All eyes are on the Atlantic as a storm named Ana approaches the Leeward Islands. Some models suggest Ana is weakening but Antigua may have a direct hit. If so Anguilla will certainly feel the impact of this storm.
I am a weather nut so here are a few of my favorite sites. I am a weather spotter on http://www.stormcarib.com. I also love http://www.windguru.cz. Someone suggested this site http://www.anguilla-weather.com/
Stay safe Anguilla
Today was my last full day. I had a final meeting with Mr. Hazel to discuss the races. We met at Johnno’s a popular island beach bar on Sandy Ground. Naturally I had a Ting. If you have never had this refreshing grapefruit soda you have not lived. Ting is found all over the Eastern Caribbean and comes plain or pink. Some folks mix it with rum, me I love it plain out of the bottle.
Ting
I picked up Magda and we headed to Art Cafe. Magda’s Polish friends own this lovely art gallery / restaurant. This setting would be perfect for a wedding or special event. it has splendid view of Island Harbour. The chef is from Guyana so naturally I chose seafood roti. Roti is a flakey burrito like pastry filled with curry. Guyanese and Suriname roti comes on the side with the curry on the other side. Trinidad roti is typically filled like a burrito. It was delicious. I loved the gallery and ended up purchasing a wooden walking stick for my Mom. It was made by the Caribs in Dominica. They sell some neat stuff.
After we went to Serenity to inspect this small hotel. Owned by Kenneth Rogers this charming oasis is casual yet comfortable. It is located on Shoal Bay East. Next we stopped at nearby Zazaa Boutique. Owned by Sue Rickett this shop is jam packed with lovely Caribbean inspired knick knacks and FABULOUS designer clothing and swimwear. Magda and I went a little crazy here but in the end I bought two colorful head wrap. We went to Kuah at Ku Hotel for a pina colada and swam in the tropical blue. Mayra the best bartender was off island in the Vineyard so we did not have the ginger special she makes. Despite our disappointment with drinks it was a lovely day.
At night I met Lisanne for my last supper. We chose to sit at the bar and have dinner and drinks. at Luna Rosa in South Hill. Silvestro is a true professional. Not only is he drop dead gorgeous but he runs a wonderful establishment. I had the app special, shrimp and white bean with asparagus. Lisanne chose Ensalada Caprese. Both SUBLIME. For an entree she had lobster pasta and I had ricotta and asparagus with homemade fettucini. My dish was decadent. Thankfully I ordered a half portion. After we sat outside chatting under the twinkling stars. It was a lovely way to end my week of work and pleasure. In my opinion this is one of Anguilla’s most romantic restaurants.
Photo Courtesy of Luna Rosa
I was sad to be leaving the island but wanted to get back to my furkids and my other island life.
On Sat. I went to feed the stray dog at Smokeys who I had been feeding all week. I had a swim and then met Magda who took me to the 8 AM Link Ferry. I was in Sint Maarten by 8 45 and all checked in with DAE by 9 15. I sat in the lounge surfing the internet drinking my last Ting. I was in Bonaire by 2 30 with my happy dogs.
I will be back in Anguilla Oct. 10 if all goes well….love this island bliss..
Today I met with Kenroy Herbert a property manager and inspected 8 villas. I will detail each villa in a later post. What I can say is that the island has some incredible properties most very high end. We toured all over the island taking in the local scenery while working quite hard checking inventory and inspecting some amazing homes.
Photo Courtesy of Zenaida Estate
For lunch we stopped at Valley Bistro. I had Mahi Mahi with a marinara sauce. On the side was lovely crispy potatoes and grilled tomato, baby zuccini and julienne carrots. Kenroy had chicken pasta full of creamy al dente pasta, chicken and mushrooms. This lovely bistro in the Valley is amazing. The chef is formerly of Cote de Mere.
