In which I actually leave the resort property

In all the years I've been coming here for the Cayman Cookout, I've never left the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman property except to attend Cayman Cookout events.  Today, just to do it, I spent the middle of the day elsewhere, specifically at Caymana Bay, a collection of shops, restaurants, and apartments.

Wednesdays bring the local farmers' market there, so I wandered and admired the small collection of local produce.

Lunch was at the Waterfront Urban Diner, where I enjoyed a tasty and definitely spicy Thai salad beef salad

Click an image to see a larger version.

and shared a quite decent truffle mac-and-cheese.

As is common in these parts, a few chickens were on hand to provide added scenery.  This particular one knew no fear and wandered among the tables with nary a fuck to give.

The local iguanas were also fun to watch, including both this one hiding in plain sight on a rock

and meta-iguana, riding his giant metal counterpart to victory (or something).

As good fortune would have it, Caymana Bay also offers Gelato & Co., an artisanal gelato shop.  I sampled three flavors--dark chocolate, mango, and passion fruit--and all were very good, with the mango and passion fruit particularly strong.

I also have to commend the wonderful Books and Books bookstore at Caymana Bay.  I spent a fair amount of time wandering their stacks and admiring their curation.  Any community would be happy to have this bookstore.

All in all, a simple but satisfying adventure.