Coconut Cove Holiday Beach Club Trinidad

I decided to take advantage of my paid vacation and spend two weeks in Trinidad and Tobago. My good friend Kevin Fortune, who I met in college, is from Trinidad and was a phenomenal tour guide. I stayed away from computers, cell phones and any reading materials related to the economy and/or the environment.

... at the Nature Seekers office in the white diesel flatbed truck, as he had most nights. The truck was extra full, since the following day was a Trini holiday, meaning that the beach would be swarmed tonight with mobs of tourists. We took our final drive through the streets of Matura, busy this night with men standing outside shops and bars, exchanging un-understandable jaw-jacking with the young guys on our truck---then lots of laughter and watching them disappear into the distance ...

... found out later that Lee and Peter were not actually un-athletic...there was no cork in their kayak.) I'm not certain at which point it happened, but sometime during this process, Ronald also ended up in the water, leaving me as the sole individual who had not capsized. I was quite proud of myself.

Now what were we to do? Everyone but yours truly was now floating in the water holding onto upended kayaks, which were ultimately attached to me and my kayak. And ...

... that the guests at Suzan's have money, and cameras, and computers locked up neat and tidy in their rooms. Baptiste stays behind to keep the intruders at bay.

This afternoon, our one day off of the project, I was enjoying a nice afternoon lounge on the second floor terrace of Suzan's. The terrace overlooked Suzan's overgrown garden and, beyond, forest and jungle. This is where Trinidad's beauty is best on display...in the wildness of the flowers and birds and trees, in ...

... that said "Mr. Chaplin" along with a short blue light tube that roamed horizontally. Thank God I was a little out of it, or I would have PTSD now from the ridiculous ride from the airport to the village of Matura. The back seat of Baptiste's hot rod was extra low, so I felt like a five-year-old wedged down into a seat and could barely see out the window. What I could see scared the hell out of me. I suspect we might have been drag racing, but ...

This was our first time to participate in a Carnival Parade in Port of Spain Trinidad. Trinidad has one of the largest Carnival celebrations after Mardi Gras. We joined the group called Pulse 8 and danced through the streets of Port of Spain for two days. Our group had about 1000 people. When you join a group - you pay a lot of money and get a costume, all you can drink for two days, food, trucks with large ...

... the shoulder and chickens roam all around the wooden homes precariously perched on the steep hillsides. Speyside lookout was breathtaking...a panorama of the bay's shifting torquoise seas, spray covered islets...you can see Goat Island and Little Tobago. After Speyside the road cut inland and across the north coast to take us to our home for the next month: Charlotteville. There ...

... They told us that all the ferries were sold out for that day but we could try and get one the next day (31/12). We decided to go to the port and check that out and luckily enough we got standby tickets on the 2pm ferry that same day. It's a massive ferry and really quite swish. It's takes about 3 hours and is a really nice way to travel. We arrived in Tobago with nowhere to stay, but after a quick telephone call we jumped in a taxi to a guesthouse called ...

... in the cockpit with all of my appendages crossed, hope that everything would be alright. Tom and I discussed what the most NB projects were that need to be done, and about all the free assistance we have been offered by the good friends we have made in Trinidad. As we rounded the last point, marginally missing a tug that hurtled past us, we approached the Chagaramas anchorage that is packed with boats with insurance ...

... off my back, so she wouldn't cast a spell turning me into a toad. It was early morning, so I knocked on David's door to wake him. "Haggatha" watched me do exactly as she'd advised me. Naturally, she became more disgusted at me than ever. She acted as though my stupidity came as a personal insult to her. "Justin, whaddaya DOIN' knocking on David's door at this hour!!! Let him sleep!!!!" If she would've called me what she felt like calling me, she would've added ...