Sorry about colours - can't get the site to behave!!
We spent a great few days here anchored in Store Bay on the south-west coast of Tobago between Crown Point (south) and Pigeon Point (north). I would say peaceful but, during the day, jet-skis could be hired from the beach and seemed to delight in using the boats as markers to race round!! Pretty dangerous really and certainly made us roll about a bit!
But Tobago was a lovely, lovely place, again, with very friendly and helpful people.
But Tobago was a lovely, lovely place, again, with very friendly and helpful people.
Landing was on the beach which we found bit difficult at first especially if there was any swell but we got the hang of it OK and in the end I could swing my legs over the edge of the dinghy and jump out and then returning mount the dinghy rather like a horse and throw myself in!! Very elegant!
After our outing with Nicky and David on Friday, we didn’t go ashore over the weekend, as the outboard had not run properly on Friday so Chris stripped it down and cleaned the carburettor. All was then fine.
Monday and Tuesday were carnival but the only parade that was here started at about 4.00 am (yes MORNING!) when all the bands started up!! When we went ashore and into town at about 10.00am it was all over bar the clearing up – the streets were COVERED in bottles and take-away containers! We had not realised but the actual parade only took place in Scarborough the other side of the island so most unfortunately we not get a chance to see the costumes etc. Later on though, we were having a couple of beers in “Bagos Beach Bar” (conveniently situated on the beach right where we left our dinghy!!) when I got rather a fright by some locals who had dressed up as sea-monsters (ITHINK!!)
Nicky and David often came over for a cuppa and in fact they arranged for us all to take a tour of the island. On Thursday, we met our driver and guide, Bruce, at 10.00 am (prompt – not Caribbean time!) and off we went. Bruce was brilliant taking us all round the island and through the rain forest of Tobago Forest Reserve from one side of the island to the other. Further along the south west coast from Store Bay there were some really lovely holiday resorts – looking just like the adverts!
We stopped just near Buccoo, where there is a stadium designed for GOAT racing!! They do not race that often but there were videos to watch. The goats are on a leads, all of the same length and are held by their owner/trainer who run like mad behind the goats. It’s even started out of starting stalls! I’m not sure if the winner is actually the fastest goat or the fastest runner! Must be great fun.
After the goat-racing we stopped near Plymouth where, luckily, the best steel band in Tobago were playing to an audience from a cruise ship and we were able to join them. It was brilliant – I love steel bands but not very one was keen and as it was very loud we did not stay THAT long.
For lunch, Bruce took us to the ‘world-famous’ restaurant, “Jemma’s Seaview Kitchen Restaurant”, in Speyside (north-east of the island) which was basically a restaurant in a HUGE tree house over-looking Bishops Bay. Wonderful!! The food was very good, very plentiful and fairly reasonable.
Also in Scarborough was the Fort King George built in the early 1770's as a defense for Scarborough with an amazing wide view over the coast to detect raiders or attack. It was occupied continuously by British forces until 1854 other then the period of French occupation 1781-1793. It was a great day out and Bruce was a brilliant guide explaining and showing us all sorts of things that we would not have noticed ourselves. |
All in all, Tobago (Store Bay) was again a lovely place with very friendly and helpful people.
The next couple of nights were pretty rocky and rolly but not too bad during the day. We went ashore on Saturday, did the laundry and got some stocks in as we wanted to leave in the next couple of days.
We said goodbye to Nicky and David on Sunday as they were setting off for Barbados early on Monday - hopefully we will see them in Martinique but almost certainly in Antigua.
We decided to leave early evening on Monday as the journey to Trinidad was only about 60 miles and best done overnight to arrive there during the next day
The next couple of nights were pretty rocky and rolly but not too bad during the day. We went ashore on Saturday, did the laundry and got some stocks in as we wanted to leave in the next couple of days.
We said goodbye to Nicky and David on Sunday as they were setting off for Barbados early on Monday - hopefully we will see them in Martinique but almost certainly in Antigua.
We decided to leave early evening on Monday as the journey to Trinidad was only about 60 miles and best done overnight to arrive there during the next day
The trip to Trinidad took us much longer than we had expected. In theory, the wind and the current should have made it a fast trip – but we had very little wind in places! We still arrived in the early afternoon though; but Chis was totally shattered as he had been awake most of the trip so I’m afraid to say we did not go ashore and book in until Wednesday!
More about Trinidad in the next post!