Main harbor of Anguilla
Shoal Bay
Today we returned to the island of Anguilla for another day of beach exploration. I'm currently reading Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, in which Marco Polo related to Kubla Khan the individual cities of the Khan's empire. Each city has its own character, moods, personality, and distinctions. I have found that to be the case with the beaches we have visited. Today's beach, Shoal Bay, is not as expansive and scenic as Meads Bay, but it is rougher-hewn and more rustic. The principal source of food and a bathroom was Elodia's, a nearby beach restaurant. While Elodia's doesn't quite have the atmosphere of Blanchard's on Meads Bay, the food is better and not overpriced.
The water was still too pitchy and murky from recent storms out at sea for us to do any snorkeling, so once again we had to be content with swimming and lying around on the beach.:-D
The waves were nowhere near as treacherous as the one's at Meads Bay, so John was in no danger of drowning himself. By the way, we finally got the money and transit situation worked out, and Lisa was able to barter a cab ride down to $20. We shared the cab with a couple from Quebec who were very nice; and our cabbie, Neil, gave us a nice guided tour of the island and some interesting history, too. Anguilla used to have quite an active agricultural community, and was active in salt manufacturing. All of that disappeared over the years as tourism slowly turned the island into a service-sector economy. So now they have to import eveything--hence the high prices, which they give back to the tourists. Cycle of life.
The waves were nowhere near as treacherous as the one's at Meads Bay, so John was in no danger of drowning himself. By the way, we finally got the money and transit situation worked out, and Lisa was able to barter a cab ride down to $20. We shared the cab with a couple from Quebec who were very nice; and our cabbie, Neil, gave us a nice guided tour of the island and some interesting history, too. Anguilla used to have quite an active agricultural community, and was active in salt manufacturing. All of that disappeared over the years as tourism slowly turned the island into a service-sector economy. So now they have to import eveything--hence the high prices, which they give back to the tourists. Cycle of life.
Our cab ride back to the hotel was f**king brutal. The cab was a noisy, squeaky, rickety van which rocked and rolled up and down hills and through the crowded congested roads with Lisa and me sliding around in the back. We took quite the battering.
Tonight's dinner saw us come to the end of our run of good meals. We tried the local pizza. As was the case when I was in Italy, I found the local pizza could not compare to the best pizza I ever had, which was on the New Jersey boardwalk. Italian food is one of the best things this planet has to offer, but good pizza is definitely an American thing.
Tomorrow is excursion time! We are going over to the Grand Case Beach Club for a boat ride out to Creole Rock for some snorkeling with a trained diver. We hope to go out with a bang!
Au revoir!
John
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