The last time we were in Grand Cayman was shortly after Hurricane Ivan devastated the island. That was probably ten or so years ago; although a lot of the shore excursions were cancelled, our cruise ship stopped to show support for the island’s rebuilding. We took a bus tour of the area back then to see not only skeletal homes but also destroyed beaches and decimated marine life.
Today we went back, and the first thing we saw was a rebuilt downtown area and matching port. There were also four other cruise ships anchored in the bay. And even though the Hard Rock Café and Jimmy Buffet’s were front and center, I was happy to see a bustling community.
We went to snorkel in the warm waters off shore and the second surprise was the water temperature. Over that past year, my interest in swimming has declined because the temperature at the pools back home is cooler than my comfort level. The pools on board the ship have the same problem. So I’ve been contemplating hanging up my goggles and fins.
Until today. The water this morning in the Caribbean was 83 degrees; I won’t say I jumped in – not with snorkel, fins, and vest – but I did ease in without any hesitation. And it all came back to me: that feeling of floating, the stretching of arms and legs, and the wonderful sense of weightlessness.
Remembering Grand Cayman, I’ll return to the pool at home and try again.
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