Time to exchange the flippers in for a paddle as Duane loads us up with a surprise. Have you ever watched a movie in which a group explores through the wilderness, then kayaks through the clear ocean to hike the deep jungle until they fall upon a glorious beach with huge waterfalls covered by rainbows and sprinkles of tropical raindrops… ok, well this wasn’t exactly like that however this experience was way beyond my typical day in the sun!
First was an energizing paddle out to sea. At this moment I felt so insignificant in the wide open water, especially as I allowed thoughts to consciously cross my mind. I have been so fortunate to see a large glimpse of this amazing planet, however I’ve only scraped the surface. Imagine all of the panoramics that our eyes haven’t seen and the friends we don’t even know yet. What a sensational concept that ignites something within when you really think about it!
For some… it is what drives us.
Once we reached Bloody bay, we took a moment to take in the wilderness and all it comes with. A gorgeous landscape and private beach confirms why this is one of Duane’s favorite spots and we haven’t even seen the best of it yet!
These magical little leaves are responsive to touch, aren’t we all? They lay flat open absorbing the wind, rain and sun until touched or dropped. If stimulated, they fold inward and droop defending themselves from harm and re-open a few minutes later. Pictures don’t do the action justice, but I felt like a kid out there playing with these creatures.
These ping pong looking balls are actually empty eggs of the fascinating sea turtle. Momma comes here and digs a hole for thousands of eggs in hopes that a few will survive. You can see on the right side of the collage how a few hatched and slid down the sand bank heading for the water. The following photo is Duane walking the path of what appears to be mothers trail.
I’d like to pause here and remind you of the activities park in Malaysia. I do this because our barefoot rock-crawling hike today reminded me that theres no other feeling that can duplicate the sensation of earth under your feet. Heres a collage from Penang in the post Monkey business in Malaysia.
…and today!
I had no idea where this therapeutic jaunt was leading until I heard the faint sound of water splashing. “Duane, did you take us to a waterfall?”!
Large enough to play in, deep enough to swim in and hidden to the public means this little escape made for the perfect play day! Who wouldn’t turn into a big kid around here?!
So at this point, I’ve been shown the landscape of what could be the next beach film, paddled in the open sea, played in a waterfall and now… I’m humbled during our return to shore. With a direct memory of the village in Ecuador, we witnessed a group netting off the beach. Below is a collage from the good times volunteering in the post Does it taste better when you catch it?
This process takes precious time, consistent strength and team work. How rewarding!
Not that fish was on our menu though. We had fresh fruit and… no knife. Leave it to Macgyver to pierce the watermelon with a screwdriver then split it open and serve it bowl style. Utensils? We used the 10 digits we were born with, glorious!
For our next adventure, we kept slightly inland for a peaceful paddle on a smooth river in Richmond.
Nothing fancy was needed to absorb the simplicity of the arched trees that created a shaded path for our ride. Enjoy… we did!
For all my soca fans out there, may I get a curtesy laugh for wanting to title the next collage Ducking?
I won’t hesitate to end this post with another sunset shot, as it seems Tobago just hands them out as gifts. This look out point is Flag Staff Hill. Duane said that years back they had an organized party up here with a shuttle service and a DJ providing the backdrop tunes for what I can only imagine to be an epic evening.
Handstand! 
Her Happy Trails 