FISH

 I don’t have much luck fishing this year. Yesterday the sea took pity on me, a large flying fish landed on our deck during the night, trying to escape a larger fish. It was laying there, shiny, with long fins spread out. It’s eye sockets empty. The birds awake early, they get the first and for them, the best pick. They took fish’s eyes. It didn’t matter, it couldn’t see anyway, it was dead. Nature.

THE TOUR OF TOBAGO

This is a sleepy island. On the NW side beautiful bays are lined one after the other, waiting to be discovered by sailors. Sandy beaches are edged by coral reefs, the waves from the surf are playing with sand. The only living creatures on most beaches are birds, feeding themselves on small crabs washed ashore. Driving NE the road starts climbing into the rain forest area, magnificent trees are shading the land, jungle is coloured with orange blooming Indian Coral trees. Five waterfalls are adding  to the beauty of the rain forest.
Besides Scarborough on SE, Charlotteville on the NW side of the island is the only port.
Even though the east side is exposed to the wind and waves, most population of 47000 lives there. As far as building on the island, anything goes, modern structures rise among small shacks. In the Scarborough suburb the Art Centre and a new hospital are being built now.

Castara Bay

The bread baking oven, still being used

Bromelias invading the tree

Dome tree 

Anolis -  male

Anolis - female

Moravian church of protestant denomination, established
1580 by Jan Hus

Pink cassia

Indian coral tree

Charlotteville Bay 

Coco processing plant

Bamboo 

Argyle waterfalls

Coco plantation

Coco beans

Yes, Tobago has alligators also

Kepor, 450 years old tree

Tobago beauty

THE HOOK

We don't include hospitals in our sight seeing. Not intentionally. But Polde did manage to see the inside of the emergency room in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia.
It was my turn on Tobago. Casting a fishing line, the hook snapped into the palm of my hand. It happened before, only this time Polde couldn't take it out. It was evening before we reached the hospital. The doctor on call for the night made a few cuts into my hand, but couldn't fish (!) the hook out, it had sunk. The nurse bandaged the wound and I was advised to come back in the morning.
I spent the night laying awake in a small clean guest house around the corner from the hospital. (I never new that roosters sing all night).
In the morning the surgeon took the hook out of my palm.
The surgeon was charming, I am considering going back to the hospital. (Without the hook)
Relieved, I am watching the sunset from our boat again. I won't be fishing for sometime. (A day or two)

Note: On Tobago all medical services and medications are free of charge, for foreigners also.

CANAAN

We are shopping for food in Canaan, a town stretched around the main road to Scarborough. Not much different from other small towns in the Caribbean, with many small convenient stores, fruit and vegetable stands, bars, cheap lunch places. But if you look closely, you will find details, that are unique for each town.

Bamboo structure

One of the better neighbourhoods

  Request a photo, when you are choosing a resort for your
 vacation

STORE BAY AND THE SURROUNDINGS

Next morning, January 28th, we sailed west to Store Bay. It is the main Tobago anchorage and yet we joined only a few boats there. Anchoring is tricky, the bay is full of protected corals, with patches of sand in between, where you can drop the anchor.
The beach is a mile long, on the south side interrupted by the picturesque Coco Resort, then stretches to the north to the Pigeon Point and around it. Right there, at the Pigeon point, is the Buccoo Reef. It is the most beautiful sea sight we have ever seen. The water is in many shades of colour, pale turquoise to dark blue, waves splashing over long stretches of coral reefs.
Buccoo Reef is a heaven for the kite and wind surfers, beginners staying close to the beach, dare devils navigating through coral reefs, turning, jumping, making a show for us.
Buccoo Reef is a public area with a large well maintained park. Neat gazebos with roofs made of palm leaves and benches under large almond trees are perfect for family lunches. On weekends the place fills up with locals, during the week it is quiet there with some two dozen vacationers burning on the lounge chairs.

Coco Resort

The view of Coco Resort from Store Bay anchorage

Let's hope they all know how to swim

Pelicans and guls waiting for the night catch

Fishing village

Buccoo Reef

Pigeon Point park

Quiet during the week

Pigeon Point Park

TOBAGO, THE FIRST IMPRESSION

Sailing through the night under the bright stars, the persistent wind of 25 knots brought us to the SW tip of Tobago before the dawn. Not wanting to sail into the commercial Scarborough harbour in  the dark, we reduced the sails and slowly glided to the small anchorage, that serves for temporary stay, while reporting to the Immigration  and Customs. The harbour is like most, busy with ferries and other commercial boats. By the time we were done with the official business, it was to late to sail to more pleasant anchorage 15 NM away. We stayed the night enjoying the sight of well lit ships coming and going, and rocking on the waves they were making.

Scarborough harbour 

The anchorage

The main street

Tobago flag