Mr. Mark Dillett, a Bahamian visitor, says he loves Anguilla because of its beauty and its COVID-19 restrictions.
He made the comment to The Anguillian newspaper as he joined a local Island Harbour group in cleaning up the mass seaweed infestation on the bay side on Sunday, July 18.
He related that as he walked past the bay, the morning of the previous day, he happened to see the local group cleaning the beach and decided to join them.
“Back in The Bahamas, I get up at four o’clock, walk the beach, swim and exercise,” he recalled. “Now in Anguilla, I came down to the Island Harbour beach, but I couldn’t swim due to the seaweed. Then, I saw these guys cleaning the beach and I told them, ‘I am going to join you guys tomorrow (Sunday) morning.’ They said: ‘Okay fine’. I didn’t think they took me seriously but I came at 6.30 to help them out – and that’s how I got here.”
Asked about his way of life in The Bahamas, he replied: “I am a plumber by profession, and the other thing is that I like to cook. I told the guys in Anguilla: ‘Sorry I can’t stay too long with you because I have to be back home by 10 o’clock to finish cooking lunch for them, but I will stay with them as long as I can.”’
He added: “I am staying at Clear View – right over there above the ridge [east of the bay]. I am staying with the Rogers’ family – my wife’s family. My wife and I are also residents in Florida, and we came to Anguilla on vacation to spend two weeks with her family. I am so accustomed to working, that I just can’t stay at home sleeping – so here I am assisting these guys in cleaning the beach.
“I love Anguilla because it is beautiful – and when I got here I found that you all have zero-negative COVID-19 numbers. Even though the restrictions you all have for people visiting the island are strict, I love them. Although I had to go through a lot of hassle, I didn’t mind because I love the idea of keeping the country safe. I told Premier Webster, ‘I love how you all did it. Just keep it up and keep the people safe. Don’t mind what the other tourists say, I think that’s good. I wish my country would do the same as well, and be strict about it.”’
Mark, as he simply prefers to be called, reported that The Bahamas was also experiencing a considerable amount of seaweed on its beaches, but not as much as Anguilla. “The Bahamas Government has a team to take up the seaweed off the beaches. They have machines and the hotels also help,” he stated.
