New York

We left Trinidad Monday at noon and flew to New York. JFK Airport was a monster as usual, abusive, stressful and we happened to land behind a megajet from El Al with thousands of israelis in front of us in the queue. It took us 2 hrs to pass customs, of course we had gotten the wrong forms. And myself, in a lapse of mind, wrote that I had visited both Venezuela and Cuba, instead of Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago.

The customs police took an immediate an keen interest. I had to correct my error.
- Why did you go to Venezuela then?
- Er, the sun...
- What?
- Carribean sun.
- I cant hear you.
- Sun! SUN! You know the yellow thing above. Warm.

Anyway, after all the checkpoints (shoes off), when we came to the gate, Lily fell asleep and slept for an hour and a half. And after being carried on the plane, she continued sleeping for another 7,5 hours and woke up when we approached Frankfurt.

A final, vibrant day in Trinidad

It´s pre-carnival time in Port of Spain. Which means the carnival has already started. Prominent steel pan bands compete for the publics attention around Queens Park Savannah (the field and former plantation that is also recorded in Guinness Book of Records as the worlds biggest roundabout). After returning from low key Tobago today we walked around listening to the massive and almost hypnotic sounds of the bands that swayed the warm evening air with walls of sound. As dusk approached we walked back to our final hotel night in the Carribbean with the music fading towards the skies above the Savannah.

It was a fine, soft day. But a day in which we, more than ever, were burdoned of the news and knowledge about the terrible situation in Kenya, the land of Emilys family. Our thoughts are with you.

And now for some angry moments...

Just click on the play button and watch,

Leaving the lush nature

Tobago is the island you want to go to if you think you want to go to Jamaica. Almost no violence or crime, very friendly people (who don' t constantly try to trick tourists for money), plus reggae music coming from every other village corner and car stereo. Young people actually only listen to soca and calypso around carnival time, and the thumping car stereos are even during that time dominated by reggae. But very much of Tobagos soul is about serene and inspiring nature, that has something very magical about it. However, we have now left nature and moved to the Crown Point area, where we have heard quite a lot of Swedish on the walkways. Here are some snaps that might convey some of the atmosphere of the islands more rural parts.

Taking care of a stranger

While I went in to an Internet cafe the other day, Emily sat down with the children on a raised pavement outside. After a couple a minutes a Tobagonian man came out and offered her ten dollars, since he thought she was alone with the children. People are considerate here. Period.

Holidays - at last!

The view from our room at the Tropikist.

On Thursday we will commence our three days of holidays by moving to the Tropikist hotel in the touristy but friendly area of Crown Point. I know this may make some of you laugh your nostrils off - I mean, after all, haven't we been on a holiday for half a year now, constantly lounging in various spots around the world? Well actually, daily life has been rather, er...normal mostly. We live on a budget. We have no car, making it necessary to walk down to the local shop in the tropical sun every day. We cook for a family, clean the house and wash clothes. Tobago may be considered a paradise island, but paradise is a lifestyle, not a location. So now we will stop washing clothes, cooking, cleaning and walking in the sun for half a week and really lime, as they say here in T&T.

Swimming with sharks

We went out with a boat to the reefs outside Tobago the other day. The life under water and the spectre of colours on the fish is truly amazing. While I was out swimming I was fortunate to be shown a real shark by the tour guide. A more than a meter long, so called sun shark was sleeping at the reef bottom two meters underneath the surface. Was he dangerous? I have no idea, google it yourself.
Coming weekend we look forward to several events. On Saturday night there is a brass music event in Plymouth, and on Sunday the village house a harvest festival, when all homes are supposed to be open to visitors. We have immersed in the village life a lot better here than in Pampatar, which of course is great.

Beaches, birds and long breakfasts

People in Tobago are both considerate and social, and we have made some new friends amongst our neighbours: Dexter (who has built his own house in front of ours) and his wife Emris and their children. We have also spent a nice evening with our neighbour Michael. When we walk the street of Bethesda, most people greet us. However, our many months of travel has also begun to make us long for old friends, relatives - the social fabric of everyday life. It was good news when I just recieved the note that both Lily and Alice have been accepted to the Serafen daycare center in Stockholm from the end of February. She needs that. We will stay for another two weeks in Bethesda, and after that spend three days in hotel Tropikist at Crown Point, Tobago, overlooking the sea, and with a huge serpentine formed pool on the premises. We want to end this year in style, with the infinite sea view that we loved so much in Pampatar. Then, on the 27th, we will return by ferry to Trinidad and stay over night in Alicias Guest house, with a last dip in the jacuzzi and a last visit to our favourite restaurant and waiter, Christopher at The Normandie, before taking the airplane back to Sweden the 28th via New York and Frankfurt. But for another fortnight we will continue our long breakfasts on the porch here in Tobago, where hummingbirds occationally pay a visit, the beach life (yes, the girls still love it) and small excursions around the island.

New Year in Tobago

So we are here. The final carribbean destination for our family: Tobago, a classical tropical paradise island. Charming people, laid back atmosphere, secluded beaches and wuthering heights, low crime rate and with calypso, soca and jamaican reggae streaming from every other house. We have rented a house in Bethesda, Plymouth, ten minutes walk from the bird watchers luxury resort and beach of Arnos Vale. We live on the first floor of a separate house, in a garden covered with tropical fruits and banana plants.
On clear days it is possible to see to the next island Grenada when you wander the lush hills of the north coast. Our village is inhabitated by average Tobagonians, with some houses on the hills strikingly wealthy, others small, run down and simple. The area around Plymouth used to be a Latvian (Courland) colony in the 17th century and a horrible concrete memorial statue in late Soviet style have been erected overviewing the beatiful Courland Bay. The whole island breathes of history, lot least the painful and degrading memories of slavery. Plantations have been transformed into golf courses and parks, but the beautiful surrounding also convey notes of past numerous years of deplorable sorrows.
New mobile phone if you want to call: 001868 766 05 16.