Anguilla: simply stunning

Having not gone out the night before, I woke easily and early for my "Anguilla Day", my solo trip to the nearby island so many times delayed previously. I had planned to get to the island by about 11am, but as it was, I was up, fed and hung my washing by 8:30, so was at Marigot as the clock struck 9 - luckily, as that was when the boat departed. I was hustled through border control (it's an English island) and was the last to board the ferry.

All this time I thought the trip was about 45 mins, but it was much quicker, maybe 20 mins. On the boat, I mentally ran through everything I brought with me... packed lunch (I'd heard the island was expensive for a penny-pinching girl like me), sarong/towel, both ends of my swimming costume... but dammit, forgot my book again!! I swear I'll never get through that thing. And my riding boots. Oh well, flip flops will have to do.

I had planned to hire a bike for the day, since the island was only 16 miles / 3 miles, but at the ferry dock there were just taxi vendors, who just annoy me with their arrogant assumptions that they were the only way to get around the island (there is no bus or public transport system). Not this little lady!! I grabbed a free map, gave it a quick study and stubbornly marched past them, chin held high. Ain't paying your inflated prices, thanks! Don't you "rasta girl" me...

Saw a billboard on the side of the road reminding locals that "Tourism is key", which made me think they needed reminding how good tourists were for their island... I was later told this wasn't the case, but it started me off thinking the locals hated us visitors. Not a good advertisement.

The closest nice beach looked to be Rendezvous Bay, an easy walk down a side street. I got to the end and ran into a bunch of "Positively Private Property" signs, which besides being quite funny were annoying as that was positively the exact way to my beach! Fuck it, walked it anyway and found it was actually a derelict resort. Kinda spooky, with its sagging porches, dusty bottles of alcohol on the bar and boarded-up windows.

Towards the end of the road, I saw workmen (better get onto the beach!) starting to repair the buildings. From the beach, I saw it looked like major structural damage from a big storm or something. And not to be the first I saw on the island. Later I was told there hasn't been a hurricane since 1999 and not many big storms so I wonder what did it.

Rendezvous Bay. Wow. Possibly the clearest, most "azure" as they say, water and almost entirely deserted. The sand, as I found all the beaches on Anguilla to have, was so soft, almost mushy, but lovely and near-white. There were just a few super yachts anchored a short way out, and some resorts at the other end of the beach. But nothing near me. And it was stunning.

Floating in the water, all alone, looking at the blue sky above, I concluded this island beat St Maarten's beaches any day. So I guess there is some point to coming here - I wasn't quite sure after someone told me Anguilla was just "an expensive day at the beach."

The first resort I walked through was also amazing, I wouldn't even want to know how much it was a night. It seems that's the thing to do here, come and splash out on a resort so you don't really have to move from there the whole time. Cos if you do, you won't find much else to do, actually. Probably explains why the great majority of tourists here were old or virtually invalids. One guy I saw sat in a chair on the sand with his socks still on, almost dribbling as he stared monotonously into the distance.

After Rendezvous, I wanted to see another beach before heading to the next cove to find the horseriding place. It looked a reasonable distance on the map, but it was hot so I kinda didn't want to walk, but I made myself... stubbornly. However, it didn't take long before a kind gentleman offered me a lift and took me to the door of my next bay. Luckily I had somewhere to be in the afternoon or I would have backed myself into a corner of having him show me around the island. Thanks, but just the ride will do.

And so I made it to Meads Bay in plenty of time. There was a tiny little cove to visit first, but I vacated as soon as a Catamaran floated in to anchor. Then it was another lovely beach, with a few more people but still not many, and a few waves to swim about in. After a swim, I had a sunbake... but not for long. A huge rainstorm came out of nowhere (should really sleep with one eye open) and we all ran for cover. 5 mins later I was on my way to the horseriding place, the island already shaking itself dry.

I found myself walking through some small ghetto (just can't keep away), avoiding eye contact with the blabbering, cursing black man in a dress that passed me (he actually stopped talking to himself as we passed, like I couldn't hear him before or afterwards). Walked and walked and walked, and started to wonder if I was going the right way. Couldn't call T, the lady who ran the stables, as my phone didn't work on the island. Ended up walking into a resort and borrowing the cell of the man at the front gate, who also gave me directions to the stables.

And so it was that I walked along another beach, working my calf muscles, and eventually wound my way to the stables. Waited a short time before T came, looking at her half-dozen horses and playing with her kitten. The horses looked a bit bored, sitting in their muddy paddocks, and a couple looked past their best years. But they weren't skinny, just a bit befuddled from the recent rain (the albino was a murky yellow colour instead of white).

There was one horse that stood out, a gorgeous gelding Pace Fino with a blonde mane and livered chestnut colour, almost like a Haflinger. She asked which one I wanted to ride, and I chose that one at her suggestion. "He only got one ball chopped off cos the other was stuck up inside so he still acts like a stallion sometimes." Ahh, this should be interesting.

He wasn't too bad, just a bit spirited in the faster gaits, throwing in regular pig-roots (small bucks) and tossing his head around. I never felt unsafe though, and it was beautiful running along the beach I'd just walked. I lost a flip-flop at one point, thankful that's all I lost since I'd never really ridden in them, although for all my worrying T was wearing them too!

After the (free) ride, she gave me a lift to the ferry and I gave myself a mental high-5 that I'd managed the whole day without sacrificing any of my dollars to the taxi demons. The ferry left shortly after, in sync with the sun, and I enjoyed another breathtaking farewell to the day in a colourscape of pink, yellow and blue.

Was considering going to Pineapple Pete's to check my internet as I hadn't gone online properly for 2 days now, and what if A was trying to get through to me?? Leave it, I reconsidered. I was tired from my big day and needed water and rest. I'll check it on lunch tomorrow. If I get one.