15 August 2010 | Jaji, Venezuela
15 August 2010 | Venezuela
15 August 2010 | Merida, Venezuela
15 August 2010 | Merida, Venezuela
15 August 2010 | Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
12 July 2010 | Tortuga, Venezuela
07 July 2010 | Navimca, Venezuela
07 July 2010 | Cumana, Venezuela
07 July 2010 | Cumana, Venezuela
07 July 2010 | Makro Store, Cumana, Venezuela
In the Moment
02 July 2008 | Dinner in Charlotteville
Our new friends on Remedy and Spanish Stroll jump into action to capture a photo of our cook serving our meal. She was pretty pleased to have 6 people ordering one of her specialities, crab and dumplings. She ordered the food ahead and we pre-booked the event.
Fisherman's Work Day
02 July 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
Some of the sights we see daily become commonplace to us until we think about life back home. This is one fisherman's daily routine. He catches the fish, cleans them and tries to make a few sales. He has positioned himself next to the dock where there is some foot traffic.
Crab and Dumplings
02 July 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
A night out with friends from Spanish Stroll and Remedy had us sitting in a little hole in the wall on main street for Tobago's national dish, crab and dumplings. We'd had rotis there previously and were less than impressed so when friends suggested we return for crab and dumplings we were hesitant. All taste buds are not created equal as our impression was less than great.
Vanley Perry
02 July 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
Ever since Carnival in Trinidad I thought about how much our son, Jamie, would enjoy owning a pan (steel drum). Jamie is very musical and doesn't go anywhere without his guitar. Well to our amazement Vanley Perry offered to sell us his own pan. We agreed and here he is writing the notes on the drum. As soon as we got back to Trinidad we got a monstrous box, wrapped it up and mailed it to Jamie. He was blown away.
Vanley Perry
02 July 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
We had the privilege of a demonstration by a world class local, Vanley Perry, who made pans (steel drums) for 17 years in Trinidad for famous groups as Angel Harps, Silver Stars and the Blue Diamonds. It had a beautiful sound.
Hibiscus
02 July 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
The hibiscus bushes are so abundant and seem to grow wild. Growing them indoors in Canada was the closest I got to enjoying their beauty. Now I can marvel at their beauty on every corner.
Portugese Man of War
02 July 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
Rather spectacular to look at but potentially deadly to encounter. This was on the beach in Speyside a few feet from the warning sign. Fortunately it was on land and not in the water when we encountered it.
Portugese Man Of War Warning
02 July 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
We walked back to Speyside after lunch and a rest and spotted this warning sign on the beach. The Portugese Man of War jellyfish is highly toxic and their sting can be deadly. We were surprised that a few feet away we found one on the beach.
Motmot Bird
02 July 2008 | Anse Bateau, Tobago
We were privileged to have a motmot bird hang around while we ate lunch. I took about 10 photos of it from every angle.
R & R
02 July 2008 | Anse Bateau, Tobago
Here's Bill taking a break after a hike from Speyside. We ended up treating ourselves to lunch in the Motmot Restaurant at the resort in Anse Bateau. Bill ordered flying fish for the first time and said it was awesome. I sampled it and agree. We will look for it on future menus.
Coral beds
26 June 2008 | Anse Bateau
We hiked over to Anse Bateau where boater friends had told us they had enjoyed anchoring for several days. We had debated whether to take the boat over or not but decided we'd settle for a day trip. It is quite secluded for an anchorage and very shallow in many areas but incredibly beautiful.
Dramatic Vistas
26 June 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
The camera was kept busy on this day's adventure as Speyside was incredibly beautiful.
Unique Artwork
26 June 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
As we wandered around Speyside we came across this display of unusually shaped pieces of wood that had been painted and placed on display. As we stood admiring it a man came over to us stating he was the artist. He wanted to pose for a photo in hopes of getting a "small donation" for his efforts. We happily obliged.
