Despite threatening skies, the Batabano parade went ahead as scheduled on Saturday (5)

Sounds of revellers reached more than a mile down the West Bay Road, from the Marquee Plaza where the massed bands gathered before the parade.

First in line came two fearsomely tall men on stilts, towering over everyone; their golden capes billowing and twirling in the breeze like fantastic golden sails.

Dms Broadcasting was there too, with wonderful costumes. LIME looked great (in lime coloured costumes) as well, and everyone was in the party mood as they gyrated, bounced and danced their way into the heart of George Town as the sun got lower and lower in the sky.

Onlookers’ cameras clicked and flashed – carnival time is always a big hit with tourists wanting to catch some colourful snaps of a truly Caribbean festival.

Perched on the back of an open-top limo, four contestants from this year’s Miss Earth pageant, slated to take place in June, waved regally as they rode past.

Batabano was launched in 1983 by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman.

The festival’s original name, Batabano, is a salute to Cayman’s turtling heritage. The word batabano refers to the tracks left in the sand by sea turtles as they crawl onto the beach to nest. Finding these tracks was – and still is – a reason to celebrate!

In the evening there was a ‘party’ to dance to in  Cayman’s capital, George Town.

Photos by Christopher Tobutt

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