Sundeck Suites Port of Spain

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 ...

... could no longer paddle myself since I had an armful of everyone else's paddles and water bottles and sundries that I'd saved from floating off to Venezuela. Suddenly, like another episode of Baywatch, a sleek and stylish speedboat came cruising toward us out of nowhere. It was Baptiste and his army, swooping in to save the un-athletic and water-logged! Baptiste and his crew expertly plucked the kayaks out of the water and lifted them into the boat. Ronald, Peter ...

... been denied entry to the beach due to the late hour, the fact that we all had been subjected to a white squall-like storm an hour earlier, and because they did not have the proper permits. Suzan Lakhan, an imposingly tall and substantial Trini woman, went toe-to-toe with the drunk houligans and ordered them to leave. But they wouldn't leave, and instead they began posturing, beer bottles swinging against the black sky, looking us all in the eyes...one by one...And they ...

... kayaking due to the whole caiman/anaconda scenario at the last river we visited. But I figured that I'd be fine in the safety of my plastic kayak.

Our guide for the day was a fantastic young Trini guy named Ronald who was also part of the Nature Seekers staff. Askim, Peter, Lee and I, along with our kayak guide Dave, who seemed to be transitioning from dredlocks to traditional hair and was tatted with wings spreading across his shoulder blades ...

... Point were ****). The best experience was the cheerful and hilarious women on the bus to Charlotteville, and my wonderful hostess and her friends in Charlotteville, and the lady with whom I shared a taxi back to Crown Point. Rhetorical Questions/Comments for the Trinidadians: * Can you please de-bone your roties! :) * If it's a pink house, why do you call it "The Red House"? (Ha Ha) Photos Attached: Steve in Charlotteville, Tobago. Next Stop: Asia (Oops, I am already there!)

... z'Rio eifach halt chli chliiner. Grossi Parties stiiged, d'Luet sind am trainiere fuer die 2 taeg wos vom morge frueh bis z'abig spaat dur d'strasse tanzed i ihrne bikinis und am radio lauft de ganz Tag s'gliiche. Mini Tante haet ihri eige Carnival-Tanzband gruendet und mit dere werded au mir am tanze sii. Im moment isch sie wie e wildi am Kostuem naehie. Da mir ja zwei wuche da sind, abr underbroche dur e Reis uf Tobago, d'Nachbarinsle, wirdi d'Foetli vo Trinidad laufend ergaenze.

... undersoegt af hunde og derefter gennemrodet engang til. Alle ting ud af rygsaekken. Jeg har aldrig vaeret gennem saa meget kontrold for at komme ind i et land. Men nu jeg ikke i Venezuela mere. Det er vildt maerkligt, Stemningen er en hel anden her paa Trinidad. Bob Marley stil hele vejen igennem. Stort set alle har enten fletninger eller dreadlocks. Og der er regae ...

... as possible, with no balls or backbone, like a bowl of jelly in the wind. The news restricts itself almost totally to national news, and they say something entertaining about once every millenium. HONORABLE MENTIONS includes "PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A DISASTER!" And now, time to cheer up with The Top 5 Best Things About Trinidad! 1. THE VENEZUELANS - A lot of Venezuelans come to Trinidad to learn english and learn almost nothing. Ha, ha, those jerks! But, they ...

... shoe in a car or dorm room. And if you have, "Johnny," spare no expense (of yours) in getting it to me. Send it to me, "Johnny!" Send it like the wind! "You can insult a man, but you can't insult his sam'wich!" That's how I feel, except about my clothes. Yeah. So, the weekend had come. And I was beginning to consider using my land-lady's sharp knives for something other than making peanut butter sandwiches. I had to get out of the house. To be continued. Modern Oddyseus.