Bleby Orford Blog: Speyside, Tobago

Before Julia left us we received another visitor - Jenny. Hannah and I worked at the World Expo in Hanover in 2000 with Jenny. We'd seen each other a couple of times since because she was studying at the University of Mannheim at the same time I was doing my Masters there; however, we hadn't this many solid days together since that time in Hanover. As Julia was flying out of Tobago, we decided to head to Tobago for a few days all together.

We stayed at an great hotel on Batteaux Bay, which is right by the town of Speyside. The hotel is right on Batteaux Bay, has a stunning beach and its own jetty. Just offshore from this point are two smaller islands - Goat Island (purported to have been owned by James Bond author Ian Fleming) and the much larger Little Tobago, which is now a bird sanctuary.

We caught the ferry across from Trinidad to Tobago, so we had the luxury (well sort of a luxury - there were four adults and two kids in the car) of driving to Speyside from the ferry terminal in Scarborough and then hitting a few other parts of the island over the course of the time we were there.

While we were in Speyside we enjoyed the beach at our doorstep and took a boat ride across to Little Tobago where we had a tour of the bird sanctuary and saw the magnificent Frigate birds at work catching their prey by robbing other seabirds of their catch.

On our final day, we had to take Julia to the airport in Crown Point, so we stopped by nearby Pigeon Point, which is probably the most photographed beach in Trinidad & Tobago. It is what most people probably imagine the entire Caribbean to be like - palm-fringed, white sand beaches with calm aquamarine waters which harbour a shallow reef. The iconic thatched-roof jetty makes the point even more picturesque. After dropping Julia at the airport, the rest of us pushed onto the ferry terminal and returned to Trinidad.

The ferry with down town Port of Spain in the background.

In Tobago, sunroof open, off to Speyside.

Overlooking the town of Speyside (Goat and Little Tobago Islands in the distance).

Stocking up on some local fruits.

Andy the self-proclaimed Fruit King.

Bounce meh now boy.

Brothers sharing locally made ice-cream.

Batteaux Bay.

Lunch in Speyside.

Strolling down the main street in Speyside with Samuel and Julia.

Our accommodation right on Batteaux Bay.

Jesse boy having an early morning stretch on our doorstep.

Our front yard.

Such an inviting palm tree that it just has to be climbed once or perhaps, twice or thrice.

Family footprints.

Weeee

This shot of Jesse on the beach reminds me so much of this shot of Samuel on the beach on Cerf Island, Seychelles. Amazing.

Julia ensconced in a book. Could be worse places to read.

Jumping Jenny.

Learning to jump like Jenny.

Eyes only for the beach.

An evening swim.

Jenny and Julia ready for the boat ride to Little Tobago.

En route to Little Tobago.

Nice seats.

Ze Germans doing it tough.

Arrival on Little Tobago.

A Frigate bird nesting.

The Frigate chick.

Some Frigates in flight.

Little Tobago was a cotton plantation in the later half of the 18th century and plenty of cotton is still growing wild on the island.

Exploring Little Tobago.

Watching a trapdoor spider running in and out of his or her house.

Looking back to Batteaux Bay and Speyside from Little Tobago.

Jesse boy conked out on the walk around Little Tobago.

On the way back from Little Tobago we stopped by Angel Reef, just in front of the villa on Goat Island, for a snorkel.

Jenny overboard.

Jesse continuing his nap on the boat while the rest of us snorkelled. De ja vu again!! Here's Hannah nursing Samuel while he slept through a snorkelling trip in Seychelles.

Watching some crabs on the jetty.

Jesse prints.

One of the positives to be found in having a little chap that wakes up early is that you sometimes get to see the sunrise with him. On this trip we were in just the right spot to do that.