The Cayman Islands

And just like that, we come to the end of the C countries and it is time for the Bonus C.

We first thought about Corsica or Curacão but – 

I dedicate this entry to my beautiful friend HS who lived in the Cayman Islands. She was a vivid and fierce reader, traveller and citizen of the world. HS left this world quite recently and far too early – she worked in a bookshop among many other adventures in her life, and I am lost without her recommendations for the best books. This is for you, dear HS. May you fly high. 

But first, as always. Food.

Islands Boys 

The Cayman Islands food is strongly influenced by Jamaican cuisine. It is not exactly the same but the two cuisines share many of the same ingredients and traditional dishes. 

While there is no Cayman Islands restaurant or food store in Sydney, the Island Boys Food Truck at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville (an Inner West suburb in Sydney) is a very good alternative. As both of my children have returned from various travels, one chilly winter night we decide to check out the food truck. It has existed for about a decade and was founded by an experienced chef Phil Spence who is of Jamaican heritage. 

For food,  my son A (13) gets Jerk Chicken with Corn Bread (on the left). While Turtle Stew is Cayman’s national dish, the most popular dish is Jerk Chicken, made of chicken, pimento (also called aromatic allspice), hot and sweet spices and bonnet peppers. The chicken is prepared with holes, so the spicy mix gets rubbed all over and incorporated throughout the meat, and then is slow cooked in a big barbecue (see below). The dish originates from enslaved Africans in Jamaica who hid in mountains and cooked meat in holes in the ground hiding the smoke with pimento wood. The Food Truck combines the chicken with corn bread – which is also very typical of Cayman. A says that the chicken is very yummy but spicy. He says it has a good balance of sweet and sour. 

My daughter L gets a Pulled Pork Burger with chips. Slow-smoke pork is very popular in the Cayman Islands and is often served in a burger just like in this dish. The chips are a bit floury and not anything special, and the burger does not differ much from a standard burger. L says it is slightly underwhelming but good enough for a meal.

My dish is Nachos with several sauces. Nachos are not typical of Cayman at all, although served in touristy spots in the Cayman Islands sometimes accompanied by plantains or corn bread. My dish is nothing special and while my kids’ fast food meals have a Caribbean twist, mine is quite plain. Overall, we all agree that the food is between ok and average. Not super exciting but filling enough, and served in a lovely environment. 

From turtles to caymans 

The Cayman Islands are composed of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The capital, George Town, is in Grand Cayman. It is not independent but a self-governing British Overseas Territory. 

Before a chap called Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus for English speakers) stepped foot on the islands in 1503, it was a people-less paradise for turtles. First called Las Tortugas (to refer to the abundance of sea turtles), the name was changed to Cayman, which referred to native marine crocodiles. 

The British took control in 1670 and have been top dog ever since. The Cayman Islands were governed as part of Jamaica for nearly a century (1863-1962), but when Jamaica gained its independence in 1962, the Cayman Islands decided to stay with Britain. 

There are no rivers or streams on the islands due to them being uplifted fossil reefs. They are a haven for offshore companies which has made the Cayman Islands financially robust – the Cayman Islands has the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. It has been estimated that people with over 130 nationalities reside in the Cayman Islands. It is highly susceptible to climate change. 

The story of Frannie (book)

The Confessions of Frannie Langton (Sara Collins, 2019)

There are a few books from the Cayman Islands, but the most prominent author is Sara Collins who was born in Jamaica but moved to the Cayman Islands as a small child where part of her family is from. Her most famous book The Confessions of Frannie Langton (2019) is critically acclaimed and became a bestseller. It has been described to be a “19th-century gothic romance and murder mystery.” It has won several awards and been adapted into a tv series. 

The book does not take place in the Cayman Islands at all, so that was a slight disappointment. The story develops first in 19th century Jamaica and subsequently in London. It follows the story of young Frannie, born to slavery and who later is accused of murdering the owners of the house in London where she worked as a maid. It is interesting but it takes me a long time to read it, and I end up reading other books in between. It relies on its gothic elements of conundrum and horror. It is well written but failed to engage me. It is brutally realistic in describing the horror of slavery, and extensively a fairy tale regarding a young slave girl who learns to read from shire classes and then picks up philosophical books and world classics between hard work. It has a structure suitable for a tv series as chapters are like episodes with a cliff hanger. The first part of the book (Jamaica) is quite interesting, but once the story moves to London it slowly loses its sharpness. I wish I had enjoyed it more but I felt quite relieved once I managed to finish it. 

Haven is it not (movie)

Haven (Frank E. Flowers, 2004)

The most prominent Cayman-native film director is Frank E. Flowers, who started his career as theatre technician, DJ and a news cameraman before moving to study film making in California. His debut short film Swallow (2003) collected some awards and was included in the selection of the Sundance Film Festival. His first long feature film, Haven (2004) was the first film filmed entirely in the Cayman Islands. He wrote and directed, and managed to attract considerable funding to secure a household name cast from Orlando Bloom to Zoe Saldaña, among others. Orlando even co-produced the film and agreed to star as he was just out of two major franchises. Frank has also co-written some other films such as Metro Manila (2013), Shooting Stars (2013) and Bob Marley: One Love (2024) and directed another long feature film the Bluff (2026). He is the Chair of the Cayman Islands Film Commission Board. 

So I watched Frank’s debut movie Haven. How I wish I could say something positive about this movie but unfortunately it is utter rubbish. I have not seen a movie this stupid in a long time. Cliché after cliché in what feels and is filmed like a music video. Beautiful people but hollow characters, bad acting (with some exceptions) and a ridiculous plot – even if it does get slightly better towards the end. What is positive about the movie is that it shows some Cayman landscapes but for most of the part Cayman is shown as a gangster paradise island of sex, drugs and violence. 

That is the end of the Bonus C and not only are we moving into a new group of countries but also our next stop will be our 50th stop for Virtual Nomad. 

Next stop: Denmark 

Thank you L for your proof reading! (you’re welcome!!!)