Day 43, Cayman Islands

We are now off to the George Town in the Cayman Islands for a quick shore trip......
This British colony, which consists of Grand Cayman, smaller Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations.
Columbus is said to have sighted the islands in 1503 and dubbed them Las Tortugas after seeing so many turtles in the sea.
The name was later changed to Cayman, referring to the caiman crocodiles that once roamed the islands.

George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies.

George Town is the heart of the Cayman Islands financial industry, with over 600 banks located here!!
We visited the Hard Rock Cafe, and some shopping plazas before returning to our ship.

Hey Nopi, isnt that Johnny Depp ??........oops, sorry that guy just resembled him!

These islands were obviously the inspiration for the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean"!!

Did you know that the Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited until the late 1600s, when England took them and Jamaica from Spain.

Emigrants from England, Holland, Spain, and France arrived, as did refugees from the Spanish Inquisition and deserters from Oliver Cromwell's army in Jamaica; many brought slaves with them as well.

The Cayman Islands' caves and coves were also perfect hideouts for the likes of Blackbeard, Sir Henry Morgan, and other pirates out to plunder Spanish galleons.

Many ships fell afoul of the reefs surrounding the islands, often with the help of Caymanians, who lured vessels to shore with beacon fires....

Today's Cayman Islands are seasoned with suburban prosperity,particularly Grand Cayman, where residents joke that the national flower is the satellite dish!!