Tales From the Minivan

So we finally made it to Grand Cayman after a slight delay in Saint John. Our flight was delayed over 2 hours, which in turn made us too late for the hotel shuttle once we arrived in Toronto. Finn fell asleep in the Saint John Airport and slept straight through until we arrived at our hotel in Toronto. After a diaper change and a feed he was back asleep.

We got to the airport, checked in without incidence, I would recommend to anyone that is flying with Air Canada, to check in online at home (or from your hotel)! What an easy process, they have a special area to queue up for those that have already checked-in to check your baggage and the lines here were a fraction of the other check-in area.

Finn was more than happy to people watch and smile at everyone who approached him while hanging out in the pouch sling. Once on board he fell asleep and slept through the majority of the flight, but here’s a few shots of him on his first plane ride:

The fight was relaxing, I also managed to get some sleep and relax, and listened to a few Podcasts. I did make a few observations while having a can of Coca Cola. Andrew and I both ordered a can while refreshments were being served. His was from Canada, bottled in Ontario, mine was from Mexico, with Spanish print all over it! The I decided to check out the Nutrition Facts listed in each can and was surprised to see that they differed!
Canadian Coke

For 1 can (355ml)

Calories 160
Fat 0g
Sodium 40mg
Carbohydrates (Sugars) 42g
Protein 0g

Mexican Coke

For 1 200ml portion (1.77 portions in a can)

Calories 82 (145 for full can)
Protein 0g
Fat 0g
Carbohydrates 21g (37g for full can)
Sodium 44mg (79mg for full can)

So dissecting this…the Canadian Coke has more calories, most likely due to the fact there is a bit more sugar, but what surprised me the most was that the Mexican Coke was almost doubled in the amount of Sodium! Here I thought Coke was Coke, but if differs everywhere!

When we arrived in Grand Cayman, the sun was shining beautifully and was about 30 degrees celcius. We cleared immigration and customs with I must say the 2 most pleasant officers. Our friend, Greg who is living here was waiting to pick us up. We loaded up out luggage in his car and Andrew was waiting to get in to the vehicle, not realizing it’s the right hand drive vehicle, as they drive on the left hand side of the road here! Greg took us on a little drive around his side of the island and over to his condo to relax for a bit before we checked into our resort. We hung out with his wife Christine and Finn hung out with their daughter Evelyn.

Next we checked into our Resort called the Coral Sands, it’s a quaint little resort right on the beach. The complex also has a little pool, but the best part of our unit, has to be the view! Take a look at this view from our bedroom window, actually there is 5 huge windows and a glass sliding door, so this view is seen from pretty much anywhere in the 2 levels of the condo.

In the evening Greg invited us to a Sunday family tradition of his and Christine’s to a restaurant.bar that is right on the beach called…………… You can sit relax, have a bite to eat, go for a swim, come back have a drink, it was a lot of fun. Christine and Evelyn actually sat this one out so Finn borrowed her stroller and car seat. What a nice time, there were so many families there!

When we got there we actually joined the table with a fellow Saint Johner who is now living in Grand Cayman as the Auditor General to the Cayman Islands. Thanks again Dan for a nice evening!

Dinner Fix Challenge Cayman Style- Tomorrow is about coming up with some ideas for Dinner that don’t need a lot of ingredients or spices. Luckily the grocery store is literally across the street from the resort, so this is a definite benefit!

**Note for Mackenzie** highlight below- Hi sweets! I can’t wait to come back down here again with you and the boys, it is amazing! I wanted to tell you a funny story, because we arrived on a Sunday the stores were not open, only small convenience stores and restaurants. Daddy and I decided to go to the Esso store that was close to get a few things. Daddy got 2, 2 litre bottles of Coke, and a big bag of Doritos, I got one 2 litre of milk, a tiny bag of cheesies and a 1 litre bottle of water. Guess how much it cost? $22.20!!!!!!!!!! Just so you know at Sam’s this would have cost $9.41. Crazy, eh?