GRAND CAYMAN SURPRISE

We’ve been on Grand Cayman for half an hour and already our curiosity is piqued. We have enjoyed the island on previous trips and can’t wait to experience it again, post Hurricane Ivan. Our taxi driver shed some light on the way from the Owens Roberts Airport to the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa when he said, “You’re lucky it’s dark out, or you’d be in for a big surprise.”

Grand Cayman is one of the last sunset outposts of Great Britain, a scattering group of three islands where you drive on the left, everyone speaks English with a proper accent and the hotels are outshone only by spectacular white-sand beaches.

THE WESTIN CASUARINA RESORT AND SPA

Nothing like 24-hour room service last night to quench our thirst and hunger after a long day of traveling. I’ve always liked the Westin brand?it’s affordable and comfortable without being pretentious. And things like round-the-clock room service make a difference.

The views also make a difference. I pushed open the French doors and stepped out on the balcony. What a view! Two turquoise pools and then the palm and casuarina-lined beach beyond. Our room on the 5th floor, one of 340 at the resort, isn’t big, but it’s comfortable and after one look at what awaits us, we know we won’t be spending much time here anyway.

A quick note on Westin’s Heavenly Beds and Heavenly Showers?deadly. Thom and I overslept and I stayed in the shower until my fingers were pruned!

THE PRICE OF PARADISE AND A PRICELESS BEACH

Our first jolt. Things aren’t cheap on Grand Cayman. With the exchange rate low for US dollars, everything costs about 25% more. Still, you can’t help but worry about a few dollars here and there when you grab a hearty American breakfast at Ferdinand’s Caribbean Cafe and take in the fresh salt air.

This was our first chance to see the eight-acre resort in daylight and by what we can tell, there is little evidence at all of a visit from a massive hurricane. The Westin is a nice inclusive affair?car rental, duty free and gift shops, a business center with Internet access (albeit at a dollar a minute!) and even a real estate office.

But it’s the pool and that stunning beach that caught all our eyes. The child-friendly pool has a swim-up bar and hot tubs at either end for some sociable chatter. The kiddos seemed to congregate in the tubs giggling and splashing.

Nothing beats the beach, though. The namesake Seven Mile Beach is Cayman’s crown jewel and the Westin has the place of honor: 120 feet of sugar-white sand caressed by lapping waves; water that is gin-clear.

We packed a lot in today. After building a couple of sandcastles and burying Wesley on the beach, we grabbed a casual lunch of Cayman-style California rolls and miso salmon at The Courtyard Cafe.

STINGRAYS AND NUEVO LATINO FOOD

Sated, we all took off for an afternoon at Stingray City where our guides had us hop out to snorkel and dive while they fed cracked conch to rays the size of small bedspreads. One apparently misguided ray managed to latch onto my head with at least two horsepowers of energy; happily I didn’t have a hickey.

Before we knew it, the sun was dipping and we were off to Casa Havana where Leif, our maitre d’, made us feel like family and spent time chatting and getting to know us (even kindly took our photo).

The food was fantastic and our meals were a Nuevo Latino medley?a classic Caesar salad, followed by tapas (pick four of eight). We chose Cuban spiced ahi sashimi, lobster tacos, duck breast and lamb loins. The tuna was so good, I had it as an entr?e wrapped in cilantro rice paper and served with purple Peruvian mashed potatoes. Thom opted for the Angus filet mignon a la parilla grilled with Anejo Tequila. Even Wesley loved dining at Casa Havana. Leif was constantly teasing him and the harpist provided him with musical entertainment.

EXPLORING THE ISLAND - MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE

Two big surprises. The first?we missed the celebrated brunch at Ferdinand’s. I blame it on those Heavenly Beds.

Our second surprise. We rented a car to visit Georgetown and the East End and to check out some other restaurants and places we had been on past trips. It was much drier and less green than we expected. The reason soon became clear as we passed blown-down palm trees and boarded-up buildings. Hurricane Ivan that struck last autumn devastated the island?though the Westin (which never closed) and many other properties have been fast to recover.

But in addition to the devastation, we also saw something else. The famous British stiff upper lip, the pride and the can-do attitude shone through. For every downed palm tree we saw yards cleared of rubble, and for every boarded up restaurant we saw another with the cheerful words, “Open for business.”