Country #128: Of Scarlet Ibises and Saheenas

What do you do after you have just spent 4 ideal days in the lovely island of Tobago? You get back on the ferry and go explore it's big sister, Trinidad. I'll be honest, as I mentioned in my last post, the country of TT suffers from a tragically high crime rate, the 6th worst in the world. Due to a number of socioeconomic reasons, the majority of those statistics come from Trinidad. As such, I was a little wary about visiting solo but a 7am flight from Port of Spain meant I had no choice but to spend the night.

To hedge my bets, I had forgone my usual hostel route and used points to book a room at the Courtyard Marriott, knowing that the security would be top notch. The hotel was indeed lovely, well located (right next to Movietowne, a gated restaurant and entertainment complex) and very welcoming but it was also one of the few mistakes I made on this trip. St Debra, the kind-hearted Trini woman I had met on the ferry to Tobago, mentioned that she had an Airbnb. Staying with her and her family would have been ideal but sadly, I was unable to cancel the room.

Now committed to the hotel stay, my initial plan was to book a sunset tour to the Caroni bird sanctuary in order to see the famous Scarlet Ibis. After reaching out to St Debra to let her know I had arrived safely, this plan was quickly upended. Instead of a $60 tour, her family would be picking me up and taking me to the National Park. Once there, we would be joining Nanan's Eco-Tours, where the price drops drastically to $8 for locals or $15 for visitors. (Note: don't waste money on the bus tours. Even without a Debra, anyone can just get a Dropride to the park and join this tour.) Her husband suggested I pretend to be a local for the extra savings but here's the thing. Trinis come in all shades and sizes so physically, I could have probably pulled it off but there is a certain creole dialect that they use amongst each other that was fully incomprehensible to me. It is, in theory, based on English but if there was a recognizable word in any given conversation I certainly wasn't catching it. Had I tried, I would have been busted jus' so. 

The boat trip itself was pretty idyllic, cruising along mangroves with nothing but nature sounds all around us. 

The guides had that eagle eye thing common to naturalists worldwide. One moment you are peacefully cruising down the river, the next they are frantically pointing at nothing. If you are lucky, with the benefit of binoculars, a laser pointer and directions from every local on the boat who has already spotted the target, you too, will see a Cook's tree boa. 

Not gonna lie, even as I was taking pictures of this silky anteater , I had no clue what I was looking at. I basically just focused my lens towards the laser pointer. It wasn't until I downloaded my photos that I learned that I was looking at the world's smallest species of anteater. 

Thankfully, the next sighting was a bit easier to find with the naked eye. There were flamingos, lots and lots of them. They were wading. They were flying. They were everywhere. 

                                   

 

Pretty as they were, the group was eager for the stars of the show. The scarlet ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago and is featured on the nation's coat of arms. Every day, hundreds of people gather in the Caroni swamp to see them return to roost at sunset and it is easy to see why.

Watching these brightly colored flashes of red streak across a hazy blue sky was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It was like watching the best ever fireworks display only way better. 

Normally, they would all land in the bushes immediately in front of us. However, they were in the midst of mating season and even in the bird world, there needs to be some discretion in life. They were mostly blowing past those bushes and landing in an area towards the back where boat traffic is prohibited. Locals who had seen the bushes fully covered in red were disappointed but for me even getting a glance at these gorgeous creatures was an indescribable treat.

After a perfect sunset, Debra, her husband and granddaughter were discussing where we should go eat. I was just happy to be there so anywhere was fine by me. It was decided that we would be going for some of the island's best Indian food. 

Then we started driving. I noticed that we were going away from Port of Spain and towards nothing but wilderness. About an hour into the drive, it did cross my mind that I was in the middle of nowhere with people I just met and with no visible destination in sight. But then again, even if this lovely family was planning on harvesting my organs, how considerate of them to take me bird watching first. We were actually going to Debe, a town in the south of Trinidad, known for their cuisine, most of it served from nondescript looking food stands.

To say it was worth the drive, would be an understatement. The fact that I had never tasted a saheena before is criminal. 

Whatever this thing was, it was similarly amazing.

From the moment I had arrived, St Debra had looked out for me and here in Debe was no different. Her family took turns ordering things for me to try and they were all fantastic. If I have a regret, other than the hotel thing, it was that I didn't have more time to spend in Trinidad. 

After they dropped me back off at the hotel, I was too awake to go to sleep so I ventured next door to Tommy's Brewing Company Their motto is "Brewed for the journey" and it could not have been more appropriate. Country #128 had brought with it such natural beauty, good times and most importantly  warm welcomes. The next time I am hesitant to go somewhere due to the news reports, I will think back to Trinidad and Tobago and all its unexpected bounty. And if someone does decide to steal my organs, I just hope they have the decency to take me bird watching first.