Getting a nature fix

The Queen Elizabeth 11 Botanic Park on the way to Rum Point is a bit of a treat. I waited to visit until I had someone to take, Jane was that someone. The web site tells us that:


When Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened Grand Cayman’s only Botanic Park in 1994, only the Woodland Trail was complete. In the ensuing years, the grounds have grown and developed into the full fledged Botanic Park that is operating today.

The Queen really must have been perspiring in what she was wearing on that day. It was very sticky there today as Jane and I wandered through enjoying being in touch with nature, wandering through the Woodland Trail amongst the trees keeping watch for snakes and the Blue and Green Iguana, both natives of the Caymans and the largest native land animals. Cameras ready, we saw both. Jane managed a shot of the snake before he slithered away. We both got some good Iguana shots, mostly the blue ones. The only green decided he would join the turtles in the lake as we arrived on their scene.

The mosquitos were biting, the first I've heard here that buzz like the New Zealand ones. And bite they did, taking photos is a bit tricky when slapping the different parts the mozzies are biting. Mozzies are a trial here but not as much as they were prior to intensive spraying in the 1960s. Stories were told over rum punches and Cayman coladas at happy hour on Friday night. I'll do some more investigating before I write too much about this topic but those present assured me that the aerial spraying currently occurring is really necessary. Today I saw their point.

The Woodland Trail is a mile long with varied flora and fauna including some large succulents similar to Aloe and orchids. They weren't in flower and added another dimension to the many textures. I took some texture shots of the native plants that I hope to be able to use as backgrounds to the new curriculum we are writing. They need a little work before that's possible. Below are some of the photos.

The Blue Iguana is quite big and his claws looked fierce, apparently they bite, so we took the photos for a distance as he posed obligingly. Amazing to look into the eyes of such a prehistoric and endangered creature. The crab retreated when he saw us, a soldier crab apparently.

Lovely lily ponds

The endangered Blue Iguana

A hermit crab so far from the sea, what a surprise he was

After melting at the Botanic Gardens, Jane and I ended up at Rum Point for a Cayman Lemonade and a rest in the sun. Tonight I made a curry from the lovely vege I got from the farmers market on Saturday morning. Green curry, yum. I added some yogurt, mmmm that tastes a bit interesting. Opps instead of plain it was vanilla. Not so tasty with curry. The nice crisp Oyster Bay sav I'm having with it made it all okay, yes I can get some of my New Zealand favourites here. A nice weekend, life is good.