight. We were able to fly there and back in one day.  Our main reason for going this time was to look at real estate – so we weren’t sure how much free time we’d have to explore.

Turns out there’s not that much to explore.  Little Cayman is about 10 miles long and maybe 1 mile wide. Less than 200 people live there full-time. It is supposed to have some amazing diving (we’ll do that next time) but otherwise, it is pretty much a very quiet, low-key place.

We really didn’t know what to expect for the whole day -but we knew we’d get to see something new. At the airport, I was excited to see that we’d be flying on a small turbo-prop plane. It made me think of those old black and white movies where someone is always flying down to Rio or somewhere else exotic.  There were 15 seats on the plane.

We could watch the pilots flying the plane.

As we taxied and took flight, I enjoyed getting a bird’s eye view of the island that you just don’t get when landing there on a jet.  It felt like we were in a little cartoon plane as we flew East above the middle of the island.  It felt so much like we were egg-beating along like The Little Engine That Could that as we reached the East end of Grand Cayman and the start of open sea, Mike leaned over and said – “I think it took us the same amount of time to fly out here as it did to drive out here the other day!”  Little Cayman is about 85 miles away from Grand Cayman and the flight was all of 1/2 hour maximum.

Before long, I announced to Mike – “Land Ho!”  We landed on a runway that more resembled a two lane road.  The plane taxied toward a small building -and I do mean teeny!- which turned out to be the airport and fire station for the island.

Between the end of the runway and the airport -the plane has to actually cross the road for cars that circles the island.

Once there, we were met by the real estate representative that was going to show us two properties.  We did that (both were quite interesting, but both need quite a bit of work) and then he suggested we have lunch at the Little Cayman Beach Resort, which is popular with SCUBA divers.

Inviting front porch at the resort

What a cute place!  They have a nice beach and a cute outdoor bar/restaurant.

The entire ceiling area above the bar/tables is filled with handmade (mostly wooden) “Kilroy Was Here” type messages done by visitors.  It was fun to see the creativity and to read some of them.

Mike had fish tacos and I had a hamburger and both were declared delicious.

After lunch, we walked next door to the real estate office and the rep drove us about a mile down the road to Blossom Village, which consists mainly of 3 or 4 little stores – necessary things like food, hardware, liquor~!  We visited them just to see what they were selling and how much it all cost.  Evidently a barge comes from Grand Cayman once a week and if anyone needs something they arrange to have it sent on the barge.  We were talking to one resident who said that in the winter sometimes it is too rough, the barge can’t land and it can take as long as a week or more for the weather to cooperate. In the meantime they’re all running out of food and supplies and staring longingly at the barge waiting off shore knowing their grocery delivery is on it!

Bench in front of the little grocery store

Close up -sign above the bench

When it was time, we walked a short distance to the airport to check in.  I had joked with Mike that we needed to check in an hour in advance for a domestic flight.  I thought I was joking.  Turns out they really do want you to check in an hour early!  I had assumed that since it was so laid back there that you could pretty much wander up at the last minute.

Mike standing next to the road that circles the island, which curves off to the left. The runway appears in the center of the photo and you can see the part that curves to cross the road toward the airport, which is to the left of Mike -out of the picture.

Once we checked in, we still had about an hour before leaving, so we decided to visit another restaurant/bar called the Hungry Iguana, which was located just behind the airport at a small resort.  I’d heard of the Hungry Iguana and wanted to check it out.  It was less “beachy” than I expected, but they had cute signs on their restrooms!

Back at the airport, we sat out front waiting for our flight and watched the plane we were going to be boarding land and taxi to the airport.

We got a kick out of the sign above the front porch of the airport:

The plane has landed

Crossing the road

The “luggage crew” walked out pushing a cart and started loading luggage and we began boarding.  There was a make-shift lineup of passengers -no security, no pulling out our electronics, no metal detectors.  I doubt the whole operation took more than 5 minutes before we were heading back to the runway for our departure.   As we taxied away from the airport, I looked out the plane’s window and noticed that a car was yielding to the airplane as we crossed the road!

Up we flew and back to Grand Cayman.  I was able to spot a few familiar locations from the air as we made our way back to the airport on Grand Cayman.

Rum Point and Cayman Kai -an area on the North and East side of the North Sound on Grand Cayman.

Seven Mile Beach -Grand Cayman

Our day on Little Cayman flew by -but we enjoyed getting a glimpse of truly laid back island life.  It is wonderful to realize that there are still these little spots of fantasy out there like Little Cayman!  My reaction to being there is best described as me having “visions of sugarplums dancing in my head” -I loved the idea of the possibility of living there.  On the other hand, Mike was feeling like he’d landed in an episode of Survivor!

Categories: Cayman Islands 2014, Summer 2014