The first thing I will tell you about Anguilla is that it takes almost two days to get here….but , it’s worth it! We flew out of Denver to St Marten, spent the night in St. Marten and took a speed boat to Anguilla, about a 30 minute ride. It is wonderful to have my feet in the water of Caribbean again. I forgot how beautiful the turquoise water is and how white and pure the sand is, unbelievable. Considering there are six of us traveling together, everything went smoothly and on time.
Today was our first full day in Anguilla and lunch, shopping and the beach were our destinations. I haven’t started asking my dating questions yet but tonight we are going to hear Bankie Banks, the Bob Dylan of the Caribbean, and I think this will be a good place to start. They speak English in Anguilla so there is no trouble communicating.
Well last night was not a night to talk to locals because almost everyone there was a tourist. I can see why they refer to Bankie Banks as the Bob Dylan of the Caribbean, he sounds very much like Bob Dylan and he told us he actually played on the stage where he performed last night with Bob Dylan in 1981. It was a very small venue, only about 40 people so it was almost like a private concert and he was great. We all bought his CD’s and he personally signed them for us.
The last two days have been spent eating, shopping, hanging out at the beaches and enjoying the camaraderie of being with friends. Of the three couples on this trip, none of us are married. Four of us are in our 60’s and two are in their 50’s. Everyone is really into the music of the 60’s and when we got home we played “name this tune”. It was really hilarious.
Tonight we are going to another local hotspot, Elvis’s bar. The friend who organized this trip was here last year with his girlfriend and they know all the right places to go. He assures me there will be plenty of locals to chat with and see what I can learn about the dating scene in Anguilla.
Every time we are in a cab or a restaurant or a shop we have asked the people where they were born and so far they were all born here, and been here all their lives, and have no plans to leave. While this is certainly paradise, there does not seem to be much of a middle class. The people here seem to be very wealthy or very poor but they sure seem happy.
I hope to come back tonight with some insight into dating in the Caribbean.
To be continued……………………