What is it about possessing things? Why do we feel the need to own what we love? And why do we become such jerks when we do? We’ve all been there. You want something, you possess it – and by possessing it, you lose it. – Chris Stevens (Chris-in-the-Morning), “Northern Exposure” TV series
When we returned home from Grand Cayman, northern Minnesota was on fire. Three wildfires from natural causes were burning, adding to the smoke from Canadian fires. During our vacation, the smoke blanketed Duluth, causing air quality warnings. Thankfully, we missed that, but once we were home evacuation warnings sounded for areas near our cabin.
What could we do against a wildfire if it chose to overrun our cabin? We live an hour away and weren’t sure how worried we should be. One of my relatives called me and suggested we stand outside our cabin with garden hoses. Luckily, a cabin neighbor was fighting the fire and was able to give us a clue about the conditions. He thought we’d be okay. But out of an abundance of caution, a few days later when the fire had crept within two miles of our cabin, we decided to evacuate some belongings “just in case.”
Deciding what to evacuate was an interesting exercise. It wasn’t easy, but we were thankful that we weren’t like many people who only had minutes to evacuate. Eventually, we decided on bringing our Scamp trailer camper home, which was stored in our cabin garage. We needed it in the next few weeks for a trip to Colorado, and it would have been very inconvenient to have it burned to a crisp!
My photos were the other things we saved. We decorated the cabin with many canvases and metallic prints of images that you’ve probably seen in past blog posts. I have a photo show coming up in July, and it would have been a bummer to have those all burned up. Not to mention, expensive to replace. (To see my online photo collection, visit my website.) We decided to leave the furniture until a more imminent threat arose. Some of our good friends volunteered the use of their truck if we needed it and we felt lucky to have such support.
I think this used to be a mobile home, located near where the fire began.
Thankfully, we didn’t need their help. Due to the efforts of state and local fire folks, the blaze was stopped soon after we evacuated our belongings. I’m glad our cabin survived and I’m glad no lives were lost in the blaze. Our firefighter friend told us the fire began due to a spontaneous combustion of a hay bale on a farm.
Once it was over, we drove down the road that flanked the fire. Several trailer homes were lost and possibly one “regular” home, plus many trees. The damage was sobering, and I was glad that we took the measures that we did. However, we would have been much more nervous if the fire had threatened our primary home.
Besides people and pets, what would you save if a fire came for your home? It’s something to consider.
My husband’s nickname is Russell Brussel. He has a fondness, some might call it an obsession, with Brussels sprouts. We were cooking supper the other night: caramelized Brussels sprouts pasta with toasted chickpeas – a great vegetarian meal that we’ve cooked before – and I noticed a curious thing. The day was warm, so we had the kitchen windows open. Gradually, gobs of large black flies collected on the screens. They not only collected, they swarmed. In a spontaneous, miniature airshow, they divebombed the screens, as if trying to get inside.
Curious about whether this was happening elsewhere around the house, I checked other windows. No. The phenomenon was only happening at the kitchen windows. Thank god for the screens or we would have had an invasion on our hands!
We were busy cooking and then eating, so I didn’t think much more about it, although I noticed that the flies dispersed once the cooking was done.
The next morning, I did an internet search about whether flies are attracted to the smell of cooking Brussels sprouts. As you can probably guess, YES, they are!
Here’s why:
Odor Amplification:
Cooking can intensify the smells of food, making them more noticeable to flies, which have a highly developed sense of smell.
Volatile Compounds:
When heated, Brussels sprouts release various volatile organic compounds, some of which might be similar to those produced during decomposition, a known fly attractant.
Opportunistic Feeders:
Flies are attracted to a variety of food sources, including those that are decaying or decomposing.
The process of cooking, especially when done with heat, can amplify the odors of food and make them more appealing to flies. Brussels sprouts, like other vegetables, can release volatile compounds when cooked that are similar to those found in decaying organic matter, which is a common attractant for flies. This is due to the presence of methyl eugenol, which is also found in other fruits and vegetables such as cherries, raspberries, and basil. When this compound is present in high concentrations, it can be intoxicating to flies and other insects.
Now you know! Plus the next time we have Brussels sprouts I can joke to Russ that he’s cooking carrion again.
Batabano Carnival Food Festival gets set up in George Town.
Our last full day on Grand Cayman Island dawned sunny and beautiful, as usual. We planned to drive to George Town on the opposite side to further explore the capital city’s pleasures. Although it only takes about 30 minutes to get there from the island’s East End, we girded our loins for its numerous roundabouts and heavy traffic. With Google, we scoped out a public parking lot and hoped for the best.
