by Marcia H.
(Yarmouth, Maine)
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It’s our final day in Anguilla. Our final day? This can’t be true. Hey, I guess it has to be, because that’s what the contest rules say. In that case, we might as well make it long and memorable!
My husband’s I-Phone alarm begins chirping at 5:00 AM (literally chirping…he has yet another new App.) We throw on our island-wear and bike up and over our favorite scenic vista, Harbor Ridge Road (trying to avoid dogs and potholes) to watch the sun rise over the east end of the island. It comes up like a fireball and promises us yet another day of tranquility wrapped in blue. It also reminds my husband that he’s hungry, so we bike back down through Island Harbour to Le Bon Pain.
A nice cup of French coffee and two pastries should tide him over until we have our breakfast in an hour. Then it’s back to the villa for a quick shower, into the car, and a leisurely drive west to another fabulous bakery, Geraud’s. Skinny orders his usual… a pastry and black coffee for an appetizer, followed by French toast and ham for the main course.
Now that he’s sufficiently carbed, we climb back in the car and head to Davida’s. It’s still relatively early, so the crowds are thin at the beach. We hope that the same holds true at Little Bay.
We rent two kayaks and paddle out and around the bend, and sure enough, we have beautiful Little Bay to ourselves. We head into the water to get one final look at the green turtles. Of course my husband then dares me to jump off the cliff…sure, after you!
(He’ll sink like a stone after what he’s packed into his stomach today.)
It doesn’t take long for the first power boats to show up and steal our tranquility, so back to Davida’s we go. We take a quick swim and dry out with a Bloody Mary on the beach. Island time!
My husband is starting to think about lunch, and I am thinking symmetry. We just swam on the north side of the island, we need to head south.
Rendevous Bay is our next destination. The view to St. Maartin is spectacular today, and the water is calm and inviting. We love Rendevous because you can swim along the shore forever and then feed your hunger with lunch, drinks and music at the Dune Preserve.
My husband throws down a few more carbs with his fish sandwich, fries and beers. My salad was superb. We then stumble onto the beach. A great way to work off the calories is to walk west to Smokey’s. This is a beautiful stretch of beach, and there is rarely anyone in sight.
We jump into the Caribbean to ward off the heat. We finally make it to Smokey’s where we decide to relax with a couple of Pina Coladas and play some competitive corn hole with the Ex-pats. We take this game seriously, and win a couple more rounds of drinks. It can’t get any better! We agree that this day will go on forever no matter what Nori says!
Oh no, 4:00 already. Back to the car (stumble stumble). We head back to the east. Once we hit the Valley however, my husband can’t pass up a final opportunity to wolf down a plantation sandwich at Papa Lash’s food van. (“Delicious and good for you,” he says.)
In all our time on AXA, we haven’t stopped into Colville Petty’s museum. It’s now or never. A really unique and wonderful museum, especially when he is there to give you a tour. A quick spot of birding at the pond across the road, and then into the home stretch.
Sunset. There are so many choices in Anguilla, but we think that nothing beats sitting under a beach umbrella on beautiful Shoal Bay with a rum punch, or three, from Uncle Ernie’s.
As the sun dips into the Caribbean, we hear the buzz from those around us….”will we see the green flash”? By this time of day, many on the beach are seeing green flashes even without a sunset. Since this is our last day in Anguilla, of course we see it…it’s HUGE. Almost as huge as the pizza my husband has ordered from the Madeariman Reef.
Hey, do you think you can leave room for supper? How can you eat like that and look like a bean pole?
We can’t leave the east end of the island without one more stop: Cote Mer, on the beach in Island Harbour. These guys know how to cook! They also concoct some serious vodka infusions. Tonight it’s infused with orange and coffee…mellow but dangerous.
The sun is down, but my husband assures me he just saw a green flash, and maybe a couple of lavender ones. I now assume the title of designated driver as we turn our thoughts to dinner.
There are a lot of restaurants to choose from in Anguilla, but a final meal at the Straw Hat tops our list. This is dining at its finest, from the unique drink specials (would you believe they served us a Green Flash?) to the scrumptious deserts, all served with the ocean waves crashing just yards away.
The day is coming to a close, and now we really start to fume. Come on, our last day in Anguilla EVER? Who is this Nori woman? That’s too long a time. What now?
My husband knows what to do….head to Elvis’, order a couple more green flashes, and chat this up with folks at the bar. I am sure we’ll have a workable plan by closing time.
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