Shoal Bay Beach was invaded recently by two bus loads of models from around the world. . . .
July 15, 1997 - Site Map.

But our contestants for Miss Anguilla are just as beautiful and not nearly so undernourished looking.

And Anguilla is hosting its first Internation Beauty Queen Show on July 26th: Miss Ecstasy 1997, with contestants from Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Martinque, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Tortola, and Venezuela. The pageant will be held at Landsome Bowl, July 26, and nominally starts at 8:30 pm. MC's for the night are local Calypsonian King Bobo and St. Martin's Lady Grace.

Several months ago, Bob Green described a trip to a little-known rainforest in Anguilla, and I honestly thought he was joking. But last week my wife, Suzan, and I decided to follow his suggestion and see just what this "rainforest" is all about. Well, one has to see it to believe it - it really is a rainforest right in the middle of Anguilla. Once you get about 50 yards off the beach, the flora totally changes - all different than anything else we've seen on the island. The temperature drops 5 - 10 degrees, the path and ground is all moist and damp, and there are birds and land crabs everywhere! It's really got to be seen to be believed, and I recommend it highly.

But don't make the same mistake we made and NOT follow Bob's directions. Instead of taking the path 40 yards west of the entrance to the beach, we saw a path at the far west end of the beach - by the rocks - and took it. It was a rather steep, long climb, and wound up in someone's backyard. After climbing down and finding the right path, we were too tired to make it to the end - which I assume is some interesting caves. Do yourself a big favor the next time in Anguilla, and try it - it's well worth it.

We also got a chance to visit the diggings at Sandy Ground, and spent hours talking to the students from Vermont. It still amazes me that they were able to find a site, dig down 5 feet, and find both the complete female adult skeleton - as of last week, they had not found the skull - and the newborn infant. They told us they made many "test" holes which were about 1' X 1', and based on their findings from these test holes, did more extensive diggings. I hope this type of stuff gets some exposure outside of Anguilla.

Stott & Co. is your one-stop shopping outlet for business services in Anguilla. This picture shows the office and the staff, Charmaine Andrews, Denise Stott-Brown (her father founded the firm in 1978), Mona Gumbs and (not in the photo) Catherine Petty. These four can arrange your company formation, company administration, patent registration, trademark registration (for products like Fila and Benson & Hedges or your own), ship registration, invoicing, accounting, and liquidations. A typical job completed recently was to register a yacht in Anguilla, which allows it to fly the Red Ensign, (the flag used by British Merchant Ships) and form a corporation to hold ownership of the yacht. Contact Denise M. Stott-Brown, P.O. Box 2, The Valley Anguilla, B.W.I., Tel: 1 809 497 2744, Fax: 1 809 497 3350, Email: [email protected], Web page: http://www.ai/stott/, Member of the Anguilla Financial Services Association.

Anguillian Houses

A Poem: Let's Go Shopping

As at the launch of most new Anguillian business ventures, a preacher was present to give the benediction and bless the new boat. The Reverend John Gumbs did the blessing and his daughter, the lawyer Josephine Gumbs, read a passage from the Psalms about "men who go down to the sea in boats". (Picture) As is also traditional at such affairs, the crowd was then invited to partake of a bounteous supply of BBQ chicken and ribs with rice and peas.

Vince's Picture in Wired Magazine. Wired has published a quirky article about our local Internet entrepreneur Vince Cate and the February conference on Financial Cryptopgraphy. The author insisted on moving from a beachfront resort to the $35/night "low-income housing" where all the "nerds" chose to stay, then made fun of them and their local hotel choice. Very sarcastic. Very trendy. Full text of the article will be available at the Wired web site on July 20th (link for article).

Mary Ann's Tropical Construction web site updated: Gazebo started, directory of tropical hardwoods, and more.

More Web Sites:	Shoal Bay Villas	The Dirt Cheap Risk Fund
Detailed Maps of Anguilla.	Horseback Riding	Masara Resort
Buy Pro Photos of Anguilla	Anguilla in French!	The Travel Channel

Montserrat. The news from Montserrat is not good. At least 10 people are dead from the volcano's pyroclastic flow on June 25th and more are still missing, because the area is too hot to search. Here is a web page from the local Montserrat news paper giving many more details and pictures.

In Anguilla they grow wild, and up to 3 feet high and you find them nestled amoung the branches of trees where there is some shade. They catch water in their long fronds, but I don't know where they get their other nutrients from (dust?).

This speciman is located in the Katouche Valley. Picture courtesy of Vince Cate.

Eatery Rumour. There is apparently another new local restaurant in North Side called Circle Inn, where a friendly Anguillian woman serves you rice and peas and macaroni pie. Turn up Coronation toward the baseball field and turn right at the Methodist Church. Expect a full report later.

Food at the Pumphouse. This popular bar in Sandy Ground now advertizes that it serves food from 7 PM until 2 AM!

Our High School Steel Orchestra is off to Philadelphia on an exchange visit. Fund raising events are planned to pay for the trip and the youth orchestra from Philly will be coming here at Carnival time.

Tourist Stayovers Up 68% for the first 4 months of 1997, over 1996. Most suprising is the increase in May: 3,344 tourists spent more than one night, extending the high season for another month. Were they reading about Anguilla on the Internet? If you divide that 3,344 count by the number of beach-mile-days available, you see that Anguilla's beaches still looked mostly empty.

Cap Juluca has a new General Manager, Mr. Kerman Beriker, the former General Manager of The Beverly Hills Hotel. He brings to Anguilla and Cap Juluca over 25 years of experience.

