Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tobago? Where's That?

I wrote this article for the company newsletter about my trip to Tobago last fall. I thought I would post it here, as well, along with a few pictures.

Tobago? Where is that?

Who plans a Caribbean vacation during hurricane season? I do. It’s not as crazy an idea as it may seem, though. The two islands making up the country of Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost in the Caribbean, lying just seven miles off Venezuela's north eastern coast. Although hurricanes have been known to hit Trinidad & Tobago, the islands lie to the south of the hurricane belt and thus are rarely impacted by tropical storms or hurricanes. Tobago is known as an eco-tourism destination and is home to the Main Ridge Forest Preserve, which was established in 1776 and is the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere. Tobago’s Rockley Bay is the place where Robinson Crusoe washed ashore in Defoe’s book.


Visually, Tobago is picture postcard perfect. The island is mountainous with deep valleys that run down to the coast, meeting the ocean in picturesque bays, often with beautiful curved sandy beaches. Just under 50% of the island is covered with forests and Tobago is world famous for its birding. However, we spent most of our time in the water. The snorkeling was excellent. The coral is only OK, but the variety of sea life is spectacular. Everywhere I looked, I saw types of fish and other creatures that I have never seen outside an aquarium. I also had my first-ever face-to-face encounter with an eel. Who knew I could swim backward so quickly?


The biggest adventure we had in Tobago was driving. First, picture roads that are 1 ½ lanes wide at best, with rock walls on one side of the road and sheer drop-offs on the other. Add cars approaching at Mach 1 from the opposite direction and taking their half of the road out of the middle. Toss in a liberal sprinkling of potholes and randomly scatter dogs, cats, goats, cattle, and people strolling leisurely across the blacktop. Then, drive on the left side of the road.

But, taking our lives into our own hands by climbing behind the wheel was well worth it. The drive along the coast and over the center of the island is just one scenic overlook after another. We also had some great meals. Jemma’s Seafood Kitchen is built around and in the branches of a large tree and the cassava pie and sweet and sour fish were out of this world. At Joanne’s Finger Lickin’, Joanne herself dished us up a taste of every single Tobagonian dish she offered and explained what each one was and how it was prepared. A chance encounter with Eddie, King of the Fruit, led us to Jackie, Captain of the glass bottom boat No Fear, and an impromptu ride out to the coral gardens off the coast at Speyside, where they claim to have the world’s largest brain coral.

My only regret is that we weren’t there at the right time of year to go to the Goat Races. Well, that and the fact that sheer terror kept me from enjoying all the scenic views as we hurtled around yet another hairpin turn on the coast road. Note to self: next time, take more money and hire a driver.

No comments:

Post a Comment