No matter where we live, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine and miss the opportunities around us. As we planned our “Big Trip” we jotted down a bucket list of family adventures to have at home in Cayman. This was our bucket list.
Sailing – One of our first family adventures: we rented a small Hobie cat on Seven Mile Beach to sail with Amelia. We also had two of our farewells with friends and colleagues on the RedSail 70ft catamarans.
Kayaking – We kayaked in Bodden Town and South Sound. Amelia loves Sand Cay in South Sound (the “desert island”) – now is a safe time to visit because the endangered terns have finished their July/August breeding.
Snorkeling in South Sound – We loved snorkeling to the wreck of the Pallas; this was also one of our first adventures. My favourite was hearing Amelia say “ooooh!” through her snorkel when she saw the coral and fish. It’s important to check that the current isn’t too strong.
Snorkeling with turtles – Bloody Bay in Little Cayman is the best place to see turtles without disturbing them (guidance from the DoE). Amelia however tells us that turtles are quite ‘boring’; she does this to tease me, and after helping with too many rehabs and rescues.
Tide pools – Amelia loved exploring the little pools behind the rock ledges at Surfers Beach with Wendy and the big pool at Pageant Beach with us – though we had to snorkel out of the pool toward the shipwreck to see more marine life.
Waterslides – Amelia’s favourite. Our neighbour Laima rented the best inflatable waterslide for our neighbourhood celebration when the Cayman Islands came out of lockdown.
Wakeboarding – Thank you for teaching us Rob and Dave! This was a big item on our bucket list.
Mangroves – We boated through Booby Key channel and showed Amelia and her friends about the mangroves. One day we will take Amelia snorkelling in the mangrove roots.
Bioluminescence – we snorkelled in BioBay at night – like flying through fairy dust.
Snorkeling shipwrecks – we visited other shipwrecks too, like the one at Pageant Beach.
North Side Beaches – We picked up tacos from the taco truck, picnicked in the shade on Barefoot Beach, and then walked the deserted red brick path along the top of the cliff.
Movie – Amelia saw her first movie in the cinema (Mary Poppins in New York) with Aunt Emily and Uncle Michael and had a cosy movie day with her friends when a tropical storm trapped us all in Little Cayman; one of her favourite things on the trip.
New playgrounds – many to explore but Dart Park is always our favourite.
Stargazing – we even saw the International Space Station.
Hiking – Thank you Dave for taking us hiking in Cayman Brac.
Body surfing – We had so much fun body surfing on a rough day on Seven Mile Beach and Amelia even had a real surf lesson with Mica – she could not stop talking about it.
Farm – We toured a farm in Bodden Town with Amelia and bought so much beautiful local produce from Patrick during lockdown.
Bonfire – We had beautiful bonfire nights on our beach with sausages and marshmallows and fireworks at New Years. The best one was when we were allowed back on our beach after lockdown.
Caves – Amelia ‘discovered’ a cave in Cayman Brac and was hooked on seeing them all.
Riding – Amelia did a small pony ride but was too young for trail riding – definitely something we will need to do in Europe.
Thank you to our wonderful friends and family for sharing these adventures with us.
So much fun, Amelia. We know you’ll have even more fun during your travels. Enjoy every minute of it.