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Home / 2010's / 20160228 Tobago 119
Our holiday (well, Honeymoon, much delayed) and my 60th birthday in Tobago.
We had a wonderful, but much too short a time, here and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Would we return? Yes with the caveat that there are so many other islands we have yet to visit.
I took far too many photographs of hummingbirds but I don't care - they are so stunning to see.
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Pina Colada
Pina Colada No. 1,265 (not that anyone is counting.) -
Dawn view from room
Dawn on our first full day. The view from our apartment-room. This photo really doesn't convey the lovely colours and the sound of the waves breaking on the beach. -
Black Rock beach
The hotel pool, with it's swim-up bar is great, but a beach is a beach. This one is a couple minutes stroll away and has a beach bar and grill we can freely use thanks to our holiday plan. We got into the habit of lunching here. -
Transport to Buccoo Reef
It might not look it, but it was a very bumpy ride out to the reef. Snorkelling when we got there wasn't that easy in the swell. -
Programmer at rest
Not a computer in sight - bliss! -
Grand Courlan Spa
Lovely facilities, and yet so few guests staying here. Great for us, we thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet, but it felt unfair on the staff and the hotel to be so quiet. Hopefully, it's still early int eh season and will pick up later in the year. -
Crab'n'Dumplin
Traditional Tobagonian(!) food. Not much meat oin hese land crabs and, with only a plastic fork, hard to get at. So a bit of a messy, but very enjoyable time was had doing our best. That there curry/coconut sauce was what it was all about really. This is at Store Bay. -
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
National bird of Tobago. Bit like a pheasant - it's a protected species... and good eating apparently. -
Rough Sea
Our first few days here, and the sea was quite rough. Didn't think teh Caribbean did that (excluding hurricanes) - I really ought to straighten this picture up. -
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Jan spotted this. Not at all shy, but wouldn't come any closer. -
Frigate bird
Robbers of the sea. Shouldn't really criticise them, they don't have oily plumage, so cannot dive into the sea. Instead they bully and harass other seabirds into disgorging their catch in-flight. -
Frigate bird
Wish the friggin' Frigate bird would friggin' well come friggin' closer so I can frggin' well photograph the friggin' thing. -
Fort Bennet
A stroll up to the nearest emplacement was a very pleasant outing. But walking back just a few minutes later was much hotter experience - that sun doesn't 'alf get hot quickly. And yes, that is my Tilley hat Jan is wearing. She doesn't anywhere near as hard as me when I'm wearing it. -
Flycatcher
Relatively drab compared to the bee-eaters of Africa. But pretty enough and very song-ful. No idea what the actual name is. Prob'ly Very-last-one-on-the-planet flycatcher I expect. -
![Dove](_data/i/galleries/2010s/20160228_Tobago/496_flickr-25527078545_2500x1660-me.jpg "Dove (27 visits) Oh look, an "ordinary" bird.")
