T & T ... Trinidad and Tobago

Our first stop on this 128-day trip is the southernmost Caribbean island of Tobago. We were so excited for our first stop after 3 days at sea! We were greeted by steel drums and dancing women in colorful costumes. It has a bit of a Jamaican feel, complete with chickens walking freely around the port, and home-made signs advertising goat races and crab races!!! As we toured the island, we noticed that chickens roamed freely ... as did sheep and goats. The sheep were sometimes tethered and are used to eat grass and keep things tidy. 

Trinidad and Tobago are a dual-island Caribbean nation off the coast of Venezuela. We were on the smaller island Tobago for this stop. It is an English-speaking nation and the cars drive on the wrong side of the road but since we weren’t driving, it’s ok. 

 Our guide, Greg, did a great job making sure we understood him as the dialects found here can be difficult to be called English. He quickly engaged us by singing his national anthem for us. We supposed him to be a frustrated lounge singer! Then he sang the American anthem, too! His pride showed through for Tobago, and he mentioned several times that it is the REAL paradise of the Caribbean. This is an honor bestowed on them by others, not by themselves, he said.

Tobago can and does boast that it has been fought over more than any other Caribbean nation. It has changed hands 32 times and each time the attributes of that colonization leaves it’s mark on the tiny island. The Spanish, the Dutch, and the French have all controlled T and T, but the British gained control in 1802 and held it until 1962, when Tobago finally received full independence from the United Kingdom. 

Our first stops were at Ft. George and Ft. James. Seems each conquering nation had to have a place to fend off invading armies. Canons and armaments dot the island and make for good tourist pictures. While we were up at Ft. George, a black cloud moved in quickly, showered us, and then moved on quickly. We saw so many beautiful vistas while up there. 

As many Caribbean nations, slavery was common-place back then. But this was a time of abolitionism and England abolished slavery in 1833. Slaves then served a period of apprenticeship until 1838 where they were then “free”. 

After our visit to the forts, we were then taken to a community center for a steel drum show. There were beautiful rhythmic dancers and amazing steel drums! The beat lingered long after we were gone!

Tobago is known for its beaches, and we taken to Buccoo Beach. White sand and blue water! Tobago also has lush, dense forests. They are home to several species of hummingbirds, most notably the white-tailed hummer. Their national birds are the Scarlet Ibis and the Cocrico, and are on their flag. The Ibis is the most beautiful and gets its red color from the crustaceans it eats. Conversely, the Cocrico or Chachalaca, is the pheasant of Tobago and a real pest. They are noisy and eat all the vegetation, so the Tobago people make a point to catch them and eat them! We heard they taste like chicken! 

Our guide then took us to a small single tombstone, and here was a mystery surrounding the gravesite. Look at the picture and see if you can solve the two part riddle. (Answer upon request) 

My local beer stop today was at lunch at the restaurant at the Tobago Plantation Golf Course where I had a Carib. It was good, light lager. Melba Jean and Jet Plane would probably think it too light for their tastes!

Vialula and I both encountered very friendly people who went about their days. As we boarded the ship, locals were selling coconut water and using machetes to crack the coconuts!  Today, Tobago has a high income economy and it is an industrial nation. Petroleum and petrochemicals lead the economy. However, we would call it a vacation spot, and its reputation and popularity are growing. Next time, perhaps we can visit Trinidad!  Listen at me .... "next time!"

What a great first port of call! We are off to Devil’s Island. Stay tuned. 

 LeRoy and Vialula