Blogs from Trinidad & Tobago, Central America Caribbean - page 3

Another very early docking but we had a leisurely breakfast with a lovely Canadian couple from Vancouver then embarked on a 15km walk around town. Trinidad is the southern most island of the Caribbean and only about 7 mile off the coast from Venezuela, also the first inhabited island of the Caribbean. Population of Port of Spain is 128,000 and Trinidad 1.2 million. It produces over 100,000 barrels of oil a day, a good industry for their economy. Although only 31 degrees very hot and humid - we strolled up Brian Lara Promenade before taking one of the side streets up to the Art and Culture Centre - quite a modern architectural building - then noticed across the road at the stadium on the side of Queens Park Savannah that the Red Cross Childrens Carnival was ... read more

Today was the best day yet - we went on a short hike through the jungle to a waterfall which we climbed over/in and went swimming in the little pools!!! The jungle area of Trini is so nice and clam - you could be in a different world when compared to the busy city/towns that we live in even though its literally up the road. In the jungle its slightly cooler, way more humid and there a few cocoa estates/small houses and villages. Its so quite and peaceful, apart from the occasional house blasting out Soca music! We walked for a few kilometres along a 'path' and nearly died a few hundred times but we made it to the most peaceful waterfall ever. And it was just us there. So good! I can't even begin to ... read more

Fourteen days to go.... I haven't been this excited for quite some time... and it's not just because I will soon be travelling. I have done that for years and always loved doing it. This time it's because I'm going somewhere I never dreamed I'd visit - to the African continent. Now, here I am on the threshold - soon to be climbing the steps to board the aircraft. Wow!! How did this happen? Simple. My sister has a long time Uni friend from the UK who now lives in the Western Cape. Her name is Alison. She visited us at home in the Caribbean last year and now we will visit her in Africa. And just like that, in a snap, I'm about to visit where I'd never imagined going. My tiny peaceful island neighbourhood ... read more

Sooo, the past two days we spent at beaches/going out in Port of Spain. On Friday we went to Chaguaramas beach, the owner of our hostel, Earle, took on a drive round the city and to see some other AMAZING beaches and then dropped us off so that we could spend the day there. Trinidadians are so eager to help - we'd only asked him what beach we should go to and he insisted on driving us there, giving us a tour and everything!! Anyway, we spent the day at Chaguaramas, which was pretty empty give that it was a Friday, but the sea was so warm (slightly ruined by the massive oil refinery in the background). We then got a 'maxitaxi' - basically a bus back to the flat. The traffic was HORRENDOUS, but Trinidadians ... read more

If you were to close your eyes and picture the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Caribbean, it's a pretty safe bet that we would see stunning white sand, gorgeous beaches, and rows of palm trees. But when it comes to Tobago, the smaller of the two Islands that comprise T&T, the stereotypical image could not be further from the truth. Tobago is all about nature, with rolling hills and sheer drops down to the ocean from the winding roads a feature. There is also an extraordinary level of greenery on display, and tropical rains really make the colours of the island spring to life. So it proved to be a pleasant change of scene when I arrived on Tobago after experiencing so many beautiful Caribbean beaches during the course of this ... read more