Back on the Island!

On the boat – headed to Anguilla!

Everyone’s still sleeping here, so it’s time to play a little game of catch-up. I’ve been trying to be exceptionally good about taking photos on this trip; partly to share on here and partly to help guide our wedding planning. We left San Francisco at midnight on Thursday and arrived in St. Maarten on Friday afternoon. After a rather bumpy (and wet) boat ride, we made it to Anguilla!

Back at the Frangipani. :)

We arrived at the Frangipani at around 5P and were welcomed by a bout of rain. There was word of a tropical storm making its way through the area, and we seemed to have caught the end of it during our arrival. After a quick dip in the pool, we got cleaned up and headed to Boat Shoe Boy’s favorite eatery on the island, Picante.

At Picante.

J.& T. at Picante

The food at Picante really is just so good, and reasonably priced by Anguillan standards. Each couple split the exact same order: chili-queso corn on the cob (a must — you can’t not order this), Picante tacos and a prawn burrito. After re-fueling, we made our way down to Elvis’ and the Pumphouse in Sandy Ground. The storm was peaking during our time at Picante, so we were a bit more inclined to post up at an indoor venue (the Pumphouse) versus Elvis’ Beach Bar. The Pumphouse was a double score for us on Friday night. Boat Shoes and I were on a mission to scout out some local bands for our wedding and we had our sights set on two: Omari Banks and Boss. 

Omari Banks.

Boss.

We didn’t realize they were both playing at the Pumphouse when we arrived, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise! They were both exceptional (like, really exceptional), and while I was still debating on Boss (compared with another group we were looking at), he really brought the energy.

Boat Shoes and I at the Pumphouse

Friends at the Pumphouse.

We popped over to Elvis’ for a bit so everyone could check it out, and so the guys could get a round of Mammawanna shots (I was smarter this year and opted out of that madness on night one).

Pre-Mammawanna.

Post-Mammawanna.

Boat Shoes & I with Elvis.

After a couple of more hours at the Pumphouse, we made our way back to the Frangipani. After having not really slept the night before, bedtime couldn’t have been more inviting. For the most part, this is a week of no alarms and for that I am eternally grateful. There’s something so nice about just waking up when you’re done sleeping.

Stay tuned for Day 2 at Smokey’s, Sandbar & another quickie rendezvous at Elvis’.