At night I met the girls and we went to Ferry Boat Inn for rum punch and wing night. It’s been years since I had buffalo wings but they were great. You may order mild, medium or hot and they are 1 USD each. I ordered 6 mediums and was stuffed after 4. They were pungent and spicy. The rum punch was perhaps the best on island. It was a lively night with the full moon shining bright.
Photo Courtesy of Ferry Boat Inn
After , we drove to Luna Rosa to have drinks and dessert. Magda ordered the Limoncello Panne Cotta and Lisanne had chocolate souffle. I tasted both. They were decadent.
Today was Aug. Thursday, another race this time at Meade’s Bay. I started the day meeting Sue Rickett and her property manager Kenroy at Cuisinart. Sue is a pioneer in the Caribbean tourism industry. She has started many hotels and was the leader in creating and designing some of the biggest and best hotels on Anguilla. She has roots in Bonaire as well so we have a lot in common. Sue is a lovely flamboyant individual who exudes charm and positive vibes. We chatted business over refreshing lemonades. Cuisinart is a fabulous high end resort.
At 1 I had a lunch date with Bart and Amelie at Malliouhana. Bart is the new GM of Mali. He and I have windsurfing in common. I expect greatness at Mali under his reign. Amelia handles marketing and is a wiz. This grande dame of a hotel opened 25 years ago. It’s simply amazing. We dined poolside at the bistro. I had marinated tuna salad. We discussed tourism and had a lovely lunch. After I headed to the beach to celebrate Aug. Thur.
Aug. Thursday is a big race and fete on Meade’s Bay. Vendors set up drink and food stands, DJ’s pump music and class A and B boats race. I met up with Patty from Trip Advisor and Earthlight an engaging musician on island. Later, I sat with two West Indian men watching the boat races. Sonny is a local and Bobby is from my former home Antigua. We had such a lime.
It was an exciting event with all the boats nearly finishing side by side. The beach was lined with spectators cheering and screaming. My little group had set up wagers to see who might win. In the end Bluebird took first place. I won the wager so bought us all some Guinness Stout. It was a fun day.
At night I headed to Picante to meet Lisanne and Mary Alice. This was perhaps one of the best meals of the week. I love this fun and funky place. They make homemade margaritas. Chloe uses homemade simple syrup vs the pre mix. WOW..I had two if you can believe it. My prawn burrito was amazing. It was chock full of prawns and a veggie slaw. The guacamole was sublime and the chips fresh.
Photo Courtesy of Picante
Today my computer crashed. I spent the entire AM trying to problem solve with no luck. I decided to leave the mess and head off for the day to the east side. I went to some unnamed beach that had shallow water but amazing snorkeling. Two lovely villas, Rum Punch and Tequila Sunrise are on this beach. I would later inspect Tequilla Sunrise. That night I dined at Caribbean Restaurant in Blowing Point. It is owned by a Dominican man. The menu is quite extensive and varied with a Dominican influence. Sadly, their wine offerings were pretty bad. They only offered a Vendage White Zinvandel which was pretty horrid. For dinner, I had lobster pasta. The pasta was al dente and the sauce good but the lobster tasted rather old and fishy.
I was not sleeping too well as the neighborhood is full of roosters and barking dogs. I learned many years ago once one rooster starts crowing at 1 AM the entire block party starts with rooster banter..the same with the dogs. YIKES..such is island life.
Beach Bliss
Monday was the jam session for Carnival. Carnival is held on each Caribbean island and is a festival featuring music, dance, revelry, food and culture. I have been to Carnival in Antigua, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Kitts and Sint Maarten so was excited to see how it’s done on Anguilla. Along with Carnival is the annual Aug. Regatta.
I had a 10 AM meeting to see Mr. Hazel the Chairman for the Race Committe. I was covering the Regatta for All at Sea and Caribbean Compass.
