At the far eastern tip of Anguilla is a small hill with panoramic views in all directions. . . .
January 1, 1998 - Site Map.

To the east you see deserted Scrub Island with its leeward side beach and rolling countryside. To the west you see Windward Point Beach, St. Barts and St. Martin in the distance, then the north coast of Anguilla. In the two composite pictures above, you can click on any spot to see an enlarged view of that spot. It is an easy climb to the top of this hill. Work your way around to the north side and approach among the fields of Pope's Head cactus.

Nearby Windward Point Beach is wild and exciting, being open to the Atlantic. While a little rough for swimming, it is great for exploring.

To reach the hill, go east out of Island Harbour on the paved road, turn left at sign for Palm Grove onto a reasonable gravel road . Avoid tempting right turns at .5 km, .8 km, 1.9 km and avoid the left turn to Captains Bay at 2.2 km. The main road forks left just before the gate to the sand mining pit and dead ends on the other end of Windward Point Beach. Most of the road is easy going, but this last section is a little rough and should be taken slowly, or just pull off and walk the remaining short distance. You can easily walk to the small hill at the end of the island, from the top if which you get a great view back along the length of Anguilla. Wear runners or reasonable walking shoes.

Rates per person in US$ are $15 for sightseeing and underwater viewing, $25 for a trip to Scrub Island or Little Bay, $30 for fishing, and $50 for a trip to Sandy Island or Prickly Pear. Expect to pay more for extended times. From 8AM to 4PM, telephone 264-497-5641 or 5058, or 264-497-4360 or 4155 at other times.

Children's Art Competition. Drop in the Post Office any time from now to January 15th to see the 70 entries in Anguilla's childrens art contest. The works are surprisingly good and the first prize winner in each of two age groups will receive EC$700. Artist Lynn Bernbaum organized the children's competition as part of the International Arts Festival.

International Art Festival. The winner of the US$10,000 prize in Anguilla's first big art festival will be selected on January 9th and prizes will be awarded on January 10th at a cocktail party at Sonesta. Tickets to the party are on sale for US$20 (see any festival member or the Devonish Gallery).

New Taxi Fares. The executive council has approved increased taxi fares in Anguilla. This web page has the new schedule. The highest fare is now US$22 for the longest trips (e.g., the airport to CoveCastles) and the minimum fare from the airport to The Valley is now US$6.

New Show at the Museum highlights Anguilla's maritime heritage and environment, including boat building, beaches, sea turtles, art, photographs, and much more. Open Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 10-2. US$2 fee. And they now have airconditioning and a nice gift shop too. Located in The Valley across from Ronald Webster Park, with the racing boat outside.

Tours of Historic Buildings. Meet Thursdays at 10AM at Wallblake House in The Valley (next to the Catholic Church) for a 2 hour tour of historic buildings in Anguilla. US$10. Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society.

Rotary Jeep Raffle. The Rotary Club is once again having their popular yearly raffle. US$100 buys you a chance at a new jeep (just what the average tourist needs - a jeep on Anguilla). All proceeds go toward their contining program of putting a playground in each village. Buy tickets from any Rotarian (in The Valley, try the Scotiabank, NBA, CCB, KPMG, Mr. Kool, KwikKopy Center). Winner will be drawn on Valentines Day.

Postal Rates Increase. On January 2, 1998, the cost of a letter to the US and Canada increases to EC$1.50, to Europe is EC$1.90, to the Caribbean is EC$1.00, and local letters go up from EC$0.20 to EC$0.30. There is a new EC$5 fee for clearing a parcel through customs at the post office.

Wednesday is Mexican Night at Johnnos on Sandy Ground. Leroy and Magarita Martinez have contributed their gourmet Mexican cooking skills to create a special menu for dinner on Wednesday nights: Tacos with shredded beef, Shrimp Ceviche, and much more. Read the full menu here. Call 264-497-2728 for a reservation.

They supply many of the gourmet restaurants, but you can just walk in and buy your own private supply of French bread and croissants (warning: the almond croissants, chocolate bread and danish pastries are usually gone by 10am). Telephone: 264-497-4090. Closed Wednesday.

They print the T-shirts in their basement, where they have their own color separation equipment, four-colour silk screen press, dryer to set the inks, light box, etc. Many of their designs incorporate the Anguilla flag, in a four-colour process. In stock they have the designs for many of the organizations on the island, so they can make up extra shirts in a hurry. Recently a visitor came into the store and wanted to take home T-shirts from Road Primary and Valley Primary Schools, but in a special colour. No problem. Dennis just nipped home and made them up.

Gem-Exclusiv also does T-shirts for sports clubs and domino teams, as well banners and signs. The one-time charge to make up a basic one-colour screen for your team or family vacation is US$20, then $12 per T-shirt for as many as you need. For a small number of shirts, they use a quick screen machine which only costs $5 setup, then $12 a T-shirt again (but the screen wears out after 30 or 40 uses).

Sometimes there are T-Shirt emergencies in Anguilla, in which case Dennis and Yasmini can go from a drawing to a dozen finished T-shirts in two hours or less! Last weekend there was a softball championship. One of the teams was so confident of victory that they had a "Champions of 1997" T-shirt designed ahead of time. At game time, Dennis stayed right by the press with the shirts ready to go. When the game was won, the team called by cellular, he produced the shirts and delivered them to the victory party and motorcade.

