Throughout my travels and in all that I’ve seen, heard, and read about other peoples’ travels, I’ve come across countless stories about how people have gotten into trouble while away from home with things like tourist scams,  business deals gone wrong, romantic relationships that were not what they seemed, being victims of crime, and other general misadventures. I’ve heard so many variations of so many bad stories.

So I should have known better.

I’m afraid that I must disappoint you here by saying that I’m not going to go into detail about exactly what happened, but telling my sad little story isn’t the point of this post.  All I’ll say is that someone I’ve known for years told me that something during my visit was going to go a certain way, and when the time came, the situation instead went in the complete opposite direction without explanation.

I want to stress that bad things can happen to anyone, anywhere. I’m not at all saying that this happened because I was in Anguilla or that bad behavior is characteristic of people that live there. No. What happened to me on this trip could just as easily have happened at home or at any other travel destination. In fact, if you’ve read almost any of my previous posts, you’ll see that I’m the first one to mention how kind and good-hearted Anguillians are and that I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with them as a whole.

But you see, that was exactly my problem…

I’m in love with Anguilla. SO in love that I unwisely tend to let my guard down more there than I would anywhere else.  I do have a few amazing Anguillian friends who have hearts of gold and who would never take advantage of anyone. So, when I’m surrounded by them in a place that makes my heart happy, it’s easy to believe everyone there is good and that nothing bad can happen in my wonderful little paradise.

So I trusted someone that I probably shouldn’t have trusted, and I paid for it. The worst part is that I don’t have the slightest idea why this situation went so wrong. I could probably spend months going through all the different possibilities in my head.

Maybe it was something I did wrong. Maybe the problem is with the other person/people involved. Maybe something beyond anyone’s control came up and turned everything upside down. Maybe it was all one great big misunderstanding that will all be resolved at some point in the future. Or, maybe this outcome has always been “the plan” and I’ve been deceived for years. Ugh. I really hate to believe the worst about people, but I suppose there is a chance that that’s the case.  At any rate, it makes no sense for me to continue to torture myself with all of the maybes and what-ifs because it’s entirely likely that I will never know the truth.

One bright spot in this “learning experience” for me were the people who came out of the woodwork, after the fact, to comfort me, talk with me and show me the way to a better place. I didn’t even know that some of these people were aware of the situation, but I shouldn’t be surprised because, on an island, your business is everyone’s business. It’s just good to know that I have friends there who are on my side.

I consider myself to be lucky because I’m not physically hurt and I didn’t lose anything that can’t be replaced. My ego is probably the most damaged by this experience, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson too, and that’s worth something.

I know I’m not the first person to have had this kind of bad experience and, unfortunately, I probably won’t be the last.

So, let this serve as a warning to any of you out there, who find themselves in a similar state of euphoria over a place like I do with Anguilla. Feel free to enjoy what makes you happy, but always remember to use your common sense and keep your eyes open. If you do that, you should be fine.

I still love Anguilla despite this one bad experience, and I definitely won’t let it stop me from returning many times in the future. No place is perfect, and traveling is about learning new things, good and bad. Fortunately, the good has far outweighed the bad for me in Anguilla and I have my fingers crossed that it will continue to be that way in all of my future visits. Here’s hoping.

In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for checking out Bankie’s new songs online. I’ve really been diggin’ the title track to his newest album (2012) “Just Cool”. Check it out when you get a chance:

“Just Cool” is available at Amazon.com and iTunes.

Anyone who travels to Anguilla will soon find out that the island’s most popular version of  this tasty goodness is the johnny cake, and boy are they delicious!  Often served as a side along with an entree (like at the Sunshine Shack Anguilla) or alone as a snack, johnny cakes can be widely found throughout the island.

On my last trip to Anguilla, I asked a friend of mine to show me how to make these delectable goodies and I was thrilled when I was invited over to watch the whole process!  So, I’m passing along the photos I took and the instructions I got during my lesson below, so you can try this simple recipe at home. (My friend was making a large batch, so I have proportionally reduced the ingredients for a smaller serving size. So, your dough ball, for instance, will be smaller than what is seen in the photos below.)

Anguilla-Style Johnny Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3.5 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
3/4 tsp salt
water
vegetable oil for frying (though johnny cakes can also be baked without oil, if you prefer)

Makes about 10-15 johnny cakes depending on how large/small you make them.

Instructions:

1. Place flour, baking powder, and butter into a bowl.

Johnny Cakes: Flour, baking powder and butter

2.  Mix the salt into 1/2 cup of water until dissolved.

3.  Add the salt water mixture to the bowl, mix the ingredients with your hands, and knead well until a dry and firm dough is formed. (My friend was kneading for a good 10-15 minutes).

If the dough is too wet (slippery/gooey etc.), add just enough flour to dry out the dough and continue kneading to incorporate it evenly. If the dough is too dry, try adding small amounts of plain water and re-kneading until the proper consistency is achieved. Be careful not to add too much “extra” of the ingredients at this point as the taste of your johnny cakes might be affected.

Johnny Cakes: Kneaded dough

4.  Use a knife to cut off slightly-smaller-than-golf-ball sized pieces of dough. You may choose to cut off larger or smaller pieces depending on what sized johnny cakes you prefer.