Dove
Oh look, an "ordinary" bird. -
Cocrico
It's officially a Rufous-vented Chachalaca but everyone calls it a Cocrico. The national bird of Tobago. -
Cocrico
This photo seems to have shrunk the bird a bit. In reality, it's like a small-ish pheasant. -
Blue-crowned Motmot
Definitely the King of the Woods and a fantastically colourful and pretty bird. Always on the lookout for mischief and thievery, it was very happy to pose for me. Lovely shot. -
White-tailed Sabrewing
Bit hard to see, but this is in the rain forest. It was believed extinct for some time. This male definitely isn't! -
Rainforest
Yep, wet and dank and really lovely to walk thru' -
Rainforest canopy
After a not-very strenuous uphill hike, we caught a view of the canopy. Best way to see parrots apparently, as they fly above, not in, the forest. -
Nesting White-tailed Sabrewing
Best shot I could get of a White-tailed Sabrewing sitting on her nest. -
Heliconia
I always thought these things dangled down, but no, they grow upright. I really must read Brian Aldiss' Heliconia Spring sometime. -
Collared Trogon
A real beauty and, typically, as uncooperative as all teh other birdlife when it comes to photography. I chased this one in my bare feet to get this shot. I'm well 'ard. -
Collared Trogon
It was really difficult to focus in the rainforest. Even the camera had a hard time of it when I left it on auto. Still, good enough shot to show off the beauty of this Trogon, I think. -
Cascade
The orange discolouration is caused by iron oxides leaching out of the rock. Here be crabs! Not that I have the patience to catch them. And anyway, this is a national Reserve, hunting is not allowed. -
Argyle Waterfall
After hiking in the rainforest, this was a lovely place to come for a swim and wash off the sweat and grime. Beautiful location. -
Argyle Waterfall
The pools are quite deep in places and are on several levels. We were quite happy to splash about in the lower one, amongst lots of freshwater fish. -
King of the Woods
Bit of a thug, albeit a beautiful one. Likes to raid hummingbird nests for eggs and youngsters. I guess the Motmot is a bit like our Magpie. -
Gecko
Almost as fast as a hummingbird, but this one settled just long enough for me to snap a portrait. I'm not really sure it is a gecko, as the feet are wrong. It was always rather greener than this undoctored photo shows. -
Where's the French?
Forts all over the island. It has a bit of a chequered history, does Tobago - everyone has wanted to own it at one time or another. -
Charlotteville
A lovely little place, popular with the sailing set. Well worth the effort to visit. We had a lovely meal here at Steph & Phoebe's restaurant. A very quirky little place, but friendly and great food. -
Tropicbird on nest
Red-bill Tropicbird on his/her nest. They both take turns and look exactly the same, so who knows how they manage to get together? But they do. -
Tobago
Tobago viewed from Little Tobago. The island between is Goat Island, once owned by Ian Fleming. -
Tobago from Little Tobago
The little boat did it's best to kill me. Not too safe, that landing pier, especially when combined with an idiot crewman. Still, the trip was well worth the scrapes and bruises. -
Scarborough view
NE view from Scarborough. -
Red-billed Tropicbird
Another bird that won't sit still long enough to be photographed. This was thge best I could do. -
Mt Irvine view, SW
Tobago is one bay after another. When the sea gets going, Mt. Irvine is good for surfing. -
Mortar
Fort George at Scarborough is partly used as a hospital, but also has a small museum and more guns. But no powder, ball or targets, unfortunately. -
Little Tobago walk
Unlike the rainforest, walking on Little Tobago was a hot affair, requiring lots of water. Well worth the effort however. -
Guns
Fort George guns. Unfortunately, not allowed to play with them and make loud noises, not even in the general direction of the French! -
Fort King George
Stopped here en route to Little Tobago. Can't imagine the life of the red-coats here, with no air-con, no cold beer or lightweight clothing. -
Fire and be damned
Still at Fort King George. Jan declaring her right to bear arms. -
Barracks
Fort St. George Barracks. The bricks came out as ballast from teh UK, with sugar making the return journey. I guess, after the days of slaving when it would've been a triangular trade route :-( -
Sunday School
Not as much fun as some of the jump-ups we've been to on other islands. But it's toward the end of the day on my birthday and I am starting to flag a bit. -
Still Liming
Other islands have Jump-ups, Tobago has Limes. -
Pimped-up bed
The hotel staff were all press-ganged by Jan to prepare for my birthday. Which they did with great enthusiasm. Even the housekeeping lot joined in - this is what I found when we came back from breakfast. Palm leaves and Bougainvillea. Lovely, friendly staff ina lovely friendly location. The perfect holiday. -
Lobster Thermidor
Serious food for a serious occasion. Al fresco with the sound of the waves as an accompaniment. -
Last birthday photo.
Not the least bit sober. I need to go to bed now. -
Jan, Seahorse restaurant
Early evening happy hour. When the sun goes down (6.15pm sharp) we eat. Thanks for organising all this Jan - except for the cake, the balloons, the banner, them hotel staff all singing "Happy Birthday", the decorated bed and all the other embarrassments - but what a great day it's been, thanks again.