To Hell and Back

Today I went for a walk up the north-west side of Cayman Island. There are two attractions: Turtle Farm and Hell.

Turtle farm breeds turtles - predominately the green sea specifies. Christopher Columbus who discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503 also named them Las Tortugas. It was the presence of the marine crocodile, however, that gave the islands their name, after the Carib word caymanas.

About 60% of each year's turtle hatchlings are raised to 3 - 4 years of age before they are processed for food that is sold locally. A national delicacy apparently and not one I have managed to taste. The remaining 40% are released into the ocean when they are around one year old. Out of these, a few are kept as future breeders.

Hell is an altogether different attraction. Rock formations that supposedly resemble the charred remains of a hell fire. A rock named ironshore makes up the rock formation. Ironshore is common on the island and is essentially limestone although it bears resemblance to volcanic rock. The grayish-black colour is product of algae secreting acid that also erodes the ironshore to create the hellish shapes.

On my way back to the hotel I got a lift from an old lady who was one of the original Caymanians with surname Ebanks. She was able to trace her decedents back to the first official population count in the eighteenth century. The count at that stage was around 900. By the time got back from Hell, the recruitment consultant ad left a message on my hotel phone advising that I had been offered the job. We have until Tuesday to accept. More will follow…..

Some facts about Cayman:

• Discovered by Christopher Columbus on 10 May 1503 when his ships were blown off course by strong winds. Consists of three islands Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac
• The capital, George Town, is named after King George III of England.
• The islands are formed primarily of limestone.
• Grand Cayman is the largest island and approximately 35 km long and 13 km widePopulation of approx. 50,000 English is the official language.
• The national flower is the wild banana orchid, the national tree is the silver thatch palm, and the national bird is the Cayman parrot.
• Pirates used the islands as a hideout well into the eighteenth century.
• The country has the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.
• The economy is based largely on tourism and the islands' status as an offshore financial center.
• There is no business or personal income tax
• Major sources of government revenue include import duties, a tax of 7.5–10 percent on land or property transfers, a 10 percent tax on tourist accommodations, airport and cruise ship passenger departure fees, company registration fees, work permits, and business licenses.
• More than six hundred banks are registered, with assets in excess of $500 billion, making the islands the fifth largest financial center in the world.
• The governor is appointed by the British Crown.
• An eight-member Executive Council advises the governor. Five of the council members (called ministers) are elected from the fifteen Legislative Assembly representatives.