Some of our plans this day worked out better than others.
What drew us to George Town was Batabano. This annual carnival, usually in the first week of May, is named for the tracks that sea turtles leave in the sand when they come to shore to nest. In essence, it’s a celebration of spring and fertility. As such, there are family-friendly events and adults-only events.
This was the last day of the carnival, and we wanted to sample local cuisine for lunch at the outdoor food festival and catch part of the closing parade before dinner at The Wharf restaurant on the seashore. In between we’d shop or do whatever caught our fancy.
The first glitch in our plans occurred when the parking lot that Google said existed, didn’t. So, we circled aimlessly until we found a spot along the road not far from the food festival. When we arrived at the festival, the booths were just setting up, so we decided to wander around.
A holograph of a Caymanian woman speaks to us at the Cayman Islands National Museum.
We found the Cayman Islands National Museum, a cute little place that tells the story of how the island was settled and its influential people. There’s a gift shop, displays, art, and an introductory video. Like many other cool places on this trip, once again, we were the only people there! The lower level features on old jail, complete with graffiti by prisoners.
When we were done with the museum, the festival food was ready. I had conch stew with breadfruit on the side. I’d never had breadfruit before. Alas, I was not impressed – it was mealy and bland. I’d seen this fruit for sale in Minnesota for an exorbitant price, so I guess I was expecting more. Breadfruit was more like a potato than a fruit. Let’s just call it a learning experience.
The carnival parade was supposed to end at the square where the food festival was located. We waited for it, but some helpful shop keepers told us that the parade got a late start (island time, of course). We walked about a half-mile up the parade route to try and see it sooner, but still no parade. We waited around as long as we dared before we needed to walk back to our car to drive to the restaurant for our dinner reservation. The Wharf was along the route, so we hoped we’d be able to see the parade somehow along the way.
When we were about a half mile away from the restaurant, we ran into a road closure sign due to the parade. I took this as my cue and jumped out of the car with my camera, telling Russ I’d meet him at the restaurant.
I was expecting a parade like the one I’d seen on St. Martin – lots of people in regalia and live music. Some people wore costumes, but most were in T shirts and shorts. And remember what I said about the theme of fertility? I discovered there’s a reason why this is an “adult” parade. Picture well-fed people grinding on each other in the street. That’s all I’ll say. 😊
However, on the walk to the restaurant, I recovered my appetite in time for our special dinner. Although I felt like our 6th anniversary dinner was the one we had at the Czech Inn Grill, this was to be our official anniversary and our traditional, fancy, end-of-trip dinner.
Roasted pear, goat cheese and beet salad
Lobster!
Seared sea scallops over risotto
Other diners feeling the romance.
We chose The Wharf due to its location on the waterfront, its varied menu, and because diners can feed the tarpon that gather off the dining room dock. Russ had scallops and I had lobster as the sun set. It tickled me to “recycle” my lobster shells back into the sea by tossing them to the leaping tarpon once we were done. It was a good and romantic end to a somewhat stressful day.
That’s it for our trip! If you’re thinking of visiting Grand Cayman, I developed a set of tips to share.
Rental car speedometers are in kilometers per hour, but the road signs are in miles per hour. (It took us about a day to figure this out, during which we were driving way too slowly!) A sign that says 50 mph means about 80 kph on your car speedometer.
Driving is on the left side of the road. Many rental cars have steering wheels on the left, which is helpful for Americans and others who are used to this.
The East End of the island is perfect for introverts. The George Town/Seven Mile Beach area is perfect for extroverts, especially if you like roundabouts.
The weather is hot with high humidity. Wear sunscreen!
Do outdoor activities in the morning when its cooler.
Watch out for chickens and blue iguanas crossing the road.
Due to transportation costs, food is more expensive.
Grocery stores are closed on Sundays.
Grand Cayman is in the same time zone as U.S. Central. No jet lag!
If you want to see the bioluminescence, schedule your trip around the new moon. We didn’t know this and so were unable to get a tour to see this phenomenon.
The best time to visit Starfish Point is in the morning before conditions get wavy.
Don’t miss the frigate bird feeding at Tukka Restaurant every evening at 5 p.m.
The one good photo I took of a starfish on Starfish Point.
Nearing the end of our seven-day stay, we tried to slow down and relax more. On this sixth day, Russ and I vowed to only do activities near the East End resort and to spend time in the ocean. We mostly succeeded. We stayed true to our vow, but there was just so much to see that we didn’t spend much time relaxing!
