Virgin Holidays & Cricket World Cup 2007

by Adrienne Wilson on

Hopeful fans of Trinidad & Tobago’s Soca Warriors raced over to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup games and returned without a cup, but with more determination than ever for the next installment in 2010. In the meantime they get to lounge lazily on their sister islands whiling and liming away the day until the next big thing, which for Trinidad is never too long of a wait.

Sports fans can continue to cheer and root for their favorite country team during the 2007 Cricket World Cup games being held for the first time ever all over the Caribbean. Trinidad & Tobago is only one set of islands playing host and Virgin Holidays is offering packages to get you there. The matches are being held in March and April of 2007 and packages are going fast. See Virgin Holidays for more details on getting you to unspoiled West Indian beaches, then visit their partner Cavendish Hospitality to find match tickets. Other islands hosting the games include Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. St. Vincent and Guyana will also host games, but it doesn’t look as if Virgin Holidays will be offering packages to vaca in these two tropical countries.

Let the games begin, again!

Word for the Travel Wise (06/09/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Alas, the World Cup games have arrived and it was a sad day for both Polish fans and Costa Rica’s Ticos that stormed over to Munich to support their teams. I was fortunate enough to stay inside and watch a good portion of each game, but the one I’m really hoping to see is Trinidad & Tobago vs. Sweden tomorrow. With Trinidad & Tobago being one of the smallest nations in history to qualify for the World Cup and one of my favorite countries to vacation you can already guess who I’ll be rooting for – Go Soca Warriors!

Today’s word is a slang word used in Trinidad & Tobago:

rampalooge – rampage

I tried searching for a good word you might hear during game times like these and this one seemed to fit. I can’t recall having heard the word on my three week Carnival jaunt through the country, but I’m certainly hoping TnT and those traveling over to Germany for the games don’t go on some type of win-or-lose rampage. Then again, it’s the World Cup which only happens every four years. Max it up!

Definition of today’s word and past Trini slang is compliments of the online Trini dictionary.

Past Trini slang words: bawlin’, bacchanal, lime

Nesting of the Giant Leatherback Turtles, Grand Riviere, Trinidad

by Karen Walrond on

This weekend, my husband, daughter and I took a road trip to the north coast of Trinidad for the nesting of the giant leatherback turtles in the village of Grand Riviere.  From about May through August, thousands of giant leatherbacks return to the beach on Grand Riviere to lay their eggs — currently, between 300 to 500 come ashore each night, each of them laying between 80 to 100 eggs in each nest.
It’s an amazing experience to watch these giant reptiles lumber ashore to find the perfect spot for their nests.  It is illegal to go on the beach at night without the company of a certified guide and payment of a license fee — however, the nominal fee is well worth the excursion.  Guides take groups of people out onto the beach with the help of a red light (regular flashlights disorient the turtles), and each guide is trained and knowledgeable about anything you’d ever want to learn about the turtles — the fact that it is believed that the turtles return to the beach on which they were hatched; that they generally love the waters of the arctic and northern oceans, and actually travel thousands of miles to the Caribbean and South America to lay their eggs, so that the warm sands provide the proper temperature for incubation; and that while they seem clumsy on land, they are incredibly fast in the ocean, able to outswim sharks, and dive deeper than whales.

Because flashbulbs are prohibited at night, it can be very difficult to photograph the turtles after sundown; however, in the morning at dawn, the most intrepid of turtlewatchers can return to the beach to catch the last glimpse of the last of the turtles finishing their nests and returning to sea.  The photos you see here were taken yesterday morning at dawn.

Enjoy.


Vulture, waiting to scavenge for turtle eggs, or worse, new hatchlings.


Giant leatherback patting down her nest, before returning to sea.


On her way home.

Jemma's Treehouse — Tobago, West Indies

by Karen Walrond on

If you ever make it to the island of Tobago in the Caribbean (and really, at some point, you really ought to
make it to the island of Tobago in the Caribbean), remember the following words:  Jemma’s
Treehouse.  This quaint restaurant sits on the northernmost part of the island in the little town of
Speyside.  It’s charm is derived by the fact that it’s actually nestled in the branches of trees — take the
convenient staircase up, and your automatically in a simple West Indian restaurant, featuring the best of local fare,
and affording you an amazing view of the Caribbean sea. 

Most of the islands luxurious resorts are on
the south side of the island, so to get to Jemma’s, it behooves you to rent a car.  However, you won’t regret it
— the 1-1/2 hour drive to Speyside will afford you some of the most beautiful scenery in the West Indies. 
Definitely worth the trip.

Trinidad & Tobago Ferry

by Karen Walrond on

This weekend, my husband, daughter and I took my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law to Trinidad’s sister island,
Tobago.  Normally, we would’ve taken the 15-minute plane trip over, but this time, we decided to take the
ferry.

About a year ago, Trinidad & Tobago purchased two catamaran ferries to make the trip between the
two islands.  Previously, the ferry journey would dtake 5 — 6 hours; now?  A relatively speedy 2-1/2
hours.  And the ferries are actually quite comfortable — they have full-service snack bars (as well as bars of
the more alcoholic sort), spacious seating, and a light, airy atmosphere.

The trip between the islands costs
less than US$10 (compared to the US$50 airfare).  Definitely worth the ticket price.  A word of warning,
however:  if you’re prone to seasickness, better to go ahead and spring for the airfare, or a dose of Dramamine —
the passage between the islands can sometimes get a bit choppy.  But if you can handle it?  It’s a beautiful
way to see the islands from a  diffferent perspective.