It’s Xplore Anguilla’s last post for the 2014 Summer!
Having saved the BEST for last, I give you HIGH CLIFF!! So with sturdy shoes on foot and cameras in hand….let’s Xplore Anguilla!
Travelling east on the Long Path road, then taking the first pitched right after the gas station is the turn off to this spectacle. The pitch road will demote to dirt and then shrink in width. On reaching Long Pond Bay, with Long Pond on its left, the scenery begins its upgrade and excelling of expectations.
High Cliff at sunrise is a diva! If a pod of whales entertains that’s a bonus. At sunset it’s a hunk! The hues God skates across the sky engulfs the eye and mind. Once children are tagging along, the ‘fun police’ (Tafari Banks) must be on duty too, sometimes for the safety of some highly adventurous adults, lolololol.
Regardless of when you go, the higher the wind, the more High Cliff is going to show off and wow you! The fresh, very salty, revitalizing ocean sprays love kissing guests. We found this out with a tropical depression in our area this week. It was a 5:30am run, on which a visiting native from Atlanta confessed (southern accent in all), ‘If I had your number, I would have called you and cancelled this trip last night. But boy am I glad I came. This is the best!’
To fully capture High Cliff, I divide it into 4 parts and then put them together in my mind when the walk is completed.
Sunrise at Long Pond Bay
First, after safely parking the vehicle in front of Long Pond Bay, the stroll moves towards the beach and then to the coast along the right. If the sea isn’t cleaning itself, the shell pickers will ‘hurry slowly’ (Antonio Christopher). The constructive or destructive waves rolling into the bay, acting like red lights, compel you to stop and watch them work building up or breaking down of the beach. Then the geo and its beautiful wave cut platforms and embedded blow holes suddenly appear around the first bend! And then persons light apologies for not previously accepting my invitations and confessions for initially not really wanting to come along, start to trickle out. LOL. Huge adjectives start rolling, like the waves, off the tongue………Amazing! Wow! Cool! Oh Man! Awesome! Fabulous! This is crazy! Is this Anguilla?
The middle part which I call ‘The Drop’, kind of sneaks up on you and when it comes into full view, then the apologies and confessions totally gush out! Nothing like it in Anguilla! Beautified at its base by more wave platforms, which are the only waterfalls we have in Anguilla (lol), The Drop is majestic! Beware of the blow holes located directly over The Drop, a small person can easily fall through!
The Drop
The third leg also strikes awe with extremely jagged rocks close to the edge, a picturesque collapsed arch with St Martin in the background and pink sand Dropsie Bay waiting to serve as a chill out morning picnic spot with bush tea and Johnny cakes or chilled beverages if it’s an evening rendezvous.
Dropsie Bay
The anchor leg of the trip, is a stroll on the dirt road, to the parked car enjoying the stunted skewed vegetation, the view of Long Pond and mostly the company of friends. I have taken several hundred persons to High Cliff over the years and 99% were OVERwhelmingly ecstatic they made the trip!
I promise to update the blog with additional pics ever so often. THANKS for trusting me to lead you on an online xploration of Anguilla! The journey was enriching but will only be considered a success if it motivates you to visit one of the many spots showcased. Your comments on and offline were/are sweetly appreciated. Until next time, (with a tear from the iHat, iPhone and i), it’s over and out. Xplore Anguilla!
Xplore Anguilla 