Bruce, K0BJ will be active as ZF2BJ, from Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands, IOTA NA - 016, 5 - 17 January 2025.
He will operate on HF Bands with focus on WARC Bands, CW.
Recent DX Spots ZF2BJ
QSL via home call direct, buro, LOTW.
Ads for direct QSL:
BRUCE FRAHM, 1553 County Road T, COLBY, KS, 67701, USA.
Cayman Islands: exotic and serene
Cayman Islands... This name unites three different sized islands in the Caribbean Sea: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Actually, there is one more island - Owen, but it is quite tiny and uninhabited. The Cayman Islands were discovered by the ubiquitous Christopher Columbus. He did it back in 1503. Due to the abundance of sea turtles they were called “Las Tortugas”. Sailors often hunted turtles here because their meat stays fresh for a long time. But until the middle of the XVIII century islands were as if forgotten and ownerless, because the conditions for life on them left much to be desired - there were a lot of mosquitoes, there were often tropical storms, there was a constant shortage of fresh water. And only since 1670, when Great Britain legalized its protectorate over this territory, some development of the island began.
There was a confusion with the name of the island - there were never any caimans here. They were mistaken for huge iguanas, which were the masters of the islands. But the intimidating name remained.
The territory of the Cayman Islands is so small that this state is absent from most geographical maps of the world. The total area of all the islands is only 264 square kilometers. The population of the islands is just over 60,000 people - most of them are mulattoes, but there are whites and blacks. When a cruise ship comes into port, the population of the islands increases by about a third. About 4/5 of the islanders live on Grand Cayman Island, where the capital of the island nation, Georgetown, is located. The islanders are mostly employed in catering to tourists and raising turtles on the local farm. As the Cayman Islands is a British protectorate, the Government of the United Kingdom appoints the Governor and represents the supreme authority.
Climate and nature
The Caymans are tropical, and the climate here is correspondingly tropical, trade winds. The summer period lasts from May to October, it is the rainy season, but the rains are not prolonged. The temperature during this period is stable, it is about 29 C and almost unchanged. Winter, which includes the months from November to April, is dry and not hot. The average daily winter temperature is 17-24 C. The islands are often attacked by tropical storms and hurricanes.
The nature of the Cayman Islands is pristine and beautiful. There are a lot of rare trees, plants and animals, which are not found in any other countries. Silver palms and brightly colored parrots, sea turtles and beautiful orchids have long become symbols of the island state. Palm trees of this species grow exclusively on Cayman, their unique feature - a very strong bark, from which the islanders weave hats and baskets, and also use it as a material for the construction of housing. The island parrot is the rarest species of Amazonian parrot, it has green plumage with iridescence, white crest and pink cheeks. Like other local natural treasures and rarities, it is forbidden to take it abroad.
The territory of the islands is covered with mangrove forests. Many exotic plants and flowers grow here, one of which is the banana orchid. It is a spectacular flower with a fine shading of bright purple. On Grand Cayman it is white in color, on other islands it takes on a rich yellow tone. Orchids also cannot be taken out of the country or even plucked.
Cayman Brac is a bird paradise. It is the island chosen by different birds as a resting point when flying to warm lands, here in different periods there are swallows, buntings and pigeons, many species of herons: white, tricolored, green, with a yellow crown. In the Caymans you can admire and flamingos, as well as meet rare varieties of falcons and parrots.
And of course, many people come here for the purest water, which is famous for the Caribbean Sea, huge beaches covered with ancient white sand. In the local sea there are no sharks and jellyfish, which can sting bathers. Coastal waters have long been favored by divers. Picturesque relief bottom here conceals many mysteries and sunken ships. And the land is free of poisonous snakes, spiders and other unpleasant inhabitants, often found on other tropical islands.
