Get Out & Dive More! Week in the Cayman Islands
August 10-17, 2002 during this special week, you`ll get a FREE day of diving, FREE night`s stay and FREE intro to scuba course for family members. Plus, there`ll be parties where you can meet the editors of Rodale`s Scuba Diving, get free stuff and a chance at great prizes! Details on how to book your trip will be available soon on www.scubadiving.com.

The Big Bamboo Lives Again: The traditional island song “The Big Bamboo” and other tall Caribbean tales are on a new CD
release by the Chuck and Barrie duo, now billed
as “Sea n’ B”. This CD is a celebration of the
island story-telling form in music. The collection will give the listener typical “slice-of-life” styled
Caribbean stories. Half are self-penned and the
others are played in every tourist trap in the
Caribbean. The songs are slightly risqué with titles such as “You Won’t Need Much” (The skinny dippin’ song); and funny as in “The Big Bamboo”. Harry Belafonte’s “Mama Look A Bo Bo” is done in traditional style reminiscent of the original Caribbean style. Barefoot’s “Island Dreamin’” has
a few more jazz chords than Foot’s original
arrangement as Chuck just couldn’t help himself! It also includes performances by several local musician friends of the duo.

“The Big Bamboo and other tall Caribbean
tales” CD is a perfect antidote to today’s stressful pace. Just mix up a “Long, Tall, With a fresh Lime Slice”, squeeze some “Lime in De Coconut”, enjoy a little “Sweet Mango Surprise”, watch out for “The Big Bamboo” and you’ll definitely leave your cares and start “Island Dreamin” about your
very own “Island in the Sun”. CD’s are available throughout local stores distributed by Barefoot Records and online at www.chuckandbarrie.com.

Cayman Cares for New York: A number of New York fire fighters and their families arrived in Grand Cayman on February 19th as part of the Cayman Cares initiative for a fantastic four-day vacation.

The itinerary and functions for the four day visit was organized by the Cayman Cares Committee, consisting of representatives of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, Cayman Airways, Department of Tourism, Emergency Services, as well as Chuck and Barrie Quappe. The initiative came from the desire to bring rescue workers, from the September 11th tragedy, and their families for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. All activities, entertainment and functions have been donated, resulting in a wonderful variety of options for the group.

Atlantis Submarine offers Night Dives: Atlantis Submarine now offers night dives twice a week visitors to Cayman looking for an evening outing should try the relaxing Atlantis evening submarine tour to explore the mysteries underwater at night. Watch the predator tarpon seek out their dinner in the backdrop of the coral gardens. Currently offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays with two departures each night.

Cayman Islands Direct Service from the Windy City: American Trans Air, Inc (ATA) has commenced its new direct service to Grand Cayman from Chicago`s Midway Airport which began on February 16. The airline now offers scheduled weekly Saturday flights through August 24, 2002.
A welcoming ceremony was held on the waving gallery at Owen Roberts International Airport to commemorate the inaugural event. A plaque presentation was made to Ms. Florence Gille, Station Manager for American Trans Air by the Hon. McKeeva Bush, Minister for Tourism, on behalf of the Government and People of the Cayman Islands. Also present for the ceremony were Mrs. Lania Rittenhouse, Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands other dignitaries, invited guests and officials from American Trans Air. A formal `ribbon cutting` was made by Miss Melanie McField, first runner up Miss Cayman Islands and was followed by a champagne toast to American Trans Air.

“Chicago is one of the top metropolitan source markets for the Cayman Islands. Direct, non-stop flights can often take the hassle out of a vacation and with this new scheduled service, the Cayman Islands now becomes a more attractive destination for potential visitors form the Chicago area. We fully expect to see incremental visitors between now and August as a direct result of the non-stop service,” said the Hon. McKeeva Bush, Minister for Tourism.

Cayman Carnival Batabano 2002 will soon be here: Here in Cayman, thousands crowd the streets every spring to rejoice our own lively and fun-filled festival. Steel pans provide the rhythms and costumes created from a mixture of textures and colors paint the scene. The energy is electric. Communities and districts join together to create the floats and Mas’ Bands compete for prizes. Every year designs and choreography become more elaborate and leave revelers breathless.

This year’s Batabano Carnival is scheduled for 13th April 2002 and visitors and locals alike can witness our Carnival as it ushers in the spring with a colorful parade of costumes, music, dancing and culture. The Cayman Carnival 2002 Committee is proud to present two parades, two dances. The Junior Batabano Carnival commences at Pageant Beach and features Cayman`s finest Junior Mas` Bands from local schools and youth organizations. The Adult Batabano Carnival winds its way from Royal Palms up West Bay Road to Harbour Drive. The parade exhibits a multilicity of Mas` Bands depicting different aspects of culture, social and political life presented in the form of art and dance. Batabano concludes with an evening of street dancing with live entertainment.

This year Batabano has also teamed up with the Cayman National Cultural Foundation to provide an array of photo and art exhibitions as well as a culture jam and display of local history. The Cayman Carnival Committee 2002 welcomes you and looks forward to seeing you on April 13th 2002!!

McCoy’s Lodge Gets Kids Wet: Many parents wonder what to do with youngsters and children when they go on a scuba diving vacation. The sport has become popular with all age groups as we see more and more teenagers and adult children diving with parents, grand-parents and their own children. McCoy’s Lodge in Little Cayman has introduced Supplied Air Snorkelling for Youth (SASY) for youngsters as young as 6 years of age.

The children get to float and maintain a constant buoyancy on the surface of the water while breathing out of an apparatus just like their parent’s adult dive gear. A miniature regulator allows for compressed air stored in a pony tank to be utilized eliminating the fear of getting water in a snorkel while exploring the ocean. The constant buoyancy BCD allows the kids to dive down and then return to the surface while not being submerged or sinking.

SASY is perfect for families that want to share in water activities and it introduces youngsters to scuba diving thereby creating awareness at an early age for later on when they want to become certified.

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