It was an exciting time. After months of collaboration and arranging, our first cousins’ reunion had finally happened. Each of us had a parent who was born in Trinidad, as most of us were too. Yet the nine cousins (out of eighteen) and their spouses travelled from Australia, England, Canada, USA, and of course, Trinidad, to get together for the first time in several decades, in Tobago. Most of them stayed at the Crown Point Hotel or Johnston Apartments, which afforded a central location, the best sea views and sunsets, plus a perfect beach. The Blu Restaurant and Bar became our favourite liming spot, and we were treated royally.
We had to have two formal dinners due to some cousins not overlapping their stay. One hosted 14 people and the other, 18. It was quite a logistics challenge but it turned out to be a great success. Lots of fun, laughter, learning each other’s stories, and, thankfully, perfect weather. One of the highlights of the holiday was a pre-booked tour around Tobago. Of course, I have travelled round the island a number of times. But it was good to learn new aspects of the country from a professional tour guide.
We met at the hotel reception at 9am. There were a couple of last minute drop outs, but that made for more room in the small minivan. After our driver made a stop for doubles (he didn’t offer us any), we headed to our first stop, Plymouth, on the west side of the island. I had been meaning to visit here but had not managed it since moving to Tobago nearly three years ago.
We parked next to the cemetery where we visited the mysterious gravestone that read “She was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it except by her kind indulgences to him”. The guide interpreted this to mean that the woman lived as the common-law wife of her slave master and died in childbirth, though she did not realise that she was pregnant. Sad story. The views from the point and the nearby remains of Fort James, were spectacular. We probably lingered there too long, as the driver picked up speed afterwards, and it was a bit scary on that winding mountain road heading north.
At one point we diverted to see where the oldest Silk Cotton Tree used to be before it fell down in a storm in 2020. We also stopped to admire another long-living Silk Cotton Tree growing alongside the narrow road. I hope that one doesn’t fall as it would take the whole road down the cliff it is perched on.
We left the main road to drive up a steep incline to a lookout just before Castara. It was a hazy day, so we could not see Grenada or Barbados as promised by the guide. But I will do this again on a clear day. We spent a long time in Castara village. Unfortunately, we were too early to see the dirt oven in action making bread, as it does every Thursday. Shame as I enjoyed pumpkin bread from that oven during a visit a few years ago. The group wandered about and it took a while to shepherd everyone back into the bus.
We were supposed to stop at Shurland’s Nature Park but the tour operator forgot to tell the driver or the guide. Or Shurland it seems, since she wasn’t there and the young man said there were not many hummingbirds around as they were nesting. So we drove on through the Forest Reserve that covers the centre of the island, at a quickened pace. Perhaps the driver was hungry. Our next stop was for lunch at the renowned Jemma’s Tree House Restaurant in Speyside on the eastern side of the island. Yes, it’s actually built around a huge tree right on the beach.
It was a feast. We sat on a long table upstairs in the treehouse, and generous plates of local foods, were served. Some of the visitors tasted, and loved, breadfruit pie for the first time. The self-claimed foodies in the group were impressed. I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to take photos. We ate our fill and then it was time to head back.
We visited the Argyle Falls Centre, just past Roxborough. It was an easy fifteen minute hike to the falls, with a guide pointing out trees and plants along the way. The river was very low due to the intense dry season, but some of the group were happy to clamber over the rocks to get to the pool for a swim in the chilly water. The falls were actually prettier with more rocks showing through its thin stream. Back at the facility, we made use of its decent rest rooms and the bar that served beastly cold beers.
The guide pointed out her home as we passed it, but I don’t recall much else. I think we were ready to sleep at this point. There was one final stop, to enjoy local ice cream at a shop in Scarborough. It was after 5:30pm when the driver dropped me off, as my place was on the way. A long day but worthwhile. Here are the details for the tour company:
Hans Tours, Tobago
+1 (868) 759-2880
