Subj:    Sunset Cottage Visit
To:    Sunset Cottage

It was wonderful. We want to go again. Do you have a lot of people that want

to rent the cottage in June or late May?

Had a very romantic dinner at Captain's Table. They decorated our table and

Lennie drove us home so we could really celebrate.

Met an expat in the Miami terminal (Darlene). Very nice lady and we

saw her a couple times during the week.

The logs were very helpful. We did find one exceptional information sheet at

the Chamber of Commerce. Some local had just run it off. It's called

shore diving /snorkeling spots and has all the info you could want -Where it

is, Entry, What's to See and Depths. It is 6 pages long and I brought it

home and made a copy to mail to you. So please send me a mailing address.

Went snorkeling and diving and I rented an underwater camera from Ed Beaty.

Nice man. Got some nice photos.

Divi was inundated with a charter dive group-100+ the week we were there. So

we just rented gear a Reef divers. Mark gave me another refresher course and

we did progressively deeper dives which  helped my ears tremendously. I just

need to dive more.

Got lots of beautiful sunset photos.

We did quite a bit of take out as we liked eating on the screened porch.

Aunt Sha's may not continue to be in that location, We heard the man who

owns the property may put a  different restaurant in that spot. They have

very good food there and we ate there twice. I hope that is just an

unfounded rumor.

Hope to email you some photos later.

Mary & Mark

Subj:    Leaving Sunset Cottage
To:    Sunset Cottage

This vacation was the best ever - it was R & R to the absolute hilt!!! I actually cried as I got into the small jet leaving on Monday morning. I've never cried leaving somewhere for home. I could have EASILY stayed another week or two but Stan quickly reminded me we had 'responsibilities' to get back to - ho hum!
LOL!

We enjoyed all of the remoteness, natural beauty, and wonders of the island. We did not visit any establishments other than Billy's for groceries, Edd's Place for a couple beers and Jerk Chicken takeout on Saturday, and NIMS. We left the island with lots more left to do when we return in the future - and we WILL return!

Stan and I had the time of our lives. We snorkeled ourselves to death and we explored every inch of the island. Our favorite snorkel location was right out in front of the house and to the right about the equivalent of a city block

Second to snorkeling we visited the Bluff and lighthouse twice - with it's breathtaking views along the lighthouse footpath - not to mention the repeated views of the Boobies. Along our second walk on the lighthouse footpath we encountered a mother bird protecting her little baby who was in the footpath.
We also got to see Little Cayman Brac - it was just so amazing!

One day we tried to find some parrots along the Blight Road path - both sides of the road. We didn't get to see them but we heard them - we think they saw us because once we got right on top of them they stopped making noise completely.

On another excursion we went to Peter's Cave and took the long stairway up the steep rocky path - and the payback was sheer delight in the spectacular views at the top.

We also had fun getting TO the lighthouse via car with dodging all the crabs in the road - the hermits and others! One time I told Stan if it's between us and the crab - please hit the crab - he almost gave me whiplash dodging one of them! The black crabs with red legs and the others with the bright orange legs - they were so funny the way they would hold up their claws when we passed as if to say - COME ON - I DARE YOU! The first trip we encountered the hermit crabs and when we saw the shells on the road at first we didn't know what the heck they were. We quickly realized it though and had fun dodging them!

On our last snorkeling venture to the right of the house about 2 houses down from Sunset Cottage we encountered 2 VERY LARGE nurse sharks - one was at least 6 or 7 feet long - scared me to death. They continued to hang around us so we promptly headed back to the cottage. Fortunately we had already been in the water a couple hours already - UNfortunately I had run out of film by that time - as I had been snapping away at all the beautiful creatures under the water.
It was absolutely breathtaking!

I can't stop thinking about that place! So much to love about it! I'm here in body but my spirit is still in the Brac!

Thanks for sharing your dream location with us! We look forward to visiting again - hopefully the same time next year!

Carol and Stan Jimerson

Subj:    Thanks For A Wonderful Vacation
To:    Sunset Cottage (Sunset Cottage)

Several times in my life, while planning my next vacation, I’ve reflected back to my past vacations to find a moment or two that really formed a lasting impression. When I was young, my family took us to all sorts of places and spent countless hours preparing for the trips, making sure that we’d planned something for everyone. As I grew up, I also carried on the tradition of preparing and planning vacations I thought would have a lasting impression on my family. In a way, I’m a bit reluctant to tell you about our vacation spot. Probably because I know telling to many people might ruin the silent secret beauty of this little Island Brac.

When we first got to the Island it was late at night. We were told that the weather wasn’t good the week before. When we woke the next day, the landscape and gentle ocean breeze was beautiful. My wife and I have traveled extensively and have experienced many types of cultures. None however compare to the kindness and courtesy extended to us during our brief stay there on the island. I have few fitting words to describe the peace, beauty and tranquility of this virtually undiscovered garden spot. Blue sky’s, fabulous driving, pleasant people. While we were there, we took the time to talk to some of the islanders and were delighted to find them pleasantly informative and eager to be of assistance. Though the island is very small, we rented a car and drove around to the different beaches to see the sights.