Johnny Cakes: Cut off small pieces of dough (Your dough ball will be smaller than this.)

5. Take each small piece of dough, re-knead a bit with your fingers to incorporate a bit of air, and then roll to form into a small ball – be careful not to make the balls too dense. (My friend said that at this stage, these balls can also be boiled to make dumplings! Mmm…gotta try that soon too!)

Johnny Cakes: Roll small pieces of dough into balls

6. Take each rolled ball and flatten evenly into a circle and set aside until ready to cook.

Johnny Cakes: Flatten small dough balls into circles

7. Heat oil on medium-high heat to prepare for frying. Be careful not to make the oil too hot as the johnny cakes may cook too quickly.

8. When the oil has heated sufficiently, add flattened circles to the oil to fry.

Johnny Cakes: Frying the dough

9. Fry until the bottoms of the johnny cakes are a light golden brown and then flip each of them. Be careful not to over-cook or the johnny cakes may get too hard (as I learned with a couple when I tried this at home…ahem).

Johnny Cakes: Fry until light golden brown on both sides

10. Remove the johnny cakes from the oil and allow to drain on a paper towel covered plate. When cooled slightly, enjoy!

Johnny Cakes: Allow to drain on paper towels, then eat!

When I tried this recipe on my own at home, as mentioned above, I managed to turn out a couple of hockey-pucks, but once I figured out that I needed to turn the oil temperature down so that the johnny cakes didn’t cook too quickly, my results were much improved!

Johnny Cakes: My attempt at home turned out pretty well!

I really like these particular johnny cakes because they end up being light and fluffy. There are different versions of this treat, some incorporating cornmeal and some that result in more of a more dense biscuit-like consistency. I haven’t tried them all, but that’s a mission I wouldn’t mind taking on!

Eating these johnny cakes at home isn’t quite the same as having them in Anguilla, without the sand, water and full island vibe, but it’s a pretty good snack to remind us of AXA until our next trip! Enjoy!

It is with those same mixed emotions that I am about to tell you about one of my most favorite and ultra-secret places to hang out in Anguilla. But after you read about it, you can’t tell anyone else, ok? Promise? Alright, good.

So, one of the best ways that I’ve found to unwind on vacation is to just spend entire days looking at gorgeous scenes like this:

View of Rendezvous Bay from Sunshine Shack Anguilla

I mean, that’s just perfect, isn’t it?

As noted above, that’s the view of Rendezvous Bay from the Sunshine Shack Anguilla which is located right on the beach between the Anguilla Great House and the CuisinArt Resort. It’s brightly colored and hard to miss:

Sunshine Shack Anguilla

On my Sunshine Shack days (yes, plural) during my last trip, I usually showed up early (around 10:30 or 11am) to maximize my time at this wonderfully simple and laid-back spot owned by the Lake brothers Garvey, Leon and Perry. Garvey, who runs much of the day-to-day operations at the Shack, works hard to make sure his guests enjoy their time there.

Garvey Lake at the Sunshine Shack

Those of you have been to Anguilla before may recognize Garvey from his previous stints at the CuisinArt Resort’s Beach Bar and at the Sunset Lounge at the Viceroy Anguilla Hotel.  He and his brothers recently decided to try their luck at their own venture with the Sunshine Shack and I’m glad to see that it looks to be doing really well!

I highly recommend that you rent beach chairs and an umbrella from the Shack since this spot on the beach and its view are hard to beat:

Sunshine Shack Anguilla Beach Chairs

Of course, in between dips in that beautiful sea, you should also be sure to order up one (or four) of Garvey’s many beverage concoctions. (Beer is also available.)  My favorite are his piña coladas, of which I had several. Unfortunately, they never lasted long enough for me to take a picture, but here is a photo of the famous pineapple margarita that Garvey also makes so well:

Pineapple Margarita at Sunshine Shack Anguilla

Let me tell you something else: I had some of the hands-down best food of my vacation at the Sunshine Shack. It’s well-seasoned and cooked on a grill right there on the beach by master chef Garvey who tells me that his mother taught him everything he knows about cooking.

Garvey Grilling at the Sunshine Shack

My favorite of the Sunshine Shack’s food offerings is the omigosh-delicious & drool-inducing broiled snapper, but you have to call (264-476-0649) to order it at least a day before you come, so plan ahead.

Broiled Snapper at the Sunshine Shack

Man! Just posting that photo makes me want to head back there now! Since I’m unable to do that right this second, I’ll also show you the very tasty chicken and ribs combo (you can also get larger servings of either of those separately if you like) that I devoured down to the bones as well:

Chicken & Ribs Combo at the Sunshine Shack

(Yes, both of the above platters were mine, but remember I was there on multiple days, so I’m not a complete pig! (Unless no one’s watching! shhh!) Each of the entrees are served with coleslaw, a small lettuce & tomato salad and a johnny cake. I think that you can also get rice and peas instead of the johnny cake for an extra charge, but please call and ask Garvey to confirm that. (You may need to order that ahead of time too – contact information is below.)

