I wanted to shake up my life and go sailing (or learn on the job, so-to-speak) so headed to Florida to crew on a catamaran. This is about how it went or, rather, didn't - and my life since. Hopefully it will lead to a catamaran on the clear aqua blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, watching the sunset, a coconut rum and coke in hand. You must START AT THE BEGINNING of the blog, April 2009, to get the whole story...

Saturday, May 7, 2011

LOBLOLLY BAY

Since coming to Anegada, and before actually, I have been hearing a lot about how great Loblolly Bay (named after a tree which grows here) beach is and the restaurant there - The Big Bamboo. (In a book about the history of Anegada that was at Nancy and Walkers cottage, the native spelling is actually Lo Blolly and was once pronounced low-blolly, almost as two words).

Today the booking agent for Neptune's Treasure, who has come over from Tortola for the weekend, is heading over to Loblolly and has offered to take me along. I gladly accept.

It's across the other side of the island and east a bit so it takes about 15 minutes or so to get there. It's a really hot day and, thankfully, Linda's jeep (that we have borrowed) is air conditioned.

When we arrive, we walk down a sandy path, past the restaurant, and continue past some Sea Grape trees to the beach - and it IS gorgeous. There are palapas with bench seats underneath, something I haven't seen on a public beach on this island, so far. I am happy because it means I can get out of the sun, even if the benches do lean forward quite a bit - it seems that the front legs have sunk into the sand a lot more than the back ones have.


I settle in to enjoy the view before I go in for a swim. There's a young boy who has found an abandoned kayak and is struggling to get it up the beach a ways. Soon his young friend joins in to help. As I watch, it doesn't escape me how what I am looking at I have seen the like of captured in many an Islands Magazine.



When I decide to go in the water for a snorkel, I find the current coming into the beach rather strong to swim against and, although the reef is not that far out - maybe 70 feet - I am not comfortable swimming out that far so I just float around where the bottom is fairly sandy and see what there is there. Turns out not much. But soon I am joined by a single white angel fish. He follows me wherever I go. Then I notice that he's been joined by another. Then another. And soon there are eight or nine of them - all following right beside me wherever I swim. I do a few about turns and, sure enough, the turn and stay right by my side.



After a nice swim I decided to walk to the point on the far right. The shore became increasingly rocky as the coral came closer inland and then right up onto the beach. I went barefoot so didn't make it right to the end of the point as there were too many coral fragments underfoot and it became painful to walk on.

Where I am headed.

Coral close to the shore.

Coral right at the edge..

I've walked from as far as you can see. The beach here is littered with broken coral.

After my walk, I am hungry and - despite sore mouth - go to The Big Bamboo to sample the lunch menu as I have heard it's the best on the island. I order the chicken strips and, as the menu says it is served with side dishes, ask what the choices are. I am told rice, coleslaw, and fries. I am about to make a choice when the waiter just walks away. Oh well, that's fine - I will just let them surprise me. When the meal comes I am surprised all right, it has all three!! The pile of home-made chicken strips is huge and I know I won't be able to eat anywhere near all the food that is placed before me, although I give it a valiant effort as it is all so very delicious. I end up taking home most of it and it lasts me two days. The prices were a lot less than I have seen on the rest of this island so I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone heading out to Loblolly for the day.

From inside The Big Bamboo.

The Big Bamboo. - Note the bag of water on the table; every table had one and I have no idea why.
UPDATE:  I have solved the mystery of the bags of water on the tables (only took 2 1/2 years) - it's to keep flies away.  See here how I found out.

All photographs are mine and not to be copied without express permission from me (click on them to see the large version).
Some names have been changed to protect my butt.



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