We haven't sailed for a year and suddenly we seem to be far ahead of ourselves. Although we find ourselves at the moment on Grenada, here is an other update about Tobago from Charlotteville where the chicken walk in the streets and the i-shop is not much more than a mini beach clubhouse.
Trinidad is worldwide the number two location (after Rio de Janeiro) to celebrate Carnival and this is because the Trinidadese and Tobagonians are real partymakers. They even make a swinging party out of a funeral. We were invited on the evening before the burial of a 32-year old woman. Cheerful clothing and exuberant music, dance and singing. People carried bunches of papers with songtexts but this seemed to be hardly necessary as the texts were more or less the same in every song : Jesus, Saviour, etc. Also the music was in every song a variation on a theme, but this allowed the less talented musicians to take part; the more the merrier.
Film Funeral Party (3.41 Mb)

To add to the festivities, the annual Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament started at the same time. About thirty of those big fishing yachts, type: the number of flours adds to the status (the top is 4), equipped with a choice of fishing poles and fighting chairs, gathered in Man O’War Bay. The prize for the biggest catch: a Suzuki Jimny Jeep.
The brochure stated that anglers protect marine environment through their sport. We wonder how they manage this while they burn up tons of diesel oil and kill fish (however they claim proudly that they release the small ones). But the big boys that are hauled in and are on display, become property of the tournament committee, and we ask ourselves: what happens to the fish afterwards? Fill all cold stores on the island and sell them eventually so local fishermen are robbed from their trading? It is a terrible delouse, such a huge animal of 569 lbs hanging to a rope. It would have been better if he had not taken a bite in the bait. And so much better if they hadn't started such a hunt for sea wildlife as it looks terribly sad. Elephant hunting is also forbidden, or is it not?

 

With two colleague sailors we rented a car for one day and drove around the island. The northcoast is less accessible than the southcoast where the bus to Scarborough rides, so it was a lot of zig-zagging along beautiful bays with pretty fishing villages. By the way the croton seems to be favourite garden shrubs on Tobago.
The northeast side of Tobago, where we are, is a glaring contrast compared with the southwest. Here guesthouses made room for resorts and the real party is going on with crowded beaches and bunches of tourists who look like they left the bbq a minute ago; roasted, that is. Here is not much left of the unspoilt beauty of the eiland, although the sea is still turquoise because of the white (coral)sand. But we made a nice walk along the beach from Pigeon Point to the pier of Bucco Reef and without seeing a soul. Tourists apparently don't move from their beach beds. And we experienced the ultimate Tobago culinary must that no one – according to The Rough Guide To The Caribbean - should miss: Miss Esmie's crab & dumplings in curry sauce.

And finally our silverweddingbeachparty! Icy-cold Carib-bibeers for all beach bums, rum and pinapple juice, tuna on the bbq, a delicious salad and lots of “liming” to do. And Hollis (“Rasta”) made the happy lovebirds a cute birds nest out of a coconut.