Once all that food is well-digested, you might also choose to go for a banana boat ride led by a boat driven by Perry:

Banana boat ride at the Sunshine Shack Anguilla

If you’re lucky enough, you might even find Garvey sitting out playing his guitar and serenading his guests. I even got a great picture (and video!) of him dancing but he made me promise not to post those!  Edited 2/28/2012: He gave me the go-ahead to post the video today, so here you go!

In my opinion, the Sunshine Shack is the perfect spot to just relax and spend a peaceful day. Garvey’s concept for the shack is wonderfully simple: good food & good drinks on a one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Who could ask for anything more? Not me, that’s for sure.

I know that Garvey has put a lot of hard work into the Sunshine Shack over the years and he’s such a down-to-earth person that he’s the kind of guy you root for to succeed, you know? So, I’ve changed my mind about not telling anyone about it. Go spend some time at the Sunshine Shack the next time you’re in Anguilla and tell all of your friends to do the same!

Go join Garvey at the Sunshine Shack Anguilla!

Oh, and now that I’m thinking about it, Garvey and the Sunshine Shack were featured in Condé Nast Traveler in 2011, so I suppose it’s not really much of a secret after all. Oh well. Go ahead and spread the word!

Sunshine Shack Anguilla

Rendezvous Bay Anguilla, BWI

264-476-0649

Call for hours as the Shack is closed on some days of the week.

I woke up the next morning still glowing with the pure happiness of being back on-island, walking on air, and excited about the possibilities of the day ahead. I answered a friend’s phone call and he asked if he could stop by to say hello before he headed off to work. I told him that of course he could stop by and to come right over!

I met this particular friend on my first trip to Anguilla in 2009, and I always look forward to seeing him and catching up with everything he’s been up to since my last trip. We were both smiling as he pulled up in his car and walked through the front door. We gave each other great big hugs and exchanged all of the proper pleasantries one would expect after not having seen each other in a while. I was so happy to see him and just as I was about to begin peppering him with questions about his family and everything else, he says

“You look like you’ve put on a few pounds!”

I stood there.  Frozen.  I’m sure I was a little bug-eyed and my mouth was slightly agape as I struggled with exactly how I should respond. It was like a sucker-punch to my (apparently flabby) gut and I had suddenly lost that floaty-feeling that I had just a few seconds ago. Seeing my reaction, he quickly added

“Remember, you’re in the Caribbean. We don’t see that as a problem.”

and I saw a tiny smile slowly spread across his face.

Now, in my family’s Asian culture, I know that being called “fat” is generally seen a compliment, since it implies that you’re doing well enough to put plenty of food on the table. So, I could see how my friend’s statement was not necessarily meant as an insult.  I, however, grew up in the States where “putting on a few pounds” is not seen as a good thing and you certainly don’t go around telling people they’ve chubbed up a bit since you last saw them.  So, I had to decide whether to react as the open-minded accept-your-host’s-culture-traveler that I aim to be or as the ultra-sensitive and me-centered tourist.

I’m ashamed to say that I punched him. I just did it lightly in his upper arm while laughing but, yes, I did resort to mild violence.  Looking back, I know that I should have handled myself better, but luckily, my friend understood and was laughing right along with me. My excuse was that it had been about 8 months since my last visit, and I had not yet had a chance to re-acclimate to the local way of thinking but, still, I should have handled the situation differently.

My friend and I laughed about it all again later on in the week. He said that he had learned his lesson and vowed never to speak of my weight ever again.

For the record, one other person said the same thing to me at another point in my trip (while a few other kind-hearted souls said I looked like I had lost weight) and I just responded by saying “Thanks” and smiling. Turns out, I learned something too. :)

I recently returned home from my absolutely fabulous 5th trip to Anguilla during which I had a fantastic time visiting friends and exploring more of the island. I only wish I could have stayed longer and, I know this makes me sound like a spoiled you-know-what, but this trip of 6 nights in Anguilla was WAY too short! I’m not sure I’ll be able to do an AXA trip that lasts less than 10 days ever again! Go ahead, you can hate me now. (Sorry, but you already knew this island thing is a bit of an addiction for me, right?) So, I’ll just have to save up for a longer trip next time.

As usual, in the short period that I’ve been back, the differences between that little island and home have been glaringly obvious. It always happens that way – I get back, I desperately long for all the things I’m missing from Anguilla, and then the memory of what it’s like to be there gradually fades as I get back into the “daily grind”.

Granted, some of those things that I love about being in Anguilla are simply the benefits of being on vacation: no set schedule, no one to take care of but myself, and the complete freedom to do anything or nothing at all.

But, what I tend to miss most about Anguilla are those things that are so distinctly different from life at home and that I won’t likely experience until I head back again. So, before my current “island high” wears off completely, I thought I should write down some of those things that keep me coming back to AXA time and time again:

1. The slower pace of island life

This natural and relaxed pace is likely an unavoidable result of the fact that quite a lot of AXA runs on island time, which is that casual “Don’t worry, it’ll get done sooner or later” laid-back attitude common to the islands.

For me, life at home consists of zipping around from one appointment to the next almost non-stop with barely enough time to sleep at night.  Getting things done in a timely manner is key at all times; slow down and you get left behind.