Flood Control
26 June 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
This community prevents landslides and erosion of valuable topsoil by using concrete flumes to direct and control heavy rainfall and runoff water.
Views in Speyside
26 June 2008 | Speyside, Tobago
Every direction had breathtaking views in Speyside. The community is nicely laid out with a large high school with playing field in the center of town, giving the community a balanced feel.
Great View
26 June 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
Perched high above Charlotteville we wandered past well-kept homes overlooking the community below. We asked one local about employment because we noticed numerous men just hanging around town and home at mid morning. He told us most of them work for the government and they were finished working for the day. That seemed a little strange to us but we didn't pursue it further.
Fish For Sale
25 June 2008 | Charlotteville, Tobago
We arrived in Charlotteville just before lunch on Friday. Shortly after we anchored the couple on Remedy came by and invited us to go to shore for rotis with Spanish Stroll. We happily accepted the invitation.
We wandered around town and found the weekly produce vendor making his rounds and we picked some fresh vegetables from the back of his pickup truck. The fish truck is there regularly and always has a lot of customers. Imagine back home, wandering down the street to meet up with the fish and vegetable trucks and getting your weekly supply. We seemed to shop every other day because we could. There is a small grocery store in Charlotteville that has a very limited supply of dry goods. Our friends on Spanish Stroll bought a dozen eggs from the store and they were all rotten so overboard they went.
Pelican Pests
25 June 2008 | Englishman's Bay
We'd read in our cruising guide about laughing gulls mercilessly badgering pelicans, trying to steal the pelican's fish, by sitting on their heads and pecking at their bills. The pelicans have learned to keep their beaks underwater and spin in circles to get rid of the gulls before they lift their beaks to swallow their catch. We thought this sounded a little absurd until we witnessed it over and over and over again. If I were a pelican I'd find another island to fish on than be constantly plagued by laughing gulls following my every move.
Englishman's Bay Beach
25 June 2008 | Tobago
When darkness fell we were all alone in Englishman's Bay as there are no houses there. It is an interesting feeling bobbing up and down on the waves, looking at the stars and feeling at one with God and the universe.
Night sails have the same affect. It's a little eerie with nothing but blackness surrounding you and only your navigation lights and chart plotter displaying any light. When you do spot a light on the horizon you watch intently to ensure your course will not conflict with the unknown vessel in the distance. We do not have radar but think it would give us a little more confidence at times like that as you can watch the boat and determine its course on the radar. One more thing on our "wish list" which never seems to grow shorter.
Clearing Fires
25 June 2008 | Englishman's Bay, Tobago
The idyllic setting of Englishman's Bay was spoiled on our last day there as the smoke and ash from fires were polluting the air and cinders were covering our boat (some getting inside). We were almost ready to pull anchor and scramble out as we were concerned the fire was getting too close. However, the wind eventually changed direction and by evening the fire was pretty well out. Remnants of soot lingered on our boat for several days, despite our efforts to remove it.
Englishman's Bay Boutique
25 June 2008 | Tobago
The One-Stop Shop has a snack bar and boutique. Without accommodation, this bay attracts people wanting to swim, snorkel and just hang out.
Castara
25 June 2008 | Tobago
What else would you like to do but jog on this lovely beach?
Castara
25 June 2008 | Tobago
There was a beauty and peace about Castara that was captivating. Could easily spend some time here enjoying the scenery and friendly people.
Palm Tree Restaurant
25 June 2008 | Castera, Tobago
The Cascreole restaurant is right on the beach and has an eating platform built into the palm trees. We only stopped for a photo as Bill was anxious to pull anchor and head to our next anchorage where we would spend the night.
