A Postcard From Paradise

It’s the last day in Cayman for awhile for Merlin and Krista so Tyson suggested we spend our Saturday the way a lot of Caymanians do – enjoying the sun and the water.  First we took Skycatcher out to select the perfect location to dock when launching Skylla.  We found one just off Starfish Point at Kaibo. The photo of Bobby is looking right out at the point. Bobby determined this was a good backdrop for a  group photo.  Starting on the left are Tyson’s wife – Holly, Tyson, Ty and Holly’s sons - Brayton and Davin,  Bill, Marcus – a friend of Davin’s, Krista and Merlin.  It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  Bill took a turn driving the boat and Holly introduced us to an iconic Caribbean drink – Rum Tings.  They kind of remind you of margaritas except the spirit is rum,  the mix is grapefruit soda from Jamaica and the salt component comes from the salt spray that’s already on your lips!
That evening we met Michael and some other friends for a classic beach picnic.  However, in Cayman, nothing is common and neither was our picnic.  We did sit around watching  eight year old boys whoop it up around the fire but did so while sipping lovely French champagne, enjoying meltingly tender fillet and ribs, and… watching a bikini photo shoot 100 feet down the beach.  The guys all did an admirable job of appearing nonchalant and only mildly interested.  Tyson and Bobby though, managed to find an excuse to move closer  by striking up a conversation with the model’s husband.  Bobby even recruited him as balloon crew.  Our last night in Cayman ended up with another perfect sunset.

Hi All,
We didn’t get to fly today, so we got to be tourists.  We visited the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Gardens . John Lawrus, who flew with Merlin yesterday, is the General Mgr. of the gardens and had invited us for a tour.  Here’s a recap using photos by B.Gates.
I nearly stumbled on  this creature. It’s a (right click to enlarge) Blue Iguana and sort of a national treasure. They are unique to Grand Cayman and nearly went extinct 30 years ago, due to cars and “vermin”, i.e., feral cats.  Our house “vermin” in Colorado would turn tail and run the opposite direction if they saw one, as the males are bigger that your average kitty. They don’t seem to move, at all, except when a male sees a female.  Then they start to make a clicking sound, toss their heads like a horse, and well … give chase.   
There are many different palms on the island and in the gardens. Two fun ones are the ”Rasta Palm”, named for the “dreadlocks” that hang beneath the branches, and the Teddy Bear’ Palm. Directly below the branches is a caramel brown patch that’s soft as your favorite childhood stuffed toy.
There are dozens of orchids in the gardens, all colors, but the most unique is colorless. It’s called the “Ghost Orchid” and is very rare.  It’s haunting to look at, but beautiful.
When we past a bush with drooping yellow petals, John picked a handful and suggested I put them in my purse. For the rest of day, it smelled like heaven when I opened it.  The bush was Ylang Ylang, a key ingredient in the perfume Chanel Number 5.  
There are quite a few toxic plants in the park but many are edible.  John picked the yellow flowers from this plant for us to taste.  They were crunchy and tart sweet and are used in salads in Thailand.  It’s called Costus Spicatus.
After our tour we went and saw Tyson at the airport. I got a tour of Pegasus, the plane he transports Mike and VIP guests from the mainland to Grand Cayman.
Signing off for now.  Think I’ll take a wiff of my purse.

Merlin and Bobby have been on Grand Cayman for eleven days.  They’ve accomplished a lot.  Skylla has been inspected and officially declared air worthy, and Skycatcher is ready for testing as soon as insurance is finalized. Bobby has business cards and spends his “free time” recruiting crew.  He is also practicing his photography.
This post focuses a little on the geography of the Cayman Islands.  The three islands, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman are the tops of seamount pinnacles reaching up from the Cayman Trench or Trough.  This is one of the deepest sections of ocean in the world.  The 1989 science fiction film, The Abyss, was set in the Cayman Trough. Grand Cayman is by far the largest of the three islands, a whopping 76 square miles. One way to look at Grand Cayman is to compare it’s shape to the constellation called the “Big Dipper” ( Double left click on map to enlarge).  Skylla will launch from the upper right corner of the cup portion of the dipper and roughly fly towards the lower left hand corner of the cup.  The North Sound, over which Skylla will fly, is relatively shallow and crystal clear  This is why the aquatic life that inhabit the North Sound will be so visible to Skylla’s passenger’s.

Here are a couple of Bobby’s favorite photos taken from the launch site.
Kaibo Starfish Point:

Curious Stingray:

Merlin’s Mom has requested a photo of Skycatcher that gives a better view of the platform where Skylla will land.  The balloon will rest directly in front of the cabin.