I started to drive down to Sandy Ground to meet Mr. Hazel at Johnno’s but the jam was blocking the road. I went to see Lisanne and Magda at Ambia where Lisanne lives and Magda works. We had a fun time watching the jam from the hillside perch. I headed down at 11 and met with Mr. Hazel. The plan was for Lisanne, a great photographer and I to go out on the press boat
On shore vendors take over Sandy Ground putting up ramshackle BBQ pits and cook into the night. Massive boats from Sint Maarten, St. Martin and Martinique came in. Side by side twin engines (275 HSP) lined the beaches. Sailing yachts were also in port. The beach and water was JAM packed all day and night with party goers. Digicel set up a floating DJ station. It was incredible. The trance and techno was blasting all day.
A massive stage was set up for day and night long shows. Folks creatively set up shaded areas in the water so they could sit under their umbrellas whilst being immersed in the sea. Many of the French girls had sexy thongs making for some interesting photo ops. There were gorgeous men, Grammies, babies and kids. It was an interesting people watching day. Some of the outfits seen were hysterical. I will post some photos soon. Lisanne and I had BBQ at Sammy’s. It was a scorcher of a day. It was hotter than Hades I tell you. At 3 we got on the press boat and off we went to cover the Class A boat race. Class A boats are 28 feet long. The sailing tradition has been a part of Anguilla’s history for decades. The entire island embraces this part of their culture. Each village sponsors a boat that races in the island’s various regattas. Aug. Regatta is the biggest. 13 boats raced Monday. The course took us past the island into open sea. We were out on the press boat 3 hours. Along with Lisanne and I were two owners of a local radio station, Up Beat radio, their DJ who did a live broadcast, a few locals and David Hodge the boat Builder for Miss Angulla and Real Deal. The sea was rough and I personally did not feel too well but I managed not to get seasick full on. Sonic, the boat I was cheering won this particular race. The winds a good 15 knots made for a great race despite some accidents on the sea.
At night, the entire beach was a mass of humanity. Local bands Panther Vibes and Butterband took to the stage creating a dance frenzy. There was not enough room on the beach to dance so folks took to the sea and drank and danced clothes off and on. I met folks from the islands and a few rowdy rastas from Sint Maarten. One was originally from Curacao so we were able to converse in Papiamento. By the third band from Trinidad I was ready to go..I had had it with noise and people but I am sure the music went long into the morning.
I woke Sunday and drove to Gerauds to pick up their decadent French Pastries. Sadly, their oven was broken. This happened last Aug. ..curious. I drove 10 miles to Island Harbour and bought two almond croissants at Le Bon Pain. I met two kitties and fed them cat food that I always carry in my car no matter what island I am on…I then drove to Shoal Bay East to swim and eat my treasures. I had the beach to myself. Pure heaven.
Island Harbour
Shoal Bay East
Later Sunday night I met the girls at Smokey’s to hear the Mussington’s. play. I had a rum punch and fish soup. The owner Clyde Gumbs is great and really works hard to make his place special. Smokey’s greatest asset is it’s seaside location.The band wasf fun getting folks on the dance floor . The doggie was back and we tried to catch him as Chantal wishes to adopt him but he was very evasive.
I met the owner of a restaurant in June when I was in Anguilla. He told me he needed a house sitter Aug. 1 so I jumped at the chance. Steve Sloop at Dutch Antilles Express (DAE) told me there was a 400 ANG air promotion so I grabbed that. I left Bonaire 8 AM on Aug. 1 and was at Smokey’s by 12. My buddy Lisanne picked me up in her sexy jeep wrangler and off we went. Smokey’s a a way cool seaside beach bar restaurant. 3 other lovely ladies joined us, Chantal from LAX, Mary Alice from Saratoga Springs and Magda from Poland. They are all ex pats and had a lot to share about island life. I had lovely Roti and Ting, my favorite drink. The Musical Brothers played music. It was a little too loud but great. There was a sad scared stray dog we all tried to feed and befriend. I had a dip in the tropical blue. The beaches on island are simply amazing.
Smokey's Roti
I went to my little casa that I was housesitting and got organized. It is a comfortable house in Long Bay area. I had views of Sint Maarten. Very cool.
