Brac Reef Driving…
So... if you thought diving Cayman Brac was an exciting experience, then you should try DRIVING Cayman Brac... with my dad
When we were told that our group of four would had a rental car assigned to it I was pleased. My thinking on this matter was "A car can only be a good thing. We can get up and go somewhere if we need to." Well, that was three days ago or so. Since then, I have been cured of that silly notion by nothing other than FEAR! Let me explain...
Having lived in the United States for all of my 25 years of life, I am used to driving and riding on the right side of the road. The steering wheel is on the left and we drive on the right. That's what I know and that's what I'm used to. Now, drving on the other side of the road is not what has me spooked. It's driving on the opposite side of the road with my beloved father at the wheel. Lol. I love you Daddy, with all my heart, but I cannot skip over this part of the trip.
Driving from the airport to the resort was no big deal because it was literally around the corner. The problems began driving from Brac Reef to the Breakers. Thr first problem is the steering when being located on the right side of the car (the blinker is on the right too, which feels weird) . The second problem is that the speed signs are in miles whereas the speedometer is in kilometers and none of us are well schooled in the metric system and conversions. So, going into this I already had a not so great feeling.
Early Sunday morning we are drive to the resort for our first day of diving. We are still getting to know our two condo roomies (Jessica & Benson) so we're all talking and laughing and we slowly seem to keep getting closer and closer and closer to the trees, shrubs & bushes on the left side of the road. As I am completely fastened in my seatbelt and ready to assume to tuck position if an accident were to occur, I continue to remind my father that the greenery to my extremely immediate left keep getting closer and closer. "Believe me Amora, I am not about to hit the trees" he says. I don't really understand this statement since I am looking right at the trees, but I try to woo sah it away until I can't hold it in anymore and I say something again. "Baby, I'm nowhere near driving in the trees". So I double check my seatbelt and urge my fellow passengers to follow suit.
A few minutes later he looks over to Benson as they are talking... and the car heads that way as well... at 80km/h (don't ask me how fast that is cuz I still cant tell you). As we drive almost into the island forest, I scream, the branches hit the car and my dad jerks the car back to the road. His response to my cries for help? "I only did that cuz I was talking to Benson." I give up. lol
Another time we pull out of the Breakers and Jessica notices that we are driving on the right side of the road rather than the left (an honest mistake on his part) and as soon as Jessica mentions that we are driving on the wrong side of the road, in that oh so sweet voice of hers, we are all four violently awakened by the sudden movement of the car into the left hand lane. Well, in each of these cases, as soon as my blood pressure goes down and my heart stops pounding out of my chest, these near death stories are actually quite funny. I can even look back and laugh about how earlier today we were driving back to the Breakers flying oops I meant driving by some trees and they actually came in the car and almost slapped me like an open hand.
I'm happy to say that as my dad went on his first night dive this evening, I drove the car from Brac Reef Beach Resort to the Breakers and I did not hit and trees, chickens, shrubs or land crabs. I did however drive at 80km/h- that thing has some really great pick up power.
*Thumbnail photo by Carolyn VandeWiele
Nettie posted at 11:07 pm on July 13th, 2009
Yea,,, we had some thrills on the driving thing too. Bob was desiginated driver for the week. He’s done this before, but was out of practice. I was co-pilot and Gardnier and Cary were the back seat drivers and great ones they were. We never really hit the trees and shubs on the left side of the road, ( my side ) but we sure came close. And those darned crabs ! You know they’re going sideways, but then they stop and raise their claw with the “I will KILL you” posture. Not a good plan. Bob managed to miss most of them and even dodged most of the hermit crabs too. But,, if not for the back seat alerts, I think we would have hit a chicken or 2. chicken,,,, chicken,,,chicken,, CHICKEN ! ! ! ! Good job Bob !! If only we’d fueled up between 3:00 and 5:00. Oh yea,,,, don’t count on Parker to be your follow up team in case you run out of fuel. He forgot us,,,, FORGOT US ! Sorry Trudy,,, that one little white wagon was running on fumes by the time we got to the airport.