November first is the official end of hurricane season, so it was time to leave Trinidad and start our trek north. We are very excite to start another cruising season in the Caribbean, not only because our first stop is Grenada and the Grenadines (which are amazing) but also because we have so many islands to explore this year. Unlike last year where we had to travel over 2,500 miles and therefore skip many countries along the way, this year we are already here in the Caribbean and can take our time to explore all the islands. And our first stop [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our favorite part of traveling is that we get a chance to learn about other cultures, religions, and ways of life. That is why we were so excited to celebrate Divali in Trinidad. Divali is a Hindu Festival celebrated all over India. And seeing that Trinidad has the largest East Indian population outside of India, Deivali is celebrated here as well. So we set off to Chaguanas with our trusty tour guide, Jesse James, and a bus load of other cruisers to partake in this very special night. Divali is the Festival of Lights that takes place on the darkest night [View Full Entry]

---

---

We have been in Trinidad for three months now and recently had to have our immigration status extended. It certainly doesn't feel like three months though- oh how time flies! For the most part we have been liming (for those who don't know, liming is a Trini term for just hanging out). We have been swimming in the pool, watching movies and cable tv, eating local foods like doubles and rotis, and making new friends with truly great people from all over the world. Although we have kept ourselves busy with boat projects too (we fixed everything that broke along the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Birds, birds, and more birds! Trinidad has over 10,000 species of birds and is considered to have the most number of birds per land mass. In fact, it is second only to Peru for the most number of birds in the world. It is a dream for many avid bird watchers to visit Trinidad. So as the old saying goes... if you are in Rome, do as the Romans. Thus we will do as the birders and go on a tour to the Asa Wright Bird Sanctuary and Caroni Swamp. The Asa Wright Bird Sanctuary was originally a coffee and coco [View Full Entry]

---

---

Angostura aromatic bitters was developed in 1824 by Dr. Siegert, who was living in the town of Angostura on the northern coast of Venezuela at the time. Originally it was used medicinally as a digestion aid, however over time it has gained popularity in soft drinks, cocktails, and other alcoholic drinks as well as a staple in Caribbean cooking. It has now gained world-wide notoriety and can be found in just about any bar or pub, actually I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many of you have a bottle of bitters laying about as well. But what I find [View Full Entry]

---

---

Bake N' Shark is a local dish in Trinidad, and if you ask any Trini where to go to get the best bake n' shark on the island- they all tell you to go to Maracas Beach. Maracas Beach is not only one of the prettiest beaches on the island but is also the place where bake n' shark originated. So in our quest to experience the local culture and food, we decided to organize a trip to Maracas. Now there is nothing baked in a bake n' shark, it is all fried- so the name is a little confusing. The [View Full Entry]

---

---

As the guide book says, "When Christopher Columbus discovered Trinidad he stumbled into a party, and the locals have been partying ever since." It is in fact home to one of the biggest parties in the world- Carnival! And is also the birthplace of both calypso and steel pan music. So in order to experience this aspect of Trinidad's culture we went to a panyard for an impromptu steel drum concert. But not just any panyard, we went to the All Stars Panyard, probably one of the most famous steel bands here in Trinidad. The All Stars travel all over the [View Full Entry]

---

---

So far we have really loved our time here in Trinidad; the people are friendly, the culture rich in history, and the wildlife is amazing. Last night we went on a tour to see the giant leatherback turtles nest on the beach, one of the many great wildlife tours available here in Trinidad. And it was such an awesome night! We got picked up by a van at 4:30 pm and drove across the island to the Matura Bay Turtle Sanctuary. Matura Bay is one of the many beaches in Trinidad where the giant leatherback turtles come to lay eggs during [View Full Entry]

---

---

We sailed the final leg of our trip down to Trinidad yesterday and are now safely tucked into Crews Inn Marina in Chaguaramas. We will be here for the rest of hurricane season, which lasts until November 1st. It sure feels good to be south of the hurricane belt, we no longer have to worry about tropical waves showing organization or low pressure systems forming off the coast of Africa (the first signs of dreaded hurricanes). And it was an easy trip here, smooth sailing with a bright moon, just a short 90 mile overnight trip. Luckily we had no problems [View Full Entry]

---

---

We have been sailing around the Grenadines, jumping from island to island and traveling back and forth. After our short stay in the Tobago Cays we went back up to Bequia for a reunion with S/V Verna Breeze- which was great fun! But then hurricane Bertha started forming and was going to create some nasty weather, so it was time to turn back and continue south again. We did a quick sail down to Carriacou and spent the night in Tyrell Bay. We decided to throw the Q flag up, Q for quarantine, and agreed to set sail for Grenada the [View Full Entry]

---

---