Gem-Exclusiv is open from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Telephone: 264-497-3345/3869. Fax 2639.

Here are some events scheduled for the next few weeks:

• Jan 1. Boat race at Sandy Ground.
• Jan 9. Red Stripe test cricket match starts betwen Guyana and the Leeward Islands. Ronald Webster Park.
• Jan 9,10,11. Play. My Children, My Africa. Ruthwill. 8pm. US$8. Intense drama, well performed, very accessible.
• Jan 10. Sonesta. Art Festival Party.
• Jan 25. Police Week. Usually includes banquet, fashion show, dance, play, concert, etc. Ask any member of the Royal Anguilla Police Force.

FC98.ai is the web page for the Financial Cryptography 98 Conference to be held in Anguilla at the same time as the solar eclipse.

Marj is a traditional figurative painter who works primarily with a pallete knife. Most of her works feature people or animals. She prepares her own canvas with rabbit skin glue sizing and white titanium for primer. This technique reduces decay and mold (especially important in the tropics). Marj also makes hand-painted tiles, pottery, gift cards and post cards. Her card for the Wallblake House is well known (see it on their web site).

For the Christmas 1997 season she did a commissioned Christmas Card for the Grant a Wish foundation in Maryland. Her cards and tiles are available in Bermuda, Tortola and St Martin, but the originals are only available in Anguilla. She also displays her work at the Savannah Gallery on Crocus Hill, where she will have a show this year.

Directions: on the main road in Island Harbour look for Le Bon Pain bakery. Across the street is a road leading to Loblolly Studio. Follow the little Loblolly tree signs to the studio. Open 2-6PM, Mon-Fri. Telephone: 264-497-4229.

• the Totally Serious category, open to male and female athletes.
• the Seriously Fun category where each team must be mixed, having both male and female participants.

Supporters, fans, and spectators will gather at Sandy Hill Bay for a beach BBQ, games, drinks and fun. Everyone is welcome.

To enter, call 1-264-497-2369, Optimist Art, or 1-264-497-2091, Highway Tyre. An update on time, distances and prizes will be given after a team organizing meeting on January 13th, 6PM at Ruthwill Auditorium.

The organizers encourage island visitors who like to relax but still like to work out to enter the triathalon. Contact one of the phone numbers above or your hotel to join a team. Our proud sponsor is The Highway Tyre Services and Sales Ltd. in George Hill. Funds raised will assist in the continuing development of the Optimist Club's Welches' Park Improvement Project.

When we mentioned her business very briefly last year, she got unexpected business from four ladies staying at Shoal Bay. So here goes again!

Update on Bankie Banx. The December issue of Caribbean Travel and Life magazine has an article about Bankie's beach bar on page 98:

From a distance, the pile of flotsam and jetsam crowning a dune .. seems like the detritus of some vicious tropical storm. But on closer inspection, you discover there's an order to the makeshift structure .. welcome to the Dune Preserve, created by Anguilla's own reggae start, Bankie Banx.

The Dune Preserve serves simple food and drinks daily from noon on, but it's Bankie's mellow, soulful songs that draw people on weekend nights. That's when he perches on the bartop and croons his own tunes, accompanying himself on quitar and harmonica. His sound is a cross between Bob Marley and Bob Dylan; Richie Havens and Ray Charles also come to mind...

Embargo on Boxes. This posting on the Net describes a problem that is common every year at this time: box embargo! During the Christmas season the airlines will not allow passengers to check boxes to the Caribbean. Put your gifts in a big suitcase or duffel bag.

MorganHill.ai is a new web page for a two-bedroom villa on Long Bay in the West End. This villa sits on a cliff above the beach and has an incredible view of the coast. Although the location seems remote and undeveloped, you are in the heart of Anguilla's gourmet restaraunt cornucopia.

Bean's House on Barnes Bay is described in this "Tradewinds" villa rental page. Many people consider this the nicest house on the island and it is enclosed in a high wall, so you can't see inside from any direction. Here is your chance to take a peek and read all about it (and check the weekly rental rate).

Miles Away Villa at Seafeathers has a web page. The owners Judith and Marston Jones do their own bookings. They have had the house for six years and feel that each year they have enhanced it: swimming pool, king-size master bedroom with bath, second bedroom with twin beds and own bath, Cable TV, etc. Their high season rate is $225 per day. Seafeathers is at the eastern end of the island, not far from Sandy Hill Bay and Shoal Bay. Marston Jones, by the way, does volunteer dental/growth screenings for the dental clinic every year in Anguilla. He usually sees about 500-600 children each February at the mobile dental clinic. He also supplies all the toothbrushes that are given to the children each year in the school system, and donates all the charts, mirrors and disposable gloves for this program. Good job!

Fountain Cavern Stamps. Anguilla has issue a new set of four stamps depicting petrolyghs in the Fountain Cavern. You can see them all and a description of their meaning on this stamp web page, created by Danny Laud from the Post Office brochure.

Frangipani Beach Club is described on web page.

Mountain Biking on Anguilla is described in this article.

Anguilla's 1995 Health Profile is available in this report which does not describe the new hospital.

Coccoloba is described in this web page.

Anguilla's Classy Restaurants are reviewed by a travel writer.

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