Our first stop was the Cayman Parrot Sanctuary, which is dedicated to protecting the endangered green parrot, the island’s national bird, and to provide children with an up-close look at island wildlife. Kids at heart, that sounded good to us.
The sanctuary was begun by the head chef at Tukka Restaurant. You might recall them from my posts on Day 3 and 4 (this is the place where you can feed frigate birds). The chef wanted a playground and a mini zoo for his children and neighbors while he watched over his restaurants, but the idea caught on and grew so that now the sanctuary is one of the island’s major tourist attractions. Besides several species of parrots, there are turtles, snakes, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hermit crabs. There’s also a zipline and playground. The star of the show is an agouti named Lil’-bit. Unlike wild agoutis, this one is highly social and enjoys interacting with people. Lil’-bit was otherwise engaged while we were there, so we didn’t get that experience.
Russ interacting with sun conure parrots.
Our favorite adventure there was going into the sun conure aviary. These parrots are brightly colored and super-curious. They were all over Russ’s head from almost the moment we entered. (My thick hair must have deterred them but that was okay. I was able to focus on taking photos of Russ.) The birds seemed to like picking on anything that was plastic, including Russ’s glasses, hat, and bracelet. The attendant gave us seeds to feed the birds. Some liked to pinch while they ate, ouch! But we soon learned which birds those were and avoided them.
The sanctuary provides homes for Cayman Parrots that have been injured or ones their owners can no longer care for. Each parrot had a back story posted on their cage.
We returned to our resort for lunch and then headed toward Starfish Point, Go Pro in hand. Visitors can book a tour for the point, or they can simply go there themselves for free. The best time of day to see the starfish, which are red cushion or West Indian species, is in the morning before the ocean waves kick up. We wished we had followed that advice because by the time we arrived, it was wavy and the water was murky. The point has a shallow sand shelf that drops off into deeper water. It’s possible to simply wade around on the sand shelf to see starfish or you can don a snorkel to see more in the deeps in the seagrass (which they eat).
The crowds on Starfish Point.
That’s what I did. I saw some starfish in the deep water, but they were too far away to get good pictures, so I joined Russ on the sand shelf. We took care not to accidentally step on any starfish while looking for them. Also, it’s illegal to remove the starfish from the water. It introduces air into their bodies and kills them. Our Stingray City guide told us that there used to be many more starfish on the point – hundreds. But now, due to people lifting them out of the water for photos, there are only about a dozen to be seen on the sands. Needless to say, we did not touch the starfish in any way! There are signs on the point to this effect, but it really seems like there should be some sort of starfish police patrolling the area because I saw people not following the rules. I was sorely tempted to become a starfish cop myself but refrained. Getting into a fight with another tourist did not fit my idea of relaxing. But seriously, something needs to be done to protect the starfish more. Ironically, one island tourism company webpage about the point features promotional images that show the exact wrong things to do with the starfish! I DID just build up enough gumption to complain to the tourism company. We’ll see if they do anything with the images. Their text was okay, however.
Disappointed by the crowds and the murk at Starfish Point, we retreated back to our resort to snorkel. Ironically, I saw a HUGE (like two-feet-across) starfish hiding under a grassy ledge off the dock at our resort. But sorry, no picture. I wanted to just relax and watch the fish this time. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon reading by the pool.
We ate dinner at the rooftop sports bar at our resort. We ended up being the only ones there, so enjoyed a private dining experience under the rising moon. I highly recommend the coconut shrimp appetizer with mango sauce. We capped off our evening with a round of mini golf on the course near our unit.
Next up: Batabano Carnival, Grand Cayman National Museum, a final fancy dinner, and Grand Cayman visiting tips
An endangered green turtle glides through the lagoon at the Cayman Turtle Center.
I’ve been offline for a while. Russ and I meandered to Colorado. We were disconnected from internet reality for a few days in the wilderness. I’m trying to catch up with your blogs but may never be able to do that. Sorry if I missed anything important. I’ve got a couple more Grand Cayman posts to write before I can move onto Colorado.
Back on Grand Cayman, our next adventure took us to the more populated side of the island and the city of Georgetown. Our first visit was to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. Once again, we were the only ones at the venue. Is no one else on this island interested in art?? But it was nice not to feel rushed while perusing the interesting offerings there. Entry is free, so what’s not to like?