So when I step foot on Anguilla, you can imagine the adjustment required for me to get used to the slower speed.  Fortunately, with each visit, I’ve learned to lessen the time needed to get into that relaxed state of mind that works best in Anguilla. Once I’ve done that, I can enjoy things like the fact that in AXA, when driving, someone honking their car horn at you is not an angry “Get out of my way!” or “Go faster!”  message as it would likely be at home. Instead, it’s just a way of them saying hello or a friendly heads-up that they’re going to pass you. Imagine that!

Of course, the downside of this slower pace is that, if you ever really want to get something done on a deadline, you might run into some issues depending on how the people you interact with operate.

For me, as a visitor, it’s just easier to accept that things are going to move slowly in Anguilla and not necessarily according to any particular plan. Everything is definitely much more enjoyable that way.

2. The friendliness of Anguillians

In my experience, the locals that I’ve met on Anguilla have been overwhelmingly kind and open. It makes me a little sad to say that it’s rare for me to find the same level of friendliness at home but this quality of Anguillans definitely warms my heart whenever I visit.  It’s possible that their friendliness is just a consequence of the fact that many locals work in the hospitality industry, but to me, it seems far too genuine and from-the-heart for that to be the only reason.  The vast majority of people that I’ve met on the island seem to be truly interested in hearing about me and in sharing about themselves.

Some of my most enjoyable memories on Anguilla have come after walking into a new restaurant alone, sitting at the bar to have my meal, and chatting for hours with locals that I had never met before. I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to strike up conversations with most people on the island as long as you’re polite and kind to them. Anguillians seem willing to treat you as well as you treat them and, many times, better than you deserve if you’re one of those rude visitors. (You know who you are.)

One (very sweet) young Anguillian woman that I met on this last trip assured me that “bad seeds” definitely do exist on the island, which is only realistic. Luckily, for those of us passing through, they seem to be few and far between.

I think that things at home usually move too fast for this level of friendliness with strangers to occur too often, so when I get frustrated about that fact, it’s great to know that a friendly place like Anguilla exists.

3. The lack of anonymity

Anguilla is only 35 square miles in size so it’s not hard to believe that it’s the kind of place where just about everyone seems to know everyone else. If they don’t know you personally, they probably have at least seen you or they know of your family.

If you’re just a one-time visitor to the island this close-knit community feeling might not make itself so apparent to you. However, if you’re a repeat visitor, you’ll likely soon find out that different people that you meet are connected in certain ways and, after some time, people might start remembering you.

Now, this doesn’t just happen with people you’ve met and talked to, but even people who have just seen you around.  At home in the DC area, I can go months or more without ever accidentally bumping into someone I know. There are just too many people and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd and feel pretty anonymous.

So when I’m in Anguilla and someone that I don’t know comes over and greets me, you might think it would be a little disconcerting. But, since this has so far only happened to me with friendly and gracious Anguillians, well… I have to admit that I kinda like it. It’s a nice feeling to not feel like a complete stranger in a crowd sometimes, if that makes any sense.

Just on this last trip, a guy emerged from somewhere within a packed Pumphouse crowd on a Thursday night, gave me a big smile and came over to greet me with a charming Anguillian-style guy-girl handshake (see this post for my earlier description of this common AXA hello).  He said “Do you remember me?” and my stomach dropped a little because I honestly did not remember him. Embarrassed, I apologized that I didn’t recognize him, but he was very kind and forgiving and said, “Don’t you remember? We were having dinner in the same group at Smokey’s that one time.” and he proceeded to name the people that we had been dining with. My mind was racing to remember the night, and I finally did recall the evening – but it had happened two years earlier!  This gentleman and I had never actually been introduced and I don’t believe we even spoke much to each other, if at all.

I praised him for his amazing memory and again apologized profusely for mine being so bad.  He didn’t hold it against me at all but said that it was nice to see me again and that he hoped that I was having a nice trip. The funny thing is that I ran into him again on my last day in Anguilla as I was arriving at the Blowing Point Ferry. You can be as sure as heck that I remembered him this time, and instead of getting the relatively formal handshake, he gave me a great big hug along with several well-wishes for my trip home. I guess that makes us friends. :)

The obvious drawback to this lack of anonymity is that people always seem to know what you’re doing and where you’re doing it. Also on this latest trip,  a buddy of mine said  “Oh, yeah, my friend’s brother told me he saw you at the Pumphouse last night at 1 am”. Huh? Wow. I don’t know his friend and, while I have met the friend’s brother (it took some digging for me to find out his identity), it was only a very brief meeting on a completely different day and at another location. I know, though, that this comment wasn’t meant with any ill intent and that it was really just something said in passing. It’s the kind of thing that happens pretty often in a small-town atmosphere. I learned early on that this just means that I have to behave myself at all times when on Anguilla – not that I wouldn’t anyway. No, I mean it! You don’t believe me? Why, what exactly have you heard? Umm…never mind. On second thought, don’t answer that.

Anguilla provides balance

Life at home isn’t perfect, but it is good. I consider myself very lucky to be able to visit a place like Anguilla that can provide me some balance when I feel like something is missing in my everyday life. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t pretend to believe that everything in Anguilla is perfect either, but to be able to have both kinds of places play significant parts in my life helps to keep me happy and (arguably) sane.

