Aba's Blog

Home again :-(

aba — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:49:41 +0000

The last day of a wonderful trip which as ever, ended all too quickly.

Thanks to everyone who made us feel so welcome, Thelma Dougie and the dogs our wonderful hosts in Tobago, Norma and family at Norma’s Bed and Breakfast in Trinidad, Parish for the driving, Gervais for the hiking.

Check out loads more photos of the trip and get yourself there if you can, you won’t regret it!

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Rain in the rainforest - a hike to Celery Bay

aba — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:29:49 +0000

Good old Gervais had a real treat planned for us today. A trek through the rain forest to Celery Bay. All downhill too (ah, of course that meant all uphill on the way back…).

The hike was amazing and followed a trail c180-200 years old, used to bring fish up from the beach. Our hike took in almond trees, green parrots, the very noisy traditional bird of T and T, the Cocorico, and the very poisinous Manchinnele Tree - we gave it a wide berth!

Also one to watch out for is the Grugrubeauf tree, its trunk covered in vicious spiky thorns that will bring you a world of pain if you don’t watch your step.

It rained on and off which made the walking a bit tricky at times but, the reward was loads of rainbows, and it didn’t take too long to dry off.

The beauty was tinged with a little sadness at the site of illegal logging, and the shells of protected Hawksbill Turtles that had been slaughtered for their meat.

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Sunset at Irvine Bay

aba — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:23:37 +0000

Had a very chilled day around the appartment, playing games, eating and generally slobbing about. It was a beautiful sunny day so we were looking forward to a late afternoon watching the sunset at Irvine bay about 40 minutes walk from our appartment.

And what a truly fabulous treat it was…

The it was off to bed for an early night - 7 am hike tomorrow…

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A drive round the island

aba — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:07:01 +0000

Thelma and Dougie very kindly treated us to a whistlestop tour of the island (they don’t do this for just anyone you know, so don’t get your hopes up ).

Out round the island tour took in James Fort, Plymouth (site of the oldest fort in Tobago),

Footprints Eco Resort (including a quick drink and a game of pool) and a haunted,

huge, Silk Cotton Tree, the oldest on the island and supposedly haunted… wooooooooooooo…

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A waterfall with actual err… water, falling

aba — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:49:34 +0000

Started the day with one of my fabulous (even if I say so myself) cooked breakfasts and fruit salads in preparation for out planned guided hike up to a waterfall.

At the arranged time the lovely Gervais, our guide for the afternoon, picked us up and off we went to Highland Falls. A pleasant, gentle work with the odd river crossing and final destination of a stunning water fall.

After our previous experience at Trinidad’s Edith Falls, it was great to see some actual water falling. A paddle and scramble over some rocks and we could almost touch it, and definitely felt the delicious, cooling spray.

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Store Bay

aba — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Fully recovered from last evening’s bout of motion sickness we were ready to tackle the sea again. This time from land! A couple of hours spent at the beach in Store Bay. Crashing waves and rough sea so no swimming, so had to make do with a bit of a paddle and getting drenched now and again by the spray.

Fortunately there was also entertainment laid on in the form of a traditional band and dancing for when the tiny beach got too crowded and the waves too rough. The performance included some impressive bamboo stick dancing and drumming.

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Back to Tobago

aba — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:28:15 +0000

A leisurely brekky and morning in the pool at Norma’s followed by lunch at the local food court before our final taxi ride with the trusty Parish to the port for our ferry crossing to Tobago.

Bye bye Trini and thanks for a wonderful time, hope to return in the not-to-distant future.

The crossing was terrible! Rough, rough, rough. Now I’ve done a lot of boat trips but this was my first time of getting sea sick as an adult. And boy was I and at least half of the rest of the boat ill. I won’t go on… suffice it to say terra firma was a blissful feeling…

The calm before the storm!

Back to recover at our fab appartment in Scarborough after being picked up by our fantastics hosts Thelma and Dougie.

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Asa Wright

aba — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:26:08 +0000

After all the partying it was time to get back to natcha. Off to Asa Wright National Park for a spot of birdwatching, rainforest hiking and general lovely natural wordliness. A smorgasbord of hummingbirds other vibrant feathered and non feathered creatures including Agoutis (a bit like a large rat), MatMat (lizard), beautiful rainforest trees and plants. I was in heaven…

On our mini hike through the park with the excellent and knowledgeble Caleb as our guide we passed the huge mound of a leaf cutting ant colony. Apparently the queen lives for up to 35 years! But when she snuffs it so does the rest of the colony.

Too soon the guided walk was over and we left the earthy smells of the rainforest, and the call of the Bearded bellbird (the loudest of any bird in Trinidad) behind.

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Carnivaaaaaaaaaaaaal

aba — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:23:11 +0000

Started the day with a hearty breakfast at Norma’s to fortify us for our dancing in the streets marathon, then a half hour in the pool (it was another hot, hot, day dammit!).

Ever reliable Parish, our friendly cabby turned up at the allotted time to run us into town for the main parade day of the carnival festivities and a chance to get up close and personal with the bands, mas players and other revellers. Ever mindful of our bellies, stopped off for a lovely bit of lunch of “provisions”, vegetables and fish from a streetside establishment.

Then it was time to paaartaayyyyy

Check out my videos from the day:

Pan players opening Dimanche Gras

Dancing but maybe not as we know it…

Playin Mas

Large carnival band rushing the crowd…

Dancin in the streets yah

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Beach, beach, beach

aba — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:30:02 +0000

Leisurely morning and then picked up by our friendly and now familiar taxi man, Parish. This time we were off to Las Cuevas, the next beach along from Maracas Bay. As we headed out of town, evidence of the previous nights “Jouvert” celebrations was everywhere in the form of paint covered people and streets.

En route to Las Cuevas stopped off at Williams Bay and the nearby yacht club.

Lots of families out enjoying the water and cooling off on a hot, hot, day. We joined them for a quick paddle.

Then it was back in the car along the twisty turny roads towards and beyond Maracas Bay. Pretty heavy traffic but it was worth the wait to get to the quieter beach and get another fix of tasty bake and shark.

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