Birds, Fish and Turtles of Tobago
25 June 2008 | Castara, Tobago
Our next brief stop along the way was a lovely little fishing village called Castara. It was a short distance to our next anchorage so we decided to drag our dinghy behind the boat, making a brief stop in Castara and trip to shore not too difficult. Our friends on Avalon had rented a car and toured Tobago and Castara stood out as one of their favorite stops. We were so impressed by the cleanliness of Tobago and the care and attention paid to individual properties. Tobago is considered Trinidad's little sister, and Trinidad could learn a lesson in island cleanliness. I complimented an employee from one of the restaurants in Castara, who thanked me and stated "we take care of our own".
Here is a billboard showing some common birds and fish found around Tobago
Plymouth Fishermen
25 June 2008 | Plymouth, Tobago
Close to where we left the dinghy, which was next to the main dock, a group of fishermen gathered at some makeshift tables to gut the fish they had just caight. The colorful fish are called parrot fish and we often see them when we are snorkeling.
Goat Pasture or Graveyard?
25 June 2008 | Plymouth, Tobago
The goats in the old, rundown cemetery serve two purposes: to feed themselves and mow the grass around the graves.
Tombstone Inscription
25 June 2008 | Plymouth, Tobago
The inscription on the tombstone in Plymouth reads: "she was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgence to him". You can let your imagination run with that one.
Historic Tombstone
25 June 2008 | Plymouth, Tobago
Plymouth was the first English capital of Tobago. We wandered around Fort James and explored the town, being approached by a few rugged looking men looking for a handout. Bill gave them money to buy bread, which they readily knew the value of. There wasn't much activity in town and it felt pretty sleepy.
Plymouth has a famous tombstone for 23 year old Betty Stiven and her baby dating back to 1783 that attracts interest.
Slugging Along Tobago's Coastline
25 June 2008 | Tobago
The trip along the Tobago coast was a beat, pushing against wind and waves. We were happy to make short hops and visit bays along the way.
Dinghy Challenge
25 June 2008 | Store Bay, Tobago
The downside to Store Bay was there was no dock to tie our dinghy to. Our 10' dinghy and 15 HP Yamaha are a burden to drag on shore so we tried to minimize the frequency of our trips to shore. We are careful to lock our dinghy whenever we leave it, so we had to haul it up far enough to lock onto something.
Store Bay
25 June 2008 | Tobago
We went back to Scarborough on Monday and decided we would start our journey along the coast to Charlotteville, stopping along the way at interesting bays. We hadn't been given any restrictions on our travel and left Monday after. Our friends, however, were told they could not stop along the coast, except for maybe 1-2 hours, and were to proceed directly to Charlotteville. Consequently we didn't see them again until we got to Charlotteville. Immigration's rules and regulations seem to be set by the mood of the officer on duty when you arrive. We checked out at different times of the day than our friends. We also noticed Canadians seem to get preferential treatment on many of the islands, including Trinidad. Our first stop along the coast was Plymouth and we watched from shore as Spanish Stroll beat against wind and current, fighting to get up island. Other boaters shared stories about their struggles with Immigration in Trinidad and Tobago so we questioned an official in Tobago about the discrepancies. We didn't receive a satisfactory reply.
Tobago Sunset
25 June 2008 | Store Bay
With our turtle nesting experience complete, we were ready to head to Tobago. We left early one Saturday morning and motor sailed. We arrived just before noon, raced to shore in anticipation of taking a bus to Scarborough to check in before Immigration closed for the day. Welcome to the islands... we saw no buses and eventually caught a taxi into town. Customs took all our papers and told us to return to Immigration on Monday to pick our those paper. We went to a nearby fast food chicken restaurant, had some lunch, browsed around and then headed back to Store Bay.
Store Bay was quite beautiful with some nice hotels, and locals were attracted to it on the weekend. Services for boaters were slim to nil, with a small grocery store with just the basics. A couple, Jim & Barb, on a boat called Spanish Stroll dropped by and invited us ashore for happy hour. They were on the last leg of their circumnavigation in a 31' beautiful Southern Cross and were very interesting to talk to. We had dinner together on our boat one night and heard fascinating stories about their extended journey.