So, until I win the lottery and am able to have my own home in a place like Anguilla, I’ll have to settle for shorter visits and the knowledge that a temporary escape is only a short plane ride away. Works for me. For now.

By that time, it was time for me to meet a friend for lunch at DaVida restaurant anyway, so I happily left the suitcase and all the sad reminders of my upcoming departure behind.

The lovely meal that we had at DaVida was delicious and we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere on the shore of Crocus Bay. We just sat there chatting for a long while and while I wished I could stretch it and make it last, my friend eventually had to go to work.

So what else is there to do when time on your favorite island is fleeting? Why, hit a beach bar, of course! Elvis’ Beach Bar, to be exact. So that’s where I headed and where I spent the rest of the afternoon sipping the delicious fruity frozen drinks that Elvis makes so well and chatting with the fun people hanging out there.  A group of kids there decided that my name was easy to remember because they just had to think of “Crabby Patty” from the Spongebob Squarepants cartoon. An older gentleman thought I reminded him of a friend that he lost track of many moons ago, and was I sure my name wasn’t Susie? Then Captain Rollins, who sails the catamaran “The Chocolat” showed up and that’s when the hilarity truly began! The man is a riot, I tell you and I just remember laughing harder and having more fun from that point on.

I will spare you the details, but I spent much of the rest of this night saying goodbye to friends, some of whom showed up at Elvis’, but also a few that I met up with elsewhere. It’s not a fun experience, but I try to keep in mind that I’m sure to come back soon to see everyone again. That’s the point in every trip where the sadness really starts to creep in.  Unfortunately, since I lack the ability to slow down the passing of time, I had to head home to sleep in order to have the energy to travel home the next day.

When I got up the next morning, my 10th day on the island, it was time for the dreaded drive to the ferry to leave the island. I hate it. A lot of people don’t understand when I tell them that I actually shed tears whenever I leave Anguilla, but maybe that means that they haven’t yet made the same connection to a place as I have to AXA. I have good friends there. The peace and quiet relaxes me there. My soul is happy there. Those of you who have your own special connection to a place will understand why I cried all the way to the ferry dock and had to work hard to hold back tears in front of everyone there.

The ferry ride to St. Maarten seemed to pass slowly but, somehow, I still managed to hold it all together. In my head, I said goodbye to Anguilla and promised to come back as soon as possible.  It’s not like I really have any choice in the matter since the island just seems to find ways to pull me back whenever I’ve been away too long.  I consider myself lucky to have found a place and a community of people that make me so happy. My plan has always been to travel to many different places around the world, but I’m not really sure how that’s going to happen as long as there is an Anguilla waiting for me…

I had been to both islands on a previous trip on a catamaran day trip on the Chocolat, and I enjoyed them both, so I agreed that Prickly Pear would be just fine. My friend was happy to hear my response and he said, “Ok, well you gotta be at Sandy Ground in 15 minutes.”

Um. What?

Our ride, a boat to Prickly Pear, was leaving in 15 minutes, so I needed to get down to Sandy Ground by then.  Still groggy from my late night the previous day, I agreed to do my best to arrive as soon as possible. I hastily got up, threw on a bathing suit and a cover up, grabbed my beach gear and I flew out the door.  I made it down to our meeting place about 3 minutes late, but luckily, the crew was still loading up the boat.  Hooray for island time!

It turns out that our ride was with the group of people delivering supplies to the Prickly Pear restaurant, so we found spots on the boat between coolers and tubs of potatoes. I asked my friend how we were going to get back, and he said “I’m not sure yet. I told Nature Boy to come get us later, but I don’t know if he’s coming.” (Nature Boy is a well-known Anguillian boat-trip operator.)

Hm. In my own world, this lack of planning would have been completely unacceptable. Going out to a remote island without knowing how I was getting back? Not a chance! But, at this point in my trip I had loosened up a bit and allowed the whole laid-back island attitude take over, so I just shrugged, said “Ok” and sat back to enjoy the boat ride.

Inter-island hitchiking! Awesome.

We made it to Prickly Pear early enough that it was still deserted, so we got to enjoy the beautiful water without any of the crowds that are usually there.  And so, once again I found myself floating in the beautiful crystal-clear blue waters off of yet another gorgeous deserted beach. How lucky am I?

It wasn’t long before the day-tripping boats from St. Martin and Anguilla (the Chocolat!) started showing up with large groups of people. By that time, though, the sun was getting a bit too hot for my taste so we retreated to the shade of the beach bar where we grabbed some drinks and a bite to eat. Captain Rollins, who runs the catamaran ‘The Chocolat’ was hanging out there too and kept us laughing as he does so well. (Those of you who know Captian Rollins know exactly what I mean. For those of you who haven’t, it’s just something you need to experience in person because he is QUITE the character. I highly recommend a trip on the Chocolat to meet him yourself!)

Nature Boy did eventually show up and so any worries I had about how we were getting home fell to the wayside. He’s an entertaining personality as well, and he demonstrated that when he serenaded the bride-to-be in a bachelorette party group from St. Martin. He’s a pretty good singer, too, so we were all very impressed!

After we had all finished our food, my friend and I set off for home with Nature Boy in his small powerboat. This ride home was a bit bumpier than the ride out, but once I learned to sit forward a bit to avoid constantly bouncing off of the seat back, the bounciness was actually really fun! Nature Boy even pointed out a few sea turtles on our ride home, which was incredibly exciting for this usually landlocked girl.

