Anguilla, at 35 square miles, has the reputation of being a laid-back island - quite a contrast to St. Martin, its nearest neighbor. Unlike St. Martin, Anguilla is a scrubby coral and limestone island that was known primarily for shipbuilding, as its land was not suited for agriculture. It is a territory of the United Kingdom, and by design: the island resisted efforts to be decolonized, as the original plan was to associate it with St. Kitts and Nevis. This island has developed a number of low-key, expensive resorts and villas and is easily reached by ferry from Marigot in French St. Martin (a 20-minute trip).
I had occasion to visit Anguilla because my friend Carlson Velasquez's wife was a relative of a 15-year-old girl who had been murdered in Anguilla in 2003. The murder shocked the normally peaceful island. I traveled to the island by ferry from French St. Martin with Carlson and two other musicians who were to play at the girl's funeral. The funeral was held at a Seventh Day Adventist Church in the center of Anguilla, and was attended by hundreds of people. The ceremony lasted five hours and featured not only preaching (in this case from a visiting minister from St. Croix) but an amazing display of the island's musical talent. The singing continued as the procession went to the cemetery. It was one of the most uplifting experiences of community support that I had ever witnessed.
Afterwards, we were treated to a reception at one of the local villas, with plenty of food, socializing and music making. The day had been long for me and I went to bed at about 10:30 PM, but the musicians continued playing well into the night.
The next morning Luther Webster, one of the relatives of the deceased girl, took me on a boat ride on the northern coast of the island and left me at Shoal Bay Beach to enjoy that area's incredibly white sand and blue water. We later met up again with the musicians, who continued to play until a car came to take them back to the ferry.
Copyright 2011 by Michael Esposito. All rights reserved. Todos los derechos reservados. E-mail: meesposito@gmail.com This site updated October 9, 2011/Este sitio fue ampliado el 9 de octubre de 2011 Santa Fe Travel: a division of L & M Travel - Michael Esposito: IC Travel Specialist of L & M Travel - CST# 2043262-40 L & M Travel IC Agent
