CHRISTIAN DICTATORSIPS AND THEOCRACIES (2)

Will any Catholic or Protestant prelate, priest or clergyman tell us why the Christian emperor, Theodosius the First, should have ordered the destruction of the Serapeum Library of Alexandria, if not to destroy the evidence it contained of the spurious nature of the Christian religion, and it's heathen philosophical origin?

TRINIDAD DICTIONARY FROM A-Z.
Accra, allyuh, aye-yah-yie

bachanal, back back, bachac, bobolee, badjohn, bawling, bazodee, biscuit, bredda, broughtupsy, bullerman, bobolee, break biche

(Body parts) bamsee, cat, totie, tot tots, nani, saltfish, cockstand, balls, prick, pussy

Dat, dingolay, doo doo darling, dotish, dougla, drevait (a wayward person), doubles

Eh-heh, ent, eh

Faddah, fall out, fete, frigging, fed up, fuh real, fresh water yankee

Gyul, geed/gyad (oh geed, oh gyad), giddy, gun talk

Harden, Humbug, hoggish

Icenin (icing on cake), in ting, iron pot

Jab jab, jagabat, jeez an ages, jook, jumbie,

Ketch, klim, kaiso

Lagniappe, leh we go lick dong, licks, largerbless, look nuh, long eye, liming

Muddah cunt, macco, make style, maccocious, mamaguy,
Mo-vay-lang (mauvais Lang - to bad talk),
moco jumbie,

Nah never see come see, nastiness, now fuh now

Obeah, obzokee, oh gosh, Ole talk, own way

Palancing, pallet, parang, patois, pickar, picong, plannasse, punananie, puss

Qualey (dried up), quenk (irritating person)

Ragamuffin, ram - cram, rumfle, rude

Sagaboy/girl, schupid, steuppss, soucouyant, sometimeish, sweet too bad, sweet drink, swell up yuh face ( duh swell up yuh face at me, or else ah go cut your arse)

Tabanca (when yuh girlfriend or boyfriend break up with you and yuh in sorrow), tantie, teef, totie, tot tots, Trini, titty vay, torchlight, throw waist (wine)

Umpteen

Vex, vamoose,

Whappen, whey yuh say, wine/wining, wood (penis), wajang

X me, sex me
(Dah boy X meh last night)

Yampee (cold or mucus in the corner of yuh eye), yuh muddah cunt, yuh making joke man
Yuh father is a glass maker (yuh blocking meh view)

Zug Up (yuh Zug up meh head), zaboca (avocado)

It's with a heavy heart, I have to report the passing of a Cure brother.
Andy Anderson was A true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humor which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him.

— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) February 26, 2019

Andy Anderson, the drummer who enjoyed stints with Iggy Pop and the Cure while assisting an array of artists as a session musician, died Tuesday. He was 68.

Just last week, Anderson revealed on Facebook that he had terminal cancer. Despite the diagnosis, he wrote, “[P]lease, no boo hooing here, just be positive, for me it’s just another life Experience and Hurdle, that one has to make yet another Choice in life, be cool, I most definitely am and positive about the situation.”

Founding member of the Cure Lol Tolhurst confirmed the news of Anderson’s death. “Andy Anderson was a true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humor which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him,” Tolhurst tweeted.

Anderson joined the Cure in 1983 after original drummer Laurence “Lol” Tolhurst switched to keys. His first contributions were two cuts off the band’s 1983 singles collection, Japanese Whispers, “Speak My Language” and the “The Love Cats” which became the Cure’s first Top 10 hit in the U.K. Anderson also helped Robert Smith and Tolhurst record their 1984 record The Top, and he appeared on their live album, Concert, as well.

Born in the West Ham neighborhood of London in January 1951, Anderson got his start as a professional musician when he teamed up with members of Hawkwind on their various side projects. He contributed to Nik Turner’s Sphynx’s 1978 album Xitintoday – credited as “Android Anderson” – and also played on Steve Hillage’s three LPs, Green, Live Herald and Open. Anderson did play with Hawkwind on their 1983 tour, but he never recorded with them. Instead, he left the group to join Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees’ 1983 side project, the Glove, which released their first and only album, Blue Sunshine, in 1983.

After his stint with the Cure, Anderson embarked on a long and successful career as a session musician. Over the course of his career he worked with Iggy Pop, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, the Sex Pistols’ Glen Mattlock, Edwin Collins, Peter Gabriel and Isaac Hayes. More recently, Anderson was working extensively as a solo artist, and though he didn’t release any proper albums, he put out an array of tracks under the moniker AAMuzik.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x83wluZqM2g

Think about it, what is a Messi?
Someone showing us, the Humanity, the right path.
And we are in the 21st century, why woud we expect Messis to just speak to crowds or have super powers ?? We live in a World of companies, it makes sense that a Messi of this current time creates companies to show us the way.

