Demographics and facts

The Cayman Islands have about 55,000 people. About 1,500 live on "the Brac" and a handful on Little Cayman--both about 70 miles from Grand Cayman. I'm going up to the Brac on January 20-22. Of the 55,000 total souls, perhaps 25,000 are bona fide citizens of the territory/country.

There is little serious interest in independence from the UK from what I can tell, and the Caymans enjoy a high standard of living with much autonomy as part of the UK system. Britain is a distant benign guardian and friend in most respects that participates largely through the governorship, the Overseas Territory Council and the Commonwealth. No direct financial aid is sent by Britain to Cayman...a remarkable feat for a small island with no recognizable natural resources beyond beauty, weather, and ecology.

Grand Cayman has a little over 76 square miles of land space. It is probably the most difficult place on earth to open a bank account and the level of fraud oversight is truly remarkable. Whenever people criticize the islands, the typical Cayman response is "visit and bring your cameras! You'll see if you think we know what we are doing!" It has its issues, but being a handmaiden to the corrupt is not one of them so far as I can tell. Indeed, it seems quite the opposite. I wouldn't consider the Caymans if I was up to no good...no matter what John Grisham might fantasize. A bad guy's chances of getting caught here are remarkably high. It was less so in the 1970s and perhaps the 1980s, but things now are very shipshape and Caymans is a leader in oversight as the 5th largest financial center in the world.

People living and working in the Caymans come from virtually everywhere. It's hard to believe. Europeans, North Americans, Asians...there is broad representation in the 55,000 folks...a tiny number if you think about it. Caymanians themselves are of many different accents and appearances. There is no emblematic Caymanian so far as I can tell any more than there is an emblematic American.

A big grocery looks like a cross between a Kroger and a Sainsbury's, mixing American, British, local and Caribbean foods...I haven't found anything I couldn't find yet that I might find in Blacksburg's Kroger. The Brits and Canadians say the same thing--think of the logistics of that!

If you heard something on the Marl Road, you heard it through the grapevine. Sometimes Jamaican phrases are commonplace even in business--yea mon. Pretty neat.

The built environment is suburban but slightly more colorful...in pastels and Caribbean colors. There are few buildings above 8 or 10 floors if any. Most are beach hotels and only a few of those rise that high. Next door might be a small house or a tiny strip mall. A new portion of development around Camana Bay has a more high-end California or Miami look to it in my judgment.

So far, I like it a lot...particularly the people who seem complex, cautious, smart and funny.