We got back to Sandy Ground in one piece and I thanked my friend for setting up a great trip and Nature Boy for getting us back. My lack of sleep and the day’s hot sun had left me exhausted, so I decided to head home to shower and to try and get in a nap.

I think I must have passed out pretty quickly after showering because the next thing I knew it was evening. A friend invited me out for drinks at the Viceroy’s Sunset Lounge, so I ended up meeting her there. We tried a few of the appetizers on the bar menu and had a nice chat with the sound of the ocean waves in the background. We swung over to the restaurant where our friends work after the Viceroy to finish off the evening where we all laughed well into the night.

I ended that day by counting my blessings for being able to take a vacation to a place that is not only a paradise, but is also home to some amazing people who I now consider as close as family. How many people get to do that in their travels? Probably not too many, so I feel lucky to be one of them… thanks to Anguilla, of course.

]]> http://islandobsessions.com/2011/03/28/june-2010-anguilla-trip-day-8/feed/ 2 http://islandobsessions.com/2011/03/15/june-2010-anguilla-trip-days-6-and-7/ http://islandobsessions.com/2011/03/15/june-2010-anguilla-trip-days-6-and-7/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:28:39 +0000 Patty http://islandobsessions.com/?p=1392 Day 6

I let myself sleep in a bit on the 6th morning of my Anguilla trip, and I woke with the same twinge of sadness that I always get when I realize that I’ve passed the midpoint of my visit. From that point on in any given trip, I often find myself wishing for time to pass more slowly so that the moment that I have to leave the island stays as far away as possible.

I allowed myself to wallow for just a few moments but then I gave myself a little lecture about how silly it was to get upset when I still had four full days left in Anguilla. There was till plenty of time for fun, adventure, and relaxation, so no there was need to waste time by getting sad before it was truly warranted.

So, I allowed myself to happily relax away this particular day by reading at home in the Seafeathers breeze, except for one break to meet a friend for lunch and chat at the Anguilla Great House restaurant. I also eagerly agreed to take a trip to Scrub Island with this friend the day after next – he would arrange the transport – so that gave me something fun to look forward to in the next few days. Otherwise this was a much needed do-nothing day and I enjoyed it very much.

I was so relaxed, though, that I managed to forget to head out to Smokey’s, the Sunday night place-to-be, and I was reminded of that when I got several calls from friends asking why I wasn’t there! It had really just slipped my mind so I had to send my apologies to my friends. I did score an invitation for a home-cooked lunch (YUM!) for the next day from one of those friends that called, though, so all was not lost!

Day 7

I woke up early on Day 7 and decided that it was a beach morning. So, I packed my beach bag and drove down to Rendezvous bay, where I knew it would be particularly quiet and serene. As I had predicted, the beach and the water were completely deserted when I arrived, so I enjoyed my time floating in complete peace and quiet.

I didn’t keep track of how much time I spent in the water, but since the sun was feeling pretty hot when I got out I knew it must have been a long time. I was feeling nice and relaxed, though, so that’s all that mattered. I wasn’t up for sitting around in the heat afterward, so I gathered my things and walked towards my car.

About two-thirds of the way there, I hear a “Miss! Miss! Excuse me, Miss!” from behind me. A guy was jogging up behind me waving the beach towel that I had dropped as I was walking. I thanked him, while admitting what a bird-brain I tended to be after a nice soak in the sea. He laughed and told me it was no problem.

He said, “Actually, I remember you from Smokey’s the other day.” (when I went for lunch). I praised his memory as it had been a full two days since I had been at Smokey’s but I had to apologize for not remembering him. It turns out that he works there and had been running around, mostly in the back, so he politely said it would have been easy to miss him.

As I’ve mentioned before, this kind of friendly “Yeah, I’ve seen you around” comment seems to happen quite a lot in Anguilla, just because the island is so small. For me, it’s a nice change from being practically invisible in a big-city atmosphere and I feel like I should try and do a better job at noticing and remembering the people that I see on the island!

We chatted for a little while about this and that, and it turns out that his family owns the property that I was walking on to get to the beach and back (he forgave me for trespassing).  I told him that they should put up a little hotel or something, because it was one of my favorite beaches on the whole island. He said that his family was actually considering it, but hadn’t yet been able to sort out all of the details. I wished him the best and said we’d probably see each other around sometime soon.

I headed home to take a quick shower before going over to my friend’s house for lunch. I had purposely not eaten much in the morning since I knew this lunch was going to be out of this world! This particular friend of mine had run a restaurant in The Valley many years ago, but she has definitely not lost one bit of her cooking abilities – no sir!

When I arrived at my friend’s house, she was still finishing up the last of the cooking and I couldn’t help but drool over the heavenly smells coming from the kitchen. She had made no less than 8 separate dishes just for lunch and I knew I was in for a treat.  I couldn’t even fit everything on one plate!

Home-cooked meal in Anguilla (plate one, anyway!)

