Anageda, Feb, 2013

Anageda

We arrived in Anegada on Feb 4^th after a brisk and pounding sail – yes, I said sail.  Took some serious deck pounding, but curiously, this doesn’t bother me much anymore, except from the aspect of what could be broken and costly as a result.

We were going there to partake of the famous Anageda Lobster in a belated celebration of Bill’s 69^th birthday.  Beyond the lobster, and the hope of seeing the re-introduced flock of West Indian flamingos, now up to 300 from extinction (which is 50 more than it’s human population), we had little expectation of this most easterly and last of the BVI chain.  We were very pleasantly surprised.

We were personally invited to the Whispering Pines Restaurant by a local man named Barry.  He boated out to us when we moored and sang a little ditty of welcome and issued a glowing recommend –yes, he works for the place - for the restaurant.  He was so charming that we signed up immediately – reservations were required, along with your meal choice as they only prepare what is ordered in advance. 

We dinghied to the brand new, courtesy of Hurricane Earl in 2010, dinghy dock.  Whispering Pines is on the beach where the tables and chairs are set in the sand and the water laps gently about 10 feet away.  There was a candle on our table and lovely, soft Caribbean music playing.  A crisp salad and tropical drink appeared almost immediately and then the lobsters were presented.  Sliced in half down the middle and curled up on the platter, Bill and I tucked in to enjoy lobster like no other.  It had been bbq’d and basted with garlic butter and had a slight smoky caramel flavor – this little slice of heaven melted in your mouth.  Each lobster, we estimated, was over 2 pounds.  Whether it was the location, the food, or the company, we both agreed, all elements were perfect.

This is the only non-volcanic island in the Antilles chain made up of limestone coral.  Its highest point of land is 26 feet above sea level.  It is surrounded by shallow water and coral reefs that make the approach a must for paying attention to the charts.  There is no approach by boat from the the Atlantic side.  But the beaches on the north are world class spectacular and stretch as far as the eye can see, protected by the coral reefs and providing excellent snorkeling and swimming.  The sand is that pure, silvery, fine stuff that slides through your toes like water and makes you wish you were a child again. 

Cow Wreck Beach gets its name from the wreck of ship carrying cattle that crashed onto the reef many unknown years ago, sending only cattle bones ashore.  This dubious tale was told to us by our cab driver/tour guide who took us on an island tour, and who couldn’t vouch for it’s veracity.  He also had no explanation for the many, many, skinny unclaimed cattle that freely roam the island, so it is my suspicion that some of them survived the wreck.  But as no one feeds or waters these poor beasts, nor do they pen or slaughter them, they have become a tolerated nuisance when they raid gardens and wander into the traffic on the only road that transverses the middle section of the island.  Our cab driver was really chuffed as they had broken into his thriving pumpkin patch and destroyed it, along with his budding peanut plants.

Jerry carted us to the standard tourist attractions and managed to combine our fare with another couple from Minnesota.  We were delighted to meet Beth and Hector  from St. Paul and during our short time together became fast friends.

At Loblolly Beach, I was treated to another odd but wonderful occurrence.  I swear I’m not making this up.  Bill and I were having a drink at the beach bar when the fellow on the next stool struck up a conversation, as is common in the tropics.  Turns out, Dick Sweeney was one of the three and only remaining partners who invented, developed and marketed the Keurig Coffee machine.  My Keurig is one of my favorite kitchen machines, and as I have either recommended or purchased one of these for all my friends and family, this was a special event for me.  Dick had actually sent me an email and a complimentary box of coffees a few years ago after I had sent in an email request.  Imagine that!  What does it say about a person when she is a bit star struck by the guy who makes a coffee machine?  Don’t answer that.

The other major reason for us being there was so that Bill could observe flamingoes in the wild, and we sure did!  They were those tiny pink blobs we could just make out in our binoculars.  Apparently, they are camera and people shy.

Our cab driver took us on a tour past one of the three  restaurants on the island and was upset to find it closed.  He had sent his 7 year old daughter there for lunch, so was concerned that she didn’t have anything to eat.  Off  we went to the school; he went in and found out that one of her teachers had taken her home for lunch.  That would never happen where I come from.  

We’ll be back.