Frogs, Pub Crawls, Sushi, and CRVs

So there we are, last Sunday evening, sitting on he couch, when Jill says: "Whats that on the curtain?" "Its just a tag", says I. "No, I think its a frog" says Jill. Sure enough, there was a frog clinging to the top of our curtain! Not something you see every day back home! Nearly as weird as a couple of weeks ago when I had to swerve on the road to avoid a crab! Or walking back from the bank the other day walking through a gathering of three hens! In the middle of town! It takes a bit of getting used to around here.
Anyway, our inclination to cook our own food is waning! Made one meal this week and ate out the rest of the week. Sure why wouldnt you? The one time I tried to buy fish in the supermarket, the guy behind the counter walks out and brings me on a tour of the shop showing me witch seasoning, vegetables, and spices to buy to make my fish taste great. I had a former chef as a personal shopper in the equivalent of the local Tesco!
On Friday we bought a car! A new CRV (well 1996) in aqua marine blue (Jill hates the colour). Have to pick it up, and pay for it, tomorrow.
Friday night we decided to go posh and got dressed up to go to the Ritz Carlton for cocktails, the "place to be seen on a Friday night", alledgedly.
Very posh, apparently the rooms start at $800 a night for a small room, corporate rate! We ordered a bottle of Veuve Rose Champagne with Sushi for two and sat our wannabe asses outside overlooking the pool and golf course. Hubb and Louise, you will love this place when you arrive, right up your street! Graham and Ais, you missed out, we should have gone to the Ritz instead of Aqua Beach!
Saturday consisted of a walk on the beach with the dogs, a half hour in the pool beside us followed by breakfast in Cimboco's restaurant (fabulous breakkie) to line our stomach for the day ahead.
One of the lads here, Martin, from Cork, who works in UBS is leaving the island next week to go to Dubai, so as a send off, 32 of us met up in the Hard Rock Cafe in George Town where we boarded a mini bus (a very mini bus that didnt quite hold us all!) and proceeded on a pub crawl of every local bar on the island from the far North side back to the South side and back into town. We had a kitty of two grand running, which was gone by 11! Some craic with selected Gift Grubs and Rebel songs playing in the bus between each pub.
First bar was "The Country & Western", where women ordinarily do not go! Very backward! On then to a similar local Caymanian boozer where they handed out free cups of chicken soup! (I still dont get that), then up to Driftwood, a beach bar on the way to Rum Point, where we had pizzas and were entertained by a local band, all on the edge of the water with sand as our dancefloor. Beer was replaced by mudlsides, the most popular cocktail on the island, which went down very nicely!
Back then to town where we found another local bar benhind the airport, with sand and deck chairs, about two miles from the nearest beach!
The bus ride home consisted of a rendition of Fields of Athenry, the Hakka, a Zimbabwean drinking song, The Langer, and numerous others in between. The bus swayed from side to side with 32 drunken fools singing and dancing in a van not much biggeer than a Transit!
We more or less took over a bar that prior to our arrival had a bout ten customers! So here we are in the middle of nowhere, in a local bar, when Jill bumps into Seamus Byrne's son John, the No 2 lad in Digicel Cayman. Joyce, you'll be glad to know that he came straight up to introduce himself to Jill after hearing through someone else that she was in the bar! You can let his father know that he says Hi! (see photo in Flickr).
Sore heads ensued and we were back in the house by closing time!
Anyway, off now to enjoy the day in the sun. Might take a boat ride or just go to the beach. Too hot for the dogs so will leave them be and go work on our tans!.
By the way, Friday marked the one year to go point to our wedding next year. 364 days to go! Jill has booked her flights to New York, leaving next Saturday for a week, so if anyone fancies joining her on her shopping trip.........
Rafter
Jill and Johnny