Who Has Been Deep Sea Fishing? I have had a couple of inquiries recently like this one: "I will be coming to Anguilla very soon and I would like to know about the big game fishing like Barracuda, Porgy, Grouper,and Shark fishing, also I would like to know how, when, where, and the type of tackle I need to catch the fish. I would also like to know about the small game fish." How does Anguilla compare with other locations like Bimini that specialize in deep sea fishing? We don't have a marina full of fast power boats with flying bridges, but Anguilla has many experienced fisherman. Any visitors with an experience to share can send them to me at [email protected]

Paradise Cafe Closed, But Reopening. On Shoal Bay West (not East) there was a beachfront restaurant called Paradise Cafe (not to be confused with the Paradise Restaurant in North Valley). This business has closed, but new operators are planning to open another restaurant at the same location for next season.

Caribbean Commercial Bank in Anguilla is celebrating 20 years in business.

We have been to Anguilla three times at Christmas and now we think we should own a place of our own.

The table here links to web sites for various real estate for sale in Anguilla.

Although there is no organized multiple-listing real estate market on Anguilla, there are three independent realtors that I know of: Jilian Carty at PREMS (809-497-2596), Alecia Ballin at Keene (809-497-2544), and Scott Hauser at ProRealty (809-497-3575). Scott has a web site with real estate listings and useful tips, such as:

• Introduction to Anguilla Real Estate: "With regard to real estate, everyone on Anguilla is a potential real estate broker--taxi drivers, bartenders, store clerks, waiters. In fact, almost anyone is anxious to drive you around the island and give you advice."
• Non-Belonger Real Estate Hurdles. "The fundamental factor affecting the liquidity of Anguilla's real estate--affecting real estate's ability to be converted into cash--is the Alien Land Holding Licence. ...  The two onerous real estate conditions which fundamentally decrease market liquidity and, therefore, decrease value are: the 10% [now 12.5%] transfer tax required in addition to the 5% stamp duty; and the 10% performance payment required to ensure timely development of undeveloped property."
• Property Valuation and Taxation: "Although annual property taxes are levied not on land but on built structures only (at the nominal rate of .075% of the assessed building value for both Belongers and Aliens), the transfer tax and stamp duty are calculated upon land alone if the purchased parcel is undeveloped, but are based upon both land and building values if the parcel is built upon."
• The actual Alien Land Holders License Application and Government Notes on the License: "You should be aware that you will not be permitted to rent your property unless express permission is obtained from Government. Currently permission is subject to a fee of US$1,2000.00 per year."
• Why Hurricane Luis Did Not Reduce Real Estate Values? "The high net worth individual who is contemplating a Caribbean commitment and considering Anguilla, is fundamentally focused on concerns such as the quality of our daily life, our social tranquillity, our aversion to intrusive wealth taxes, our commitment to maintaining a healthy environment--in a word, our decency in an increasingly indecent world."

I was once about to buy a waterfront home on Whidbey Island, WA. It seemed like a bargain. On the third visit to the property, I was enjoying the serene view. Suddenly, an F16 jet roared past, 100' overhead, incredibly loud. About once a week, the Navy pilots flew right over the house as they practiced carrier deck landings on a nearby field. If you can afford to buy in Anguilla you can afford to rent. You can come in October, select a neighborhood you like, walk around, and strike a deal to rent a house for a year. Furnished houses usually rent for $500-$1500 per month. Spend as much time as you can in Anguilla using your rental house. By the end of the year you will be infinitely more qualified to buy. When you find your dream property, check the title at Lands and Surveys and hire someone like John Rogers (809-497-2046) to survey the property boundaries and road access. What looks like a road may just be a track through private property.

I have been coming to Anguilla with my family ever since I was 3 years old. I am now 13. Every spring, my brothers and I count the days until we leave for our little island. We travel with 16 other people and have come to be known as the "clan".

My family has rented the house Castle Ray every year for 8 years. Before that, we stayed at Skiffles. Some of our favorite memories are dancing to Dumpa and the Anvibes at Johnno's, eating Uncle Ernie's World Famous Ribs, snorkling at Little Bay, and playing "beach" cricket on Scrub Island with Junior.

Also, we have made friends for life while staying on Anguilla. Anguillians who come to Madison, Wisconsin for the Graduate School of Banking have become some of our closest friends. In fact, Preston and Erlyn Bryan just left yesterday after an 8 day stay in Madison.

I love every thing about your little island. In the words of Dumpa, "I must go back to Anguilla."

Anguilla is a lovely island, a very enjoyable island for a tourist to visit. We are from New Zealand and have just spent eight busy/lazy days with fellow New Zealanders Estelle and Ross Cashmore in Island Harbour. We have snorkeled in Shoal Bay, from Crocus Bay to Little Bay, Sandy Hill Bay and out to Scilly Cay. During these trips we saw beautiful fish, a Barracuda and much to my great excitement, a turtle. (I am really pleased you have been protecting the turtle but am perturbed to hear this protection may finish - there do not appear to be enough of them yet to remove restrictions on catching them.) ...

We were privileged to be invited to attend the blessing ceremony of Anguilla Divers� new luxury charter boat the "Adventure Star". This was held on the beach at Smitty�s and we enjoyed the informal Island Harbour atmosphere. [See story above.] We have had a lovely holiday. We believe your island has a very prosperous and exciting future. Many best wishes.

Continue virtual vacation with previous issue.

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