The food did not disappoint and I was glad that I had worn a dress with no waistline, because I stuffed myself silly at that meal. Everything was so incredibly delicious, and I swear it was better than any meal I had ever had at a restaurant on the island (sorry restaurants and foodies!). Nothing beats home-cooked, in my opinion, and I am so lucky that my friend was kind enough to cook for me.

We just hung out there at the house (it’s not like I could have made any significant movements away from there in my food coma, really) for a few hours until the early evening, when I decided to head out. I thanked my friend profusely for the fantastic meal and I decided to meet up with another friend for drinks at the Viceroy hotel.

We had a drink at the Viceroy’s Sunset Lounge and then bar-hopped to Klassik Cafe and then Bankie’s (aka The Dune Preserve). It was a quiet night at all three spots, but it was still nice to relax and hang out with some familiar faces that we ran into at the last two places.

I managed to tire myself out pretty well that day, and at some point I headed home despite being in the middle of having a lot of fun with some good buddies. I really wanted to stretch out my remaining days on the island but, somehow, exhaustion always finds a way of stopping me. *sigh* Oh well.

]]> http://islandobsessions.com/2011/03/15/june-2010-anguilla-trip-days-6-and-7/feed/ 1 http://islandobsessions.com/2011/02/16/june-2010-anguilla-trip-days-4-and-5/ http://islandobsessions.com/2011/02/16/june-2010-anguilla-trip-days-4-and-5/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:15:38 +0000 Patty http://islandobsessions.com/?p=1344 On my fourth morning in Anguilla, I was feeling downright slothful -  juuuuust the sort of feeling I aim for when I come to this island. I really had zero inclination to do anything or go anywhere which, as it turns out, was just as well because somewhere around mid-morning, it started pouring down rain outside.

When I took a look at the weather forecast, I saw that they were referring to this storm as a “strong tropical wave” and I really had no idea what that meant.  You see, I had been spoiled by the weather in Anguilla on previous visits because, usually, rain on the island gently falls for 10 or 15 minutes at the most, and then it’s gone. This storm, however, was not so calm.  Instead, it was almost scary with the loud and violent bursts of thunder and incredibly strong wind gusts. I was afraid that some of the trees around the house were going to fall over and/or blow away (I was thankful that they survived seemingly unscathed.):

Anguilla rain storm

The storm only lasted about 30 or 45 minutes, so I just waited it out at home and relaxed. My only plans for the day were to meet a friend of mine for drinks in the evening, so I was in no rush anyway.

When I finally decided to head out somewhere, I figured that Elvis’ Beach Bar was just as good a place as any to go. So, I drove west to Sandy Ground where a handful of Elvis’ regulars were hanging out around the boat-shaped bar. I sat down, ordered a frozen blended fruit drink, and just chatted away with Elvis and the other customers.

A group of young local children were playing in the area and it made me happy to watch them enjoying the simple pleasures of chasing each other across the sand and enjoying tasty treats:

Enjoying a mango

After a little while, I told Elvis that I had the munchies and asked him if he had any snack-type finger food that I could order. He nodded and said “Sure, I’ll go make you up some plantain and breadstuffs, ok?”. I nodded back, too embarrassed to admit that I had no clue what “breadstuffs” were, but I figured that I liked plantains and well, how bad could breadstuffs be, really? Elvis was gone for a little while and came back with a plate of beautifully fried plantains… on a hamburger bun.  Hahaha! I laughed at myself for being a tad worried about what the mystery portion of the dish would be and that it turned out to be so harmless. We just don’t use the term “breadstuffs” at home but hey, it’s always good to learn something new, right?  My new young friends were very excited when they saw my snack, so I divided it up equally among us all and we shared the yummy treat.

I just passed the afternoon away there at Elvis’ and never really had any urge to go anywhere else. I was happy. Why mess with a good thing?

At some point, afternoon turned into evening and it was time for me to go meet my friend for drinks at Mango’s Seaside Grill even though I could just as easily have sat at that boat-bar all night.  But, I was looking forward to spending some time with my friend, so I paid my tab and was released from Elvis’ only after promising to come back later in the night. (Yeah, twist my arm, why don’t you?)

I drove myself further west and found Mango’s not too far away from the Viceroy Anguilla Resort. My friend was already there chatting with her friend who tends the bar there and we greeted each other with happy hugs and smiles. I always look forward to catching up with this particular friend because she’s been around the island for a while (well, her whole life) and sees things from a different perspective than a lot of the younger folks I know on island.  She’s been though her share of life’s ups and downs but still manages to live her life to the fullest, and I absolutely love that. She is an inspiration to me and talking to her is always one of the highlights of my Anguilla visits.

We shared the latest happenings in our lives over fizzy lemonades and Mango’s delicious lobster cakes.  She works a day-job at one of the local hotels and, in addition to that, takes care of both her son and her aging mother. I know she works hard at all of it, but I have never once heard her complain. Like I said, she’s truly an inspiration.

We hung out there for a couple of hours, but eventually we decided to head out.  We agreed to meet up again before I left and so we said good night.

Since I had made a promise to return to Elvis’, I went back there after leaving the restaurant. It wasn’t very crowded, but there were enough people there to make for a fun atmosphere.   Captain Rollins of the Chocolat (a catamaran on which he sails his customers on day-trips to neighboring islands – I sailed on the Chocolat on my first trip to Anguilla and I highly recommend doing a Chocolat trip!!) showed up, and those who have ever been in his presence know that he is truly hilarious! He’s quite a jokester and there are NO dull moments when he’s around, let me assure you.

