A postcard from Trinidad: By road and by sea

Mar 9 2009 By Howard Nichols

They drive on the left in Trinidad. There are a few freeways but mostly the roads are narrow and the driving is sometimes, shall we say, a little hairy.

Road surfaces aren’t bad but the golden rule is to assume the drivers around you are going to do something daft.

Many cars are quite old but there is no enforced test like the MOT to test a car’s roadworthiness, nor are there any breathalyser tests or mobile phone restrictions yet.

Anyway, both Trinis and visitors relish the chance to leave the car behind – and to take to the boats – to the Bocas.

Trinis love to go ‘down de islands’ (DDI) to the Bocas, rocky islets separated from the mainland and from each other by the Bocas de Dragon (Dragon’s Mouths) – these are a series of channels connecting the Gulf of Paria with the Caribbean Sea.

The islet coastlines are jagged and rocky, the sea hiding currents and undertows that can make the waters choppy. If you’re lucky you may see dolphins or leatherback turtles (which we did). There has been some rain in the past weeks and the dense forestation on the islands is lush green and tropical.

The Bocas are sparsely inhabited these days and without roads: the shoreline properties are only reachable by boat and are mostly owned by well-to-do Trinis. Otherwise few people explore the islands themselves and there are no hotels, guesthouses, restaurants or bars – just the peaceful sound of the sea and birdsong.

Gaspar Grande is the nearest island, with its caves and Blue Grotto, and to the east is Carrera, Trinidad’s Alcatraz, where prisoners still do hard labour. Officially there’s yet to be a successful escape.

At the end of the mainland peninsular is Scotland Bay, with its sheltered waters and soft sand. Yachts moor here and it’s good for snorkelling. Ashore there is some gorgeous rainforest inhabited by exotic creatures like ‘red howler monkeys that can roar like lions’ according to Peter Pereira, our host for the trip.

Nearby islands include Monos, Huevos and, the largest of the Bocas, Chacachacare: over the years this has been a cotton plantation, a whaling station, and a holiday resort – until a leper colony was established, run by Dominican nuns.

The last 30 patients left in 1984 and now only dereliction remains.

DDI is a lovely way to explore the extended islands to the west of T&T, to drop anchor in the bays for a day of eating drinking and swimming, with the coast of Venezuela always clearly visible.

Howard is Senior Partner at Surrey Copywriters of Weybridge, whose team specialise in writing brochures, websites and features for their clients.