Mission House

Yesterday, we went to the Mission House.  It teaches some of the history of Grand Cayman.  Our tour guide, Denise Bodden, was the great-granddaughter of the last person to live in the Mission House.  The original Mission House was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan 2004, and an exact replica of the original home was rebuilt a few years later.

Caymanian men actually did a lot of sewing and cooking too!

I learned that Christopher Columbus first discovered Grand Cayman and claimed it for Spain.  Well, like everyone says:
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
In 1492.
BUT he climbed a coconut tree
In 1503!

Hahaha, I made that last part up!  I'm so awesome.  There's no charge for awesomeness...

I also learned that the women pretty much ran the island in the 1800's.  The men often had to go overseas to get jobs, sometimes being away from their families for years at a time.  The women started to do pretty much everything themselves.  When the men came back, they had a hard time fitting in again because the women were already doing everything themselves!  Go girl power!!

Coconut Meat grater

Silver Thatch rope woven by women.

A few years after that, Grand Cayman became a British territory, and Great Britain began sending Presbyterian ministers to convert the Caymanian people to Christianity.  In time, the Presbyterians began to set up churches and schools.

The Hammock Room! :)

It was a pretty good tour and very full of lots of historical information, facts, and stories about the people and families who lived in the home.  I would highly recommend it, though it is "far" away from the main tourist area (7 Mile Beach).

Caymanian cookstove

Mosquito Swatter

Corncob backscratcher and pull rope to swing the hammock

Question of the day:
What has been your favorite or most memorable tour you've ever done?