Trinidad and Tobago

June 14, 2015

 

Kathy & Kayla

Trinidad and Tobago

A few years back, Kathy was working for our friends Larry and Mark’s company, Caligo Ventures which organized birding and wildlife ventures to exotic locales such as Trinidad and Tobago. She was able to travel there while she was employed there and had a wonderful trip and has wanted to make a return trip, bringing me along ever since. Though Larry and Mark sold the company and Kathy’s job was eliminated, she has remained in touch with the new owners and has retained her desire to return to the islands once again.

Porcupine

 

This summer, she was able to organize a trip for us, returning to spend five nights in Trinidad and four in Tobago, bringing me along to experience the tropical wonder and beauty of the islands. While I knew that Trinidad and Tobago was in the Caribbean, I really was not all that aware of exactly where it is located. In actuality it is part of South America as it is in the very southernmost part of the Caribbean, south of Grenada and just off the Northern coast of Venezuela. 

Kayla & Tristian

Agouti

For this reason it is one of the most biodiverse nations in the area and has a plethora of flora and fauna that draws in visitors interested in the wide variety of wildlife, specifically birds. While we are not birders per se, we do enjoy being out in the beauty of nature and the first part of our stay in Trinidad was at the beautiful and famous Asa Wright Nature Center.

Walking Stick

Hummingbird Nest with Eggs 

Asa Wright is the oldest and also one of the best nature center of its type in the West Indies. Nestled among 270 acres of beautiful rainforest in the Arima valley the nature center and lodge is famous for the research conducted there, the large number of species of birds and animals found there and the sheer beauty of the property.

 

Kathy and I were greeted at the airport in Trinidad by one of their excellent guides and driven up incredible, twisty roads that led up to the property. It was green and lush everywhere and just a beautiful experience. We checked in to the delightfully comfortable little bungalow then headed to the beautiful veranda of the old house to check out the beautiful view and amazing amount of birds and wildlife that are readily visible as you look out over the Arima Valley.

Tarantula 

I could see immediately what Kathy found so entrancing about the place, it was just exquisite and amazing to be surrounded by such a beautiful display of nature. The first couple of days, we had the place pretty much to ourselves, there was a birding group staying there, but they seemed constantly gone on various field trips. We did make friends with a wonderful Trini couple who were staying at the lodge where they actually got engaged while there, that was pretty cool to see.

Tristan, Kathy and Kayla

 

Porcupine

We spent a lot of time initially just relaxing on the veranda sipping rum punch, taking the occasional stroll on the trails leading in to the forest where all sorts of birds and other creatures could be easily witnessed. There were an incredible abundance of cool insects, spiders (including some cool tarantulas), small mammals such as the Agouti, which were a common sight and various reptiles and amphibians.

 

http://caligo.com/