The water and skyline, when viewed from the top of the brac are beyond belief. In the afternoon, we’d walk down to the beach in back of the cottage snorkel, walk and watch the sun set. One morning when we woke up we found that it had rained during the night. That morning as I sat on the back porch of the cottage, I saw the first full rainbow I’ve ever seen in my whole life. So vivid you could almost reach out and touch it. Our 7 year old Jessica found a whole new world underwater. The crystal clear water behind the Cottage is teaming with all sorts of colorful tropical fish, coral and plant life.

In the evening we’d go to the Captains Table for an exotic seafood feast. Even as I sit here writing this, I can almost hear the ocean and see the beautiful skyline. Now that I look back and count all the money I’ve spent looking for the perfect vacation spot, I find that, without a doubt, this was the best, most fun, therapeutic vacation I’ve ever had. As for the Sunset Cottage, I find the word perfection inadequate.

The McAleney’s

Subj:    Our stay at Sunset Cottage
To:    Sunset Cottage

We returned from our visit to Cayman Brac this past week -- we loved the Sunset Cottage. It is a beautiful home equipped with all the possible amenities!! -- The weather was pretty good most of the time, with a few days of high winds and high surf. We found that the snorkeling in front of the cottage was the best on the island (we also went to Buccaneer and Stake Bay). While snorkeling we picked up several conch and after talking to the locals we decided to make conch fritters -- they tasted good! . . . We also went fishing and whenever we were successful we had a fish dinner, cooked in coconut milk from one of the coconuts from the tree in the front yard. -- We spent some time at Divi sitting on the beach, and my husband talked them into giving him a lesson and allowing him to dive with them. Next time I'll try . . . We loved the island, very laid back. My husband had to go to the hospital to have a fishhook removed from his finger (!) and I'll tell you,
it was a shock to hear them say "Oh, the business office is closed, come back next week and pay us" without ever asking for ID or passport or anything. Very foreign to us!!

Subj:    Home from the Brac!
To:    Sunset Cottage (Sunset Cottage, Cayman Brac)

Every day was a Sunset on Cayman Brac! The turtles swam out front twice at that time. Saw quite a few green flashes. 
I cooked a lot of wonderful dishes with native foods (have you ever had green papaya creole, an ackee omelette, or callaloo quiche?).  The cool breezes from the ocean made every night perfect for sleep without air conditioning. I did change the layout of the master bedroom to take advantage of the cooling breeze from the door and so you could look out of the bed and see the ocean instead of the neighbor's bushes. I also moved the dining table to where the loveseat had been and found dining much more uncramped. 

Subj:    Cayman Brac Beaches

Greetings -

Yes, the Brac is behind us now, but not soon forgotten. We truly fell in love with that area!

The public beach -- white sand stretching as far as the eye can see, but no people! We only saw 2 other couples on that beach in all of our many visits...And the beach at the cottage, beautiful and private, with an unlimited abundance of coral, shells and other sea life to explore...The water was so clear and warm and full of incredible marine life! The locals treated us like old friends...always trusting and helpful. It's hard to say what we miss the most...however, one thing does stand out....let me set the scene...You've just spent a full day, snorkeling, exploring beaches and caves, and frolicking in the sun, followed by a great dinner at one of the local establishments...you are tired, but in a very satisfied way...You are sitting on the patio at the cottage, watching the surf as it softly pounds the shore...the sun is just starting to set and there are pink fluffy clouds lingering in the sky...soon they will be replaced by the brightest of stars...I can almost feel the warm breeze just thinking about it! The sunsets were not only beautiful, but represented the perfect ending to another perfect day on the Brac. Not something that one can easily forget.

I'm not sure what you needed for your web site, but it was fun reliving the experience!

Best wishes,

Ivah Rae

Subj:    Sunset Cottage (awesome)

Mark is back from the cottage and says to tell you "THANK YOU"!! Wow the pictures are beautiful. What a place!!!! Turns out we know some people that work at one of the dive shops there. What a small, small world.  Mark wants to go back before the Christmas holiday. We are trying to talk MY brother & sister & law into trying for the time share again at the Tiara. They could stay there and we could try for the cottage. Has the June timeshare been taken? It shows pending on the net.

Thank you again for the hospitality.
Turns out Mark's "friend" was not able to go so... MY sister Juli went. She is single too! Who knows what is in the future?

Do the islands hold any magic?! They are both nice people. At least they are friends!
Talk to ya later.
Theresa   

Subj:    Re: 7/26 Visit to Sunset Cottage

What can I say? We had a marvelous time.

I think in total we had one day of light rain so every night we watched the sunset and every morning I was up with the sunrise. I'm glad we had two weeks since it took the first to unwind and find our 'island pace'.
The snorkelling was better than I thought it would be. The first day there the sea was a bit wavy so getting in and out of the water took a bit of concentration but little did we know at the time how calm it normally is. So needless to say we spent a lot of time in the water, starting with a few days snorkelling and then 10 days of solid diving which was simply world class.

Regarding the house, I can't imagine staying in a resort when such a comfy option is available. We immensely enjoyed the quiet of our private beach and completely felt 'at home' while there. Not to mention the attractiveness of the cost compared to other options on 'the strip'.

In all, the island and the place surpassed our expectations, which I must say were quite high! The only problem is my girlfriend is now hooked on diving so I can see this becoming one of our annual trips... oh well!

thanks,
Lee and Sunny

Sunset Cottage, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, B.W.I.

Since 1996