The largest animal in the Caymans is the iguana. There are 3 species: blue, green and sand iguanas. Blue iguanas are very rare and are found nowhere else on earth. The Caymans have adopted special programs to ensure the protection and breeding of these animals. Green sea turtles, which were once on the verge of extinction, are treated with the same care, but now their breeding has been taken up by the state. It created a large turtle farm, thus providing work for many islanders. But the lionfish is systematically caught and sold to catering companies. In this way, the authorities are trying to preserve the local ecosystem, in which the lionfish is a newcomer, but behaves very unfriendly.
Water
Fresh water scarcity is a big problem in the island nation, but it is successfully solved by artificial desalination of sea water. Therefore, all the water supplied to the homes of citizens and other facilities is artificially desalinated water with the addition of minerals. Because of water scarcity, islanders prefer to plant drought-tolerant crops near their homes.
What to eat in the Caymans
Restaurants in Georgetown and other island towns serve a variety of cuisines from around the world. Local cuisine was formed under the dominant influence of traditional Jamaican cuisine, which means that spicy and fried food is favored. Many spicy seasonings are used in the preparation of any dish. Of course, the proximity of the sea also influences the choice of ingredients most often used in the preparation of local dishes. Islanders eat a variety of seafood, including mussels and lobsters, in large quantities. Coconut pulp, plantain, rice and peas are used as side dishes. Fish tea is a spicy soup with peppers as the main ingredient, and the rest can vary depending on what you have on hand. It can be various seafood, fish and vegetables.
Another one of the most popular dishes is jerk. This is the name of spicy dried chicken rubbed with spices and grilled. It is served with a side dish of rice and beans or with a salad of raw cabbage, carrots and onions with mayonnaise. It is also worth trying a hearty heavy cake, a popular dessert made of grated cassava with other starchy vegetables. Yams, breadfruit, pumpkin, yams and rice mixed with various spices can be used in the preparation. Often homemade mints are added to such a pie.
Religion and mentality
The church plays a very important role in the life of the Cayman Islands. The Christian religion predominates here, although there are also representatives of other faiths, such as Baha'i. The island state is extremely religious, and everyone in it adheres to quite strict rules of life. For example, nudism, gambling and same-sex love are strictly forbidden on the islands. Even cruise ships coming here to the parking lot during their stay in the port close the casino. Alcohol is sold here only in special stores, in other places you can't even buy beer. Alcoholic markets are open until 19:00. All entertainment venues on Saturday are closed at midnight, because it is assumed that on Sunday everyone needs to get up early and go to Sunday service in church. On Sundays life comes to a standstill, stores are not open, museums, pharmacies and most restaurants are closed.
Life on the islands is unhurried and measured. Locals are quite lazy, they have an advantage when hiring even in foreign companies, but many people just do not want to change the quiet rhythm of life, to take some responsibility, to get a good education. At the same time, the Caymans have the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. More than 500 banks are registered here, millionaires and billionaires come here to live. The Caymans themselves are sure that everyone dreams of living on their islands, so the migration policy here is quite strict.
Because the islands are home to people who come from all over the world, they are tolerant of all cultures and actively celebrate all holidays, such as Irish, Australian or Canadian. Public holidays here are not tied to specific dates, but to days of the week. For example, Heroes' Day is celebrated on the fourth Monday of January, and the Island Discovery Day is celebrated on the third Monday of May.
Tax Paradise
The Cayman Islands are famous for their liberal tax legislation, which allows huge amounts of money to be evaded from taxes. For this reason, many rich and super-rich people flock to the offshore zone, which is an island state, for permanent residence. Because of this, individual states receive billions of dollars, which could have settled in their budgets, but slipped into the offshore vortex. The Cayman Islands have enjoyed tax exemptions for a very long time. Legend has it that back in the XVIII century the locals showed courage, bravery and diligence, at the risk of themselves to save the royal ships that crashed on the reefs, heading for Britain, and the then ruling George freed the islanders from the tax burden and military service. These benefits, not to the same extent, but remain to this day.
The islands have their own currency, the Cayman dollar (CI). It bears the image of the Queen of England. Interestingly, her portrait is aging, reflecting the truth of life. On banknotes issued later, the queen looks older. Along with local dollars, American dollars are accepted everywhere.
