Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
138
However, the prices for some of these items ar e often on par with
what you might find in y our hometown. Know the average cost of a
desired item befor e you head to the Caymans, so y ou'll easily kno w
whether or not you're getting a bargain. Some of the best deals w e've
discovered have been on native crafts, watches, jewelry, rum, designer
sunglasses and clothing, ar t, cameras, cr ystal, and cosmetics. C uban
products such as cigars ar e sold, but y ou can't bring them back into
the United States. The carefully packaged Cayman r um cake is the
most popular purchase.
Each U.S. citiz en (including childr en) can r eturn with up to
US$1,000 worth of goods duty-free. Since the amounts are collective,
a family of thr ee has a duty-fr ee allowance of US$3,000. N o duty is
imposed on handicrafts, ar t, food (including those famous Cayman
rum cakes), or books.
Make sure you know which dollar a merchant is quoting in before
you step up to the cashier . The U.S. dollar is v alued approximately
20% less than the Caymanian dollar.
There is no local sales tax in the Cayman I slands.
Most stor es keep r egular business hours of M onday to S aturday
9am to 5 or 6pm.
7
2
SHOPPING: A TO Z
ART GALLERIES
Art is very important on the Cayman Islands and local talent is abun-
dant. As you visit the island's galleries, you might want to r emember
the names of painters (described belo w) who define the Cayman
Islands as their home and, often, as the sour ce of their inspiration.
Canadian-born, silver-haired, and elegant,
Joanne Sibley
lived for
25 years in Jamaica, and has dw elled for the same length of time on
Grand Cayman. S he's noted for her luminous por trayals of light on
West Indian landscapes, creating canvases that seem to glow. Although
her works are for sale at some galleries, she w elcomes interested visi-
tors into her studio for priv ate showings if they phone in adv ance.
Contact her at
&
345/947-7273
befor e heading out to see her at
1342 Bodden Town Rd., 3.2km (2 miles) east of Bodden
Town,
21km (13 miles) east of G eorge Town.
Charles Long
is another w ell-known Caymanian painter , cele-
brated for his use of solid, bright colors in paintings that often depict
Cayman flora and fauna. He is happy to give tours of his studio to art
lovers who call in adv ance. Contact him at
&
345/917-5741.
His
home is at 114 West Lane, off P edro Castle R oad, in the hamlet of
Savannah, about a 15-minute drive southeast of George Town.
