Trinidad and Tobago

My Trinidad and Tobago travel summary:

Visited: October 2015

Duration of visit: 4 days

Capital city: Port of Spain

Population: 1.4 million (2015)

Trinidad and Tobago travel blog reading time: 6 minutes

• Walking on semi-soft bitumen at La Brea, the world’s largest asphalt lake.
• Driving around the island, enjoying the tropical forest, while trying to stay safe.
• Relaxing on a beautiful sandy beach in Maracas Bay.
• Delicious Indian food in Port of Spain.

Trinidad and Tobago (TT) is a beautiful twin-island nation in the Caribbean region, just 10 kilometers from the coast of Venezuela. It has been a popular Caribbean destination for centuries even though, unlike most Caribbean nations and territories, which rely heavily on tourism, the Trinidadian economy is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals.

Much of the nation’s wealth is derived from its large reserves of oil and natural gas. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is one of the region’s wealthiest and most developed countries.

Trinidad and Tobago has the third highest GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) in the Americas after the United States and Canada.

It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy.

I traveled to Trinidad and Tobago from Panama, which was my base at that time. The trip was straightforward and easy.

Port of Spain is the capital city and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago, located on the west coast of the island of Trinidad and is the country’s second-largest city after San Fernando. I landed at the airport and took a local transport to downtown, where my Airbnb rental unit was located. The owner took a few minutes off from her work to receive me and explained about access to the room.

The capital city doesn’t depend on tourism like many other Caribbean capitals. It has a diversified industrial base that includes production of rum, beer, margarine and oils, cigarettes, plastics, and building materials.

I explored the city on foot, taking my time to observe daily life around me. I soon saw a wide mix of people: Spanish, English, French, African, Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Portuguese.

Because of the mix of races, the small city shows many different cultural influences. For example, real Indian restaurants serving curry, roti, and other dishes are tasty, cheap, and easy to find.

Another sign of the strong Hindu presence is the largest Divali celebration in the Western Hemisphere. Known as the Festival of Lights, this religious festival celebrated by the Hindu community is enjoyed by the entire population.

At the center of Port of Spain is the business district, Gothic-style Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Queen’s Park Savannah – the city’s largest open space and a popular site for recreation. I enjoyed walking around this area that turned into many cricket fields in the afternoon and weekends.

Alongside the park I found some monumental buildings constructed in the early 20^th century. These landmarks outstand from the modern architecture of the city. Most were first built as residential homes, and many stayed in the same families for decades.

I also explored the Magnificent Seven, which are among the top places to visit in Port of Spain.

The Magnificent Seven consist of: Queen’s Royal College, Hayes Court, Mille Fleurs, Ambard’s House, Archbishop’s Palace, Whitehall and Stollmeyer’s Castle. The buildings were designed in many styles, including French Colonial, Scottish baronial, Indian, and Moorish Mediterranean. Many also mix these styles with Caribbean architecture. I didn’t visit any of these buildings from inside. From outside they are impressive structures and still in very good conditions.

A contemporary National Academy for the Performing Arts is completely different from the Magnificent Seven. It was built in 2009, outfitted with a 1,500-seat theatre, dance room, piano room, sound lab, and a spacious auditorium.

Its modern style with glass and curved lines make it one of the most attractive landmarks in Port of Spain and host of The Trinidad and Tobago film festival. This center hosts year-round screenings of films from the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as movies from world cinema.

My Trinidad and Tobago travel adventure continued. I rented a car and took my partner around the island to explore life in the Trinidad countryside. Driving on the left side of the road has always been a challenge for me. In an old, rundown Nissan Tiida, it was even harder.

Heading north through dense forest on the curvy, narrow road was a thrilling adventure. It became even more intense whenever a car or truck came toward us aggressively.

The central line was usually missing, so it was hard to tell where the middle of the road was. A few times I had to pull to the edge and almost stop to avoid an accident.

After passing through the mountain section, I stopped at stands selling pickled fruits set up at scenic viewpoints. Then I descended to Maracas Bay, one of the best beaches near Port of Spain.

A gorgeous bay with white sand, palm trees and blue-green waters, offered a peaceful retreat for the rest of the day. Waves were just the right size, the sea was warm, coconut palms strategically located. Nearly empty weekday beach helped me recharge. I enjoyed the peaceful, unspoiled nature all around me. Maracas Bay was the highlight of my trip around Trinidad and Tobago.

Unlike many of the northern beaches of Trinidad, Maracas Bay is protected by a deep bay. It is one of Trinidad’s best-known beaches. Many consider it the most beautiful beach of its size near the capital.

Located at La Brea in southwest Trinidad, Pitch Lake is one of only four asphalt lakes in the world. It holds the largest supply of natural bitumen, estimated at about 10 million tons. The others are in Azerbaijan, California and Venezuela.

The lake covers about 0.40 km² and is 76 meters deep. Even though I haven’t seen many activities during my visit, it is said that approximately 300 tons of material is extracted on a daily basis. The surface of the lake looks like a grey tennis court covered with wrinkled structures that remind of an old skin of elephant or rhino.

I hired an experienced guide at the visitor center to show me around and keep me safe. He also explained the mysterious origin of the lake. Although he wasn’t very knowledgeable, he took me to a spot with a hole where the semi-soft bitumen was more liquid.

Soft bitumen doesn’t smell strong and it is not hot, but when gigging with a stick it wraps around and it starts to flow back to the ground.

Pitch Lake is a very peculiar place to visit. While walking on the surface I felt like bitumen was alive and softly moving with its hissing and burping sounds.

Small pools of water form on the surface during the rainy season. Apparently, locals even bathe in the lake. The movement of the asphalt tends to make strange noises, when people walk on the surface as the pitch heats and cools during the day.

Soft spots in some areas act like quicksand. Without a guide, walking there could be too dangerous.

Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its spectacular beaches, untouched nature, and strong African heritage. It is also known for being the happiest place in the Caribbean and for its Carnival, called the Greatest Show on Earth.

TT is also the birthplace of steel pan – the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the only acoustic musical instrument to be invented in the 20^th century.

Still, during my visit, I felt that tourism and foreign visitors had not affected the local culture, economy, or lifestyle very much. People are friendly, and prices are reasonable. I found many options to explore the island on my own, and the infrastructure is among the best in the Caribbean.

I might come back one day for the Trinidad main attraction – its famous Carnival. It celebrates history, culture, fashion, and art with steel-pan music and vibrant, colorful costumes.