At night I met Mandy and Craig, friends from Trip Advisor. We dined at Straw Hat. This great restaurant is owned by Peter who has run the place for 12 years. It is now located at Frangipani Hotel. The views are to die for and it’s the best spot for sunset. I had a Ti Punch which is one of my favorite alcoholic drinks. It was perfect. My dinner choice was Spring Rolls for an app and Crayfish for my entree. Both were delicious. I love Mandy and Craig. We had a great night.
Crayfish
I was offered a house sit and free car for the week of Aug. 1-8 so here I am back less than a month from my last trip. What a treat. I had arranged to take the Link Ferry again from the Dutch side and confirmed it a few times. When I arrived at the airport after flawless flights on Dutch Antilles Express, I waited 30 min. for my ride. After a taxi man called someone showed up. When we got to the ferry it was gone. Capt. Franklin’s son was inside and could not explain why they left without me. He said it would be 45 min for the next ferry. Then he said maybe 2 hours. He seemed confused which created much anxiety for me. I asked if I should go to Marigot and he said yes. Just then the Shauna Ferry came and dropped off about 10 people and agreed to take me back. I paid them 35 USD and off we went. The ride was rough and the boat is enclosed with some windows. Sea spray was the norm so the captain let me sit on his seat and he stood and steered. I felt a bit ill upon arrival but was ok. Customs and Immigration was swift. My friend Lisanne met me and drove me to my house sit at Mead’s Bay. I changed and by 12 30 we were at Smokeys. We grabbed a nice table and ordered lunch. I always seem to get roti (15 USD) and Ting. Loved it. Lisanne ordered a burger and crazy good looking tempura style onion rings. I met Tina from Trip Advisor next door and we chatted a bit. Later some more girls joined our party. The music was enjoyable but very loud. There was a terribly shy male puppy running around. 3 of us fed and watered him. I am fearful of his destiny. He is too timid and not well liked by the staff at Smokeys. I ended the afternoon with a lovely swim.
Dinner was with Mandy and Craig at Straw Hat. I met Mandy online on Trip Advisor. Straw Hat was great. It is located on Mead’s Bay at the Frangipani Hotel. Peter, the owner is a super host and his staff amazing. I started a Ti Punch watching sunset. It was 8 USD and wonderful. Mandy and Craig came at 7 and we had a lovely table.andy has to share her menu choices. I had the Spring rolls (16 USD) and enjoyed them. I didn’t love them madly but they were tasty. I chose crayfish for my entree (48 USD). They served 3 split crayfish with lovely plantains and rice and peas and delicious grilled veggies. It was a great choice. I LOVED the crayfish. Mandy and Craig had dessert. She shared her banana bread pudding. I had a few bites. It was a traditional West Indian style slice. Craig seemed to enjoy his creme brulee.
I headed to Dune after as Maggie the PR rep promised there was a show. I got there at 10 and met pitch black. No show no Dune. I went “home” and read a great mystery falling asleep. At 1 AM a rooster woke me up. Egads..
Today is a new day. I woke at 6 and headed called Gerauds, the French Bakery, to see what time they open. The women said the oven was broken (this happened last Aug. too) and they were closed. I drove to Island Harbour and Le Bon Pain and ordered a tuna baquette for lunch and two almond croissants. The place was packed with local men ordered bags of food. Whilst waiting I met two lovely white and black kittens. Fortunately I had bought a big bag of cat food to feed the Meads Bay cats and gave these two loveys a nice breakfast. One loved to be cuddled and I almost took him home. I took my treats and drove to Shoal Bay East for a swim and ate a lovely breakfast. Now I am home working a bit. It’s Carnival and the island is still sleeping after Battle of the Bands last night. I have done Carnival in Sint Maarten, St. Kitts, Bonaire and Antigua so that’s enough for me. I am here mostly to cover the sail boat races. Regretfully I will not be posting photos until Aug. 9 so please come visit again.
Elvis’s Beach Bar