house guests.6

Our sixth set of guests arrived just before Valentine's Day, which seemed appropriate, as the two of them left behind their four gorgeous boys to join us in Grand Cayman for a little R&R. We were so pleased M&R took time out of their busy schedule to visit us. As they lead lives that include PTO meetings, soccer practice, sermon preparation, watching toddlers, and counseling teenagers, this couple more than deserved their sunny getaway.

Their visit was only for a few days, so we made sure to take them to our favorite locations during their stay.  Sunshine Grill never disappoints, and this particular night included live music. Great atmosphere, delicious food, happy friends. My kind of outing.

Since it's right across the road, we took a walk around the Ritz-Carlton to admire the property in general and lounge for a bit on their seaside beach chairs. When we were told by the Ritz staff not to be concerned if we heard fireworks being set off on the beach in honor of someone's wedding, we were more than happy to stay for the show.

Fireworks for a bride and groom, or for M&R's arrival? It's a toss-up.

Another off-the-beaten track favorite are the parrot cages at Ristorante Pappagallo.  It's now a known fact that the blue and yellow parrot in the middle below believes he is Rocky and can bob and weave with the best of them. He and NS have a show down every time.

While NS and I worked on Friday, M&R went on a Stingray City tour with Captain Marvin's - a tour that included the stingray sandbar, snorkeling, and personalized photos. They loved it!

photo credit: Captain Marvin's Watersports

Turns out that M&R are water babies and took to snorkeling in an instant (much unlike my first experience with snorkeling.)

Since snorkeling went over so well, on Saturday we headed to a favorite snorkeling spot in George Town at the Wreck of the Cali. Unfortunately, I was still recovering from a vicious cold, so I remained on shore as documenter/photographer while the other three took the plunge.

And they're off!

Technically, there are three boats in this picture: Cruise ship, pirate ship, and shipwreck.

Oops, I forgot to count the lifeboats...

Come on guys; time to go home. I need some more tissues.

The snorkelers had worked up an appetite and were keen to sample true local flavors, so we soon found ourselves at Seymour's Jerk Centre.

Those in our party who like a bit of heat in their food found the meal to be delicious. I could barely get through several bites, but as I've mentioned before, I'm a spicy food wimp. The best part of lunch, from my perspective, was that we ate it poolside at B&K's place so that we could show off the many iguanas along the canals.

Though they may look scary to some, I love living around these modern dinosaurs.

While I manned the camera, my three comrades surrounded the iguanas. It's one of NS' favorite activities to chase these poor sun worshipers into the canals for an unexpected swim.

Look at the iguana on the right - up on hind legs to make a dash for the canal! NS was close behind him.

Sunday included church and an Al La Kebab lunch, then NS was off to Barkers to kitesurf. We weren't far behind.

Look how much he's improved since December's lessons!

That's upwind, folks.

What a picture perfect thing to do.

Sunday night was M&R's final evening on island, so we went out for dinner at Karma, a really delicious new pan Asian restaurant along Seven Mile Beach. We had been there once with R&M and were quite impressed with the menu and service.

Plus, MH is famous for his Asian food affinity, so we knew we couldn't go wrong.

We've found the best way to order at Karma is to select several items off the menu to share. A bowl of edamame to start along with prawn tempura, then pad thai, sashimi pizza, and a few special sushi rolls for the table. Just thinking about it makes me want an excuse to go back!

As with other guests, we couldn't let M&R leave the island without tasting Calypso Grill's Sticky Toffee Pudding. The evening was perfect for outdoor eating, and the atmosphere at Calypso is unrivaled.

Why have I still not posted a picture of this famous dessert on the blog? I guess I'm too excited to gobble it up every time I order. A camera seems like a big waste of time.

Another one won over by Sticky Toffee Pudding!

We're so glad M&R visited us, even for a brief get-away. Friends like these are always welcome back!