Tobago Blog #1 First Impressions

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Hello Friends and Family!

We arrived safe and sound in Tobago last Saturday and all is well! In general, we would have to give Tobago a thumbs up!

We chose to stay in the area of Crowne Point in the south western corner of the island. Here is where most of the tourist facilities are and the best beaches. Even though it is geared for tourists it is small, quiet and relaxed with only a handful of tourists. Most of the visitors we have met so far seem to be from Sweden, Germany and the UK with a few from Canada. It is quite a change from Isla which has become very busy with tourists over the years. So for now we are enjoying slow paced days in a beautiful tropical setting. Apparently tourism is not promoted as much as other Caribbean islands as oil and gas for the moment keep Trinidad and Tobago in good shape financially. This was a surprise to us, however the owner of our hotel doesn't see the oil and gas lasting forever and will eventually have to diversify.

The currency here is the Tinidad/Tobagan dollar (TT). There are 5TT to a Canadian dollar so we just divide by 5 so it's easy to keep track. We haven't seen any signs of hardship or poverty, no beggars or people living on the street. We assume the local people in the Crowne Point area have jobs in the tourism and are doing fine.

Speaking of our hotel, we have picked the perfect place called "The Hummingbird Hotel". It's about a 20 minute walk into the main town and public beaches which suits us as we depend on walking as our main source of exercise. We have a lovely little room within steps of a good sized pool and patio. . . . . my kind of place! The approximate 15 rooms all surround the pool with beatufiul flowers, greenery, tropical trees and shrubs. And yes there are lots of hummingbirds flying around the hotel. We've seen a few varieties so far and quite different than the ones we see at home. They seem a bit bigger and perch for longer periods of time so it's easier to get a photo. The hotel serves breakfast each morning and dinner upon request. So our home for the next month is paradise! The owners are great people, very helpful and friendly. Paul is from Wales originally and Linda is from Tobago.

We have seen only a few fancy resorts along the ocean . . . . most of the accomodations are long term apartments, B & B's and small hotels like ours. We assume some of the Europeans our age are here for the winter months in apartments.

The climate is wonderful. It's very stable with a constant tempurature of 26 degrees day and night. (no highs or lows!) Quite different from extreme Saskatchewan! You never have to worry about having a sweater in the evening. It's always just right. We did have a few scattered showers the first couple of days we were here which was okay as we spent these days walking, exploring and getting our bearings.

The Tobagan people are very friendly and always greet you on the street with a "Good Night" which is their version of "Good Evening". They do this in Jamaica as well. In fact, Tobago reminds us a lot of Jamaica. The people have the same accent, similar personalities, enjoy reggae music and talk loud!! Most of the Tobagans are tall and very attractive. There is a small community of Arabic people as well as East Indian.

The local food often has a curry base . . . chicken, fish, dumplings, roti, rice, pumpkin, potatoes, carrots and soups such as oxtail and cowfoot (which Warren enjoys!) There are little shops along the streets that sell local food for take out or often they will have a few tables where you can sit. Beacause of the Arabic people here there are quite a few take-out/sit-down restaurants featuring gyros, falofols, hummus, and other delicious Arabic dishes. Most of the above food placed are quite reasonably priced.

There is a really nice selection of dinner restuarants however they are not cheap. A main course is anywhere from $16-$30 which I guess is about the same as home. I thought I had read somewhere Tobago was inexpensive?? Guess I was wrong. The portions are very large so we often share a meal which is good for our waistline as well as our pocket book! Everything from local food, fresh fish, pizza, seafood, pasta, salads, burgers, lamb chops, chicken, and steaks are available.

Most of the fruit and vegetables seems to be sold at stands on the street. A nice variety and very good. Our favourite is the watermelon. Probably the best we have ever had - it's almost a dark red color, so juicy and delicious!

Last but not least are the beaches which are definately a highlight here! There are four beaches within 20-40 min. walking. Each of them is located on a small bay that is fairly calm and protected . . . very picturespque with lovely clear turquoise water. The sand varies from a light beige to pure white. There are some waves but just enought to bob around comfortably. The temperature of the water is just right. I can stay in forever and never feel cold. We mostly walk to the beaches, however our hotel offers transportation to the beaches everyday so we sometimes take them up when we go to the furthest beach called Pigeon Point. The local people have set up their businesses and rent chairs and umbrellas for around $6 a person. The main public beach is a little busier but in general the beaches are not crowded at all.

Like always we've settled into a routine! We putter around the hotel and pool in the morning and head to the beach around noon where we have lunch, swim, read and stare out into the ocean! We walk home around 4 and head back into town around 8 for supper. I know it's a tough life! We're glad to have Facetime so we can keep in touch with family. Otherwide I might get homesick!

That's it for now for Tobago. Thanks for reading

Mallory and Warren

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Photos

Enjoying a Caribe
I'm not much of a beer drinker but I do like this. Comes in smaller bottles and is very smooth!

$100 TT
Worth $20 Canadian

Comments

[Pat Atkinson]

Your winter paradise
Gorgeous! It looks like you may have found a perfect spot. See you in April.