Tranquility Wrapped in Blue

Anguilla, West Indies

Many would – and do – call this paradise, not least among them the Anguillian Tourism Board.  (The title of this post is also their marketing slogan.) However, I refuse to use the word, even though the beach that is my current home is indeed one classic image of what we think of when imagining a “place of extreme beauty, delight, or happiness.”  And there are 32 more! 

But I know the Caribbean well enough and have seen enough of this island to realize the reality beyond the white sand and blue surf.  The contrast between us and them is harsh: luxury 5-star hotels and palatial private homes on the coast vs. cement-block, tin-roofed shacks in the interior; some of the world’s best beaches at our doorstep vs. goats chomping on garbage piles and burning brush in the backyard; twice the national average income spent on one 2-week holiday. 

Anguilla may be just 16 miles long and 3 miles wide (26 x 5 km) but the divide between the haves and have-nots is immeasurable. 

Wasn’t it better for the natives before tourists discovered their home?  Island life back in the day may have fallen short by Western standards of living, but as long as the indigenous folks were not using our yardstick, then who’s to presume they weren’t content with their self-sufficiency?  Of course our presence here creates jobs but how happy are they really to cook and clean for us, serve us, drive us, wait on us, tend to our every wish and whim?  Do the dollars we add to the local economy truly make their lives more comfortable?  How naïve to think they don’t feel any resentment towards us. 

But, having said this, I have to admit that it appears to not be so in this case, and it must be largely because the history of this island’s citizens is divergent from other neighboring populations of African descent.  

The Europeans who attempted to establish plantations on Anguilla in the early 19^th century had no luck with the poor soil and arid climate, and eventually returned to the Continent, leaving the land in the hands of former slaves.  Those newly minted farmers had no greater success with crops and so many turned to fishing, boatbuilding, and even seasonal work in the sugar cane fields on surrounding islands.  Despite their hardships, they remained independent and evolved into a proud, determined, and hardworking society.   

This pride in ownership and success through tenacity accounts for the distinction between this island’s vibe and that of others in this part of the world.  In all honesty, the Anguillians seem sincerely welcoming and glad to share their country’s gorgeous gifts.  The continued lack of any land-based natural resources has propelled them to develop their high-end tourism industry (as well as offshore banking biz), and they are doing so to the apparent pleasure and benefit of everyone, locals and visitors alike.   

So I’ll get off my soapbox now…and head back to my little slice of heaven.