On the way inside, we passed a beautiful rooster strolling the grounds. I must say it was the most handsome rooster on the island, perhaps a work of art himself? We saw many pieces inside the gallery that inspired and provoked. Some of my favorites: Confluence, a mixed media sculpture made of painted paddles that were historically used by Caymanian turtle fishermen. The artist used washes of oil paint on the paddles to create an atmospheric depiction of light and water, transforming the paddles from utility into relics of a bygone era.
Another favorite was We Can Beat the Storm, an acrylic painting that depicts a father and son in a traditional catboat (Caymanian traditional fishing boat) set amid calm waters. It symbolizes the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next.
ConfluenceWe Can Beat the Storm
Then there was Fish Skeleton, a mixed-media sculpture made from recycled materials and used car parts, recalling the mountain of debris left by Hurricane Ivan on the island. The artist wants to draw attention to the islands’ longstanding reliance on the oceans for sustenance and the increasing environmental pressures that threaten this relationship today. All I can say is I’m glad we didn’t run into this creature while snorkeling!
Indulge me with two more artistic offerings. Bon Appetit! is a sculpture that shows a giant fork stuck into a fishing lure. It raises issues of unsustainable fishing habits and the depletion of global fishing stocks. But it does so with a touch of humor and hubris.
Fish SkeletonBon Appetit!Osiris
The last piece of art that struck me is a digital collage on paper called Osiris. It shows the melding of a conch shell and a human face. The blending of fiction and reality illustrates the continued influence of the marine environment on Caymanian identity.
After the gallery, we made our way to the Cayman Turtle Center, a sanctuary and breeding facility for the endangered green sea turtle. We opted for the Turtle Adventure, which allows visitors to snorkel with the turtles in a huge lagoon. I brought my GoPro Hero camera along and was glad I did! I’ve seen a few skittish wild turtles in the ocean, but these turtles are habituated to people. I had a few swim right underneath me! It was definitely worth the entry fee. The turtles eat algae, so you don’t need to worry about them biting you, although clumps of algae (sort of gross) float around the lagoon, dislodged from turtle feeding.
The facility also has a turtle breeding program. According to their website, “the turtle release programs have resulted in the growth of the local wild population in the Cayman Islands of the green sea turtle, going from zero nests in 1999 to over 200 nests. Recently, researchers in an independent genetic study using DNA discovered that 90% of all green female turtles nesting in Grand Cayman are genetically related to turtles from the Centre.”
Turtle feeding time!
Russ and I were able to witness turtle feeding time in the breeding bay. These turtles are of reproduction age – typically 16 years old. Some weigh more than 500 pounds! They’re fed pellets and the funny thing is, they squirt water out their nostrils as they inhale them. It’s a sight not to be missed. The Turtle Center was another highlight of our trip, on par with Stingray City.
This is Hell.
Not far away is a small town called Hell. It has its own post office and is the size of about half a soccer field. The black craggy rocks that make up Hell are millions of years old and are made of limestone that has been eaten away by algae and ravaged by the elements. It does not look like a place where one would want to spend much time, but you can send postcards to people from Hell and buy T-shirts there.
On our drive back to the eastern end of the island, we stopped at a restaurant in Savannah that we saw in a tourist newspaper and heard other resort-goers rave about. It is called the Czech Inn Grill and is operated by an accomplished 4-star chef from Czechoslovakia. It’s mostly an outdoor venue, with walls composed of surf boards. If you’ve ever been to Tom’s Burned Down Café on Madeline Island in Lake Superior, it’s a lot like that.
This was my FAVORITE meal of the trip. Every meal we ate on the island was good, but this had the added ambiance of a green-eyed tabby cat and a rooster. It’s not every venue where you can share your meal with two grateful animals. Russ and I both ordered ribs. Russ had Asian ribs, I had Hawaiian ribs with Czech potato salad. They were divine! We arrived early for dinner and once again, were almost the only people there.
The cat, whose name we later discovered was Prince Harry, sat politely by our table, squinting at me in a most appealing manner. How could I not share my bounty with him? He ate the first few offerings, but then deferred to the rooster for several others after the bird figured out what was going on. Later, Prince Harry became more demanding, standing on his hind legs and putting a paw on my thigh to get my attention for more tidbits. I didn’t mind complying.
Prince HarryOur Mark (the heart)
The surf boards and wooden support posts were filled with graffiti – peoples’ names and where they were from. Under “Minnesota” written in large letters near the reception area, we added our names and date with a heart drawn around it in honor of our sixth anniversary. If you ever visit the grill, look for our mark. It was a truly memorable dinner!
Marie's Meanderings 