The last time I visited Georgetown, a few years ago, there was hardly a palm tree left standing, a fishing dock in place, nor a window unbroken....effects of a destructive hurricane that hit the islands with devastating force.
Georgetown is reborn, and leading the renaissance are the ususal suspects: dozens of overseas banks offering tax havens to the super wealthy and a row of luxury hotels along Seven Mile Beach, which allegedly falls two miles short of its famous name. Some historic buildings, such as the National Museum, a couple of churches, a goal and a few historic residences have been restored. Talking about 'stored' - one can get stored-out with the plethora of jewelry stores, souvenir stores, tortuga rum cake stores, t-shirt stores. All risen like colourful phoenixes from the ashes - or better hurrican rubble. The islands are flat, except for 'Mount Trashmore', which rises about sixty feet above the plain - and growing - and consists of solid garbage, soon to be turned into a local sand-ski-dune....
Again, being the Caribbean and close to ever present reefs, a haven and paradise for enjoying underwater sports, encountering sting rays and pettting farmed turtles. Hanging around one of the many watering holes along the narrow white stretch of white sand (Seven Mile Beach) is another favourite past time for visitors and locals alike. And - one can go to 'Hell' and live to tell the tale (one up from Orpheus' excursion) as a litle settlement with an acre of hellish rock formation carries this tourist friendly name, and sells lots of postcards stamped from 'Hell'.
1503 Columbus spotted these Islands, did not not set foot on them, but called them Las Tortugas..as he saw swarms of turtles swimming around Cayman Brac and Little Cayman (the second and third smallest of the three Cayman Islands). Only pirates and sailors looking to replenish ship food stores with live turtles came by for a while, until 1660 when a couple of desertes from the British Army dropped over from Jamaica. Things progressed from there, more Brits arrived under the Crown's administration, and got into the business of Wrecking. Easy job, as the surronding reefs provided plenty of raw materials, the most famous of these being the Wreck of the Ten Sails. In 1794 a ship struck a reef, and it caused a chain reaction involving nine other sailing vessels. Unexpected economic windfall (or reef-fall) indeed, and the locals went into overdrive rescuing the booty (and the sailors as well). For their effort, Ging George III granted the islands tax-free status.
Who says, that an 'Ill WInd does not blow any Good'? Thousands of High End Earners still benefit from the mass wreckage of a few stranded sailing vessels...
And off we sailed into the fiery orange sunset on a sea without a single cat's paw stirring the calm surface.