The crowd grew a bit and I found myself talking to all sorts of people, both visitors and locals.  One group of people that I chatted with included a local gentleman who everyone seemed to know. I made the island-faux-pas of reverting back to my east coast mindset (You know, when people just equate your profession with who you are?) and asked him what it was that he does on island. Without a moment’s hesitation, he had the perfect response: “I drink rum.”  That answer made me smile, laugh and most importantly, it reminded me that what people do doesn’t matter nearly as much as who they are.  Anguilla is the perfect place to learn that lesson.

I also met someone whose job brought him to Anguilla every few months. I asked if he was hiring but unfortunately, he was not. Whenever I meet someone who has accomplished something as impressive as doing regular business in paradise or even living there, I always ask a million questions about how they did it. It’s amazing how many different routes people take to achieve their goals, and I enjoy hearing about as many of them as I can. Those conversations always give me my own ideas about what directions I decide to head towards in my own life.

Before I knew it, it was well after midnight and my exhaustion had caught up with me rather abruptly. I said my goodbyes to everyone, drove home, and I’m sure, fell asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow.

I woke up the next morning, on day 5 of my trip, not feeling 100%.  I thought that I would take it easy and stay home until I recovered, but when a friend called to invite me to lunch, he insisted that Smokey’s pea soup was exactly what I needed to cure my ills. He said it in such a way that I couldn’t really say no, because he was so sure that this would fix me so that I was as good as new.

So we went to Smokey’s at the Cove, a great restaurant on the beautiful beach of Cove Bay – one of my most favorite spots on the island.  I was happy to find that the Musical Brothers, a fantastic local band, was performing for the lunch crowd.

Now, the weather in Anguilla is usually so warm that I would never think  of ordering a hot soup there. But, since it was recommended so highly to me, I asked the waitress for a bowl, still not fully convinced that it would help. But lo and behold, not only was the soup delicious, but I felt much better after eating it! I felt well enough, in fact, to order and scarf down an entire cheeseburger afterward! I guess the soup IS a magic cure-all. Who knew?

I ran into several acquaintances at Smokey’s, including the businessman I had met at Elvis’ the night before. Small islands are great for that kind of thing.

After hanging out at Smokey’s for a while, my friend and I decided to head down to Elvis’ because I just hadn’t spent enough time there so far this trip (haha!).  We just hung out enjoying ourselves while shooting the breeze and doing a whole lot of nothing. Again, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I got a call from a group of friends who work at one of the restaurants on the island, and they invited me to come over to hang out later that evening. I was happy to accept the invitation, as I try not to show up unannounced while they’re trying to do their jobs.  With those plans in mind, I decided to head home and rest before going out again that night.  Socializing and wandering aimlessly around paradise is hard work, after all, so I needed some time to relax from my strenuous…err…relaxing.

I had a great nap at home and, despite the fact that it was raining when it was time for me to leave again, I braved the weather and drove to my friends’ restaurant. Luckily, that rain storm was the usual light and quick kind, so by the time I had made it to the West End, it was done.

I walked in the front door to the restaurant and was so happy to see my good friends’ smiling faces again. I sneaked in a few hugs as some of them were passing by, and then I sat down at the corner of the bar so as to stay out of everyone’s way. It was close to closing time, so I just sat around being psychoanalyzed by my bartender friend (he said he likes to practice his bartender-therapist role with people like me) while things wound down.

I find it interesting to watch my friends run a restaurant in many different roles, from the managers to the dish-washers, and cater to the specific needs of their customers. Their jobs definitely require a lot of patience and yet they seem to handle it so well with their characteristic laid-back island attitudes while, at the same time, being attentive to their guests. I can’t imagine the crazy situations that they’ve likely encountered in their line of work but I bet they handle it a lot better than I would. I’m grateful for the lengths to which they’re willing to go in order to make their customers happy, and I can only hope that most of the customers recognize that as well. They don’t deserve to be taken for granted, but I’m sure they often are.

So, that night we all sat around chit-chatting long after the last customers had left. This particular group of friends are a bunch of clowns and never fail to make me smile.  I can’t even recall what we talked about, but I just remember laughing to the point of tears several times within just a few hours there.  Those are the special times that I cherish the most on my trips to Anguilla. It’s a great feeling to go on “vacation” to a place where you have friends that make up a sort of family away from home. I’m not sure if Anguilla is unique in its ability to make it so easy to form friendships with its residents, but at this rate I may never find out since I can’t bring myself to go anywhere else!

After another fun-filled day and evening, I called it a night, made it home safely and I fell asleep in a perfectly contented and happy state of mind. I know that a lot of people focus more on things like shopping, restaurants and spa treatments when they travel but, for me, Anguilla has changed all of my expectations for a “perfect” vacation. I find that I’m happiest after I’ve spent time in the presence of good people, even if we are literally sitting around and doing nothing. The activity itself is not as important as the sense of well-being that comes from surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones because that’s where the happiness lies. Sappy but true, people… at least for me, and I learned that in Anguilla.