Anguilla

There's a full moon tonight. Anguillans love the moon and were excited at the coming of the full moon. Even last night, one night before the full moon, they'd point it out and exclaim, look at it! look at it! tomorrow it'll be a full moon! tomorrow it'll be a full moon!

Typical island fashion of saying everything twice.

The current adult population of Anguilla remembers the island without electricity. My last evening on the island we spent some time at Lime Keel. John named his restaurant after the spot where they had gone fishing as boys, Lime Keel. John remembers at 20 years of age digging the holes for the poles for the electrical wires. Prior to that, the island was dark at night, save light provided by the moonbeams, and some nights those moonbeams were so bright the bush was lit up clear as day. They would have picnics by the light of the moon.

I wish I could see this full moon from Anguilla yet tonight.

 Anguilla Medical Fair staff!

 Group of the female staff at the Anguilla Medical Fair. Babara - ENT, Corrine - CTS NP, me, Marjorie - Pediatrics, Monique - Opthalmology

Flying into St. Maarten, one can still see the afteraffect of past hurricanes. Not so much destruction noticeable on Anguilla, save a random broken winding staircase, etc.

No one locks their doors or their cars on Anguilla. For good reason, there's no where for a thief to go. In addition, everyone is so welcoming. The doors are not just unlocked, they're propped open as well. Even the Four Seasons resort, lifted the gate for us as we approached. We stopped by for a look around, I definitely did not stay here

 This is where I stayed, the home of Lanville and Evette Harrigan. This is the view from their second floor balconey. Looking out towards St. Maarten.

 Backyard balconeys looking out towards St. Maarten.

Shoal Bay: So many beautiful beaches on Anguilla. The water clear blue, the air warm and clean.

Shoal Bay. From a distance Anguilla is flat and covered with bush, and much less appealing than mountainous islands such as neighboring St. Maarten or St. Bart's. It has kept Anguilla from being trampled.

 Beach umbrellas at Shoal Bay

Shoal Bay

Site of the Medical Fair was at the primary school in Island Harbour on the East End of the island. As little kids sitting in school rooms, this is their view. As you can imagine, hard to maintain attention on their studies with the ocean calling to them. Every Friday after class, they'd all swim out to Little Silly, the island there in the middle of Pelican bay.

 Another view of the bay and Little Silly from the medical fair.

 The rest of the docs were given a villa to stay in during their time on the island. It served well to double as our meeting place before and after the fair to eat and regroup.

 Crystal Sunset Villa on Sandy Hill

Fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On Sundays, they would get chicken, a special treat.

 And lobster, grilled. Not boiled, but properly seasoned and grilled. 

 Sandy Ground

View from Little Silly back towards the primary school (location of the medical fair).

View from Little Silly back across Pelican bay.

 Relaxing on Little Silly. 

Sunset across Pelican bay.

 Conversation under the moonlight at Lime Keel. Everyone is a brother, a cousin, and a friend. Even enemies are first and foremost friends and brothers. If there's a disagreement, it'll start with a thump on the back or a hand on the shoulder and "Man, youse got to listen to me! youse got to listen to me! She's good people. She's good people" Should any disagreement end in a busted nose, it's forgotten by the next day.

Same view from second floor balconey of the house I stayed in looking out towards St. Maarten. 

Much Love Anguilla. Much Love.