The reason U2 don’t get the respect they deserve these days is because they still exist.
When they’ve gone, there’ll be a documentary or a movie like Bohemian Rhapsody and people will tear up watching it.
They had a grandiosity and power at their peak that few bands ever achieve.
Overshadowed nowadays by a few mediocre albums and the endless potshots from comedians, musicians who’ll never achieve anything and every second idiot on the internet.

you've moved on 

and i'm

i'm stuck in yesterday trying to hang on

SANTA CRUZ HOME OF FIRST TV

Santa Cruz Valley is historically known for its cocoa plantations and production. It is also the home of cricketing superstars Brian Charles Lara and Jeffrey Stollmeyer.

It was home to Jonas Mohammed Bath, Sultan of Yalliallhad, who was partly responsible for the construction of the famed Fort George. But not well known is that Santa Cruz was also the laboratory for a man who would one day invent the television.

John Logie Baird, a Scottish engineer, spent time researching his invention on a cocoa estate in the Santa Cruz Valley, and produced the first-ever television, which earned him the title of 'Father of Television'.

Born in Scotland, Baird was the younger child of Rev John and Jessie Baird. In his early years, he showed signs of ingenuity by setting up a telephone exchange to connect his house to nearby friends.

Baird arrived in Trinidad in 1919 to begin researching the television. He chose the cool valley of Santa Cruz because weather conditions there were helping him to recover from an illness plaguing him for many years.

At Santa Cruz, he worked alone on his secret project.

His neighbours on the estate regarded him as a strange character who was creating ghosts in their quiet neighbourhood. The ghosts they were complaining about were the images transmitted by Baird while working feverishly on the production of television.

When he started his research, no one believed that it was possible to broadcast pictures, but that did not daunt his spirit.

His immediate problem was poverty. He had run out of money to continue his research and was forced to produce jams from fruits available in the valley. Meanwhile, his television project was gaining ground, By the time he was ready to return to England, he had already produced the first television set at Santa Cruz, and was working on colour television.

Baird returned to England in 1920 to continue his experiments. Five years later, he held his first public demonstration of television at Selfridge's, London.

The first public television programme was broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1936, and by the 1950s televisions were beginning to appear in every home in Britain.

Although the invention had its beginning in Trinidad, it was not until August 24, 1962 that commercial television was broadcast in this country.

The first set of films was shot by Wilfred A Lee and Co, (WALCO) who operated a studio on Park Street, Port of Spain. The films produced by Lee were transmitted to the nation by newly formed Trinidad and Tobago Television Company (TTT).

The films were aired in preparation for this country's Independence scheduled for August 31, 1962. Commercial television, however, did not begin in Trinidad until November when TTT was officially inaugurated.

The majority shareholders of TTT were Redifussion and Scottish Television, Columbia Broadcasting Systems and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Chairman of the company was Sir Patrick Hobson. The station's first manager was Ronald Goodman and Ken Gordon was the company's first programme director.

The big telecast for Independence began at 9 p.m. on August 30, and the programme continued until this country's flag was raised at midnight.

On Independence Day, the proceedings in the Red House were telecast to a crowd of some 1,000 viewers who had assembled at Woodford Square to see the colourful ceremony in which Princess Royal brought greetings from Her Majesty the Queen, while Dr Eric Williams and Opposition Leader Dr Rudranath Capildeo made brief addresses. This scene has been proudly re-broadcast every year, with our undying gratitude to the inventor, John Logie Baird.

-- This article was written by Marlene Davis, and was published in the Trinidad Express on April 29th, 2012.

Did You Know: LOPINOT

Lopinot, the most elevated village in Trinidad (contour-wise) was founded by Charles Josephe Count de Lopinot, who could have been called “a man on the run.”

He had left France some time around 1750 to go to the North American French colony of Arcadie, today the combined Canadian territories of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

He left Arcadie around 1755 when the British ejected the French from those regions, and like most of the French from Arcadie he went to the other French colony of Louisiana, where he served as an officer of the French army. But Lousiana, like Arcadie, was not to remain a French colony for long, and Count Charles Josephe de Lopinot decided to move again when Louisiana showed signs of going over to the United States.

(This may have been in the 1870s. Louisiana did not actually go over to the United States until 1803, when it was bought by United States authorities. It became part of the Union in 1812).

When Count de Lopinot left Louisiana he went to France’s flourishing sugar colony of Santo Domingo, and there he established a huge sugar plantation and his fortunes soared.

This was several years before the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, but the revolution brought all sorts of convulsions and turmoil to Santo Domingo, including chaos and anarchy. For the watchwords of that revolution — Liberty, Brotherhood, and Equality — caused the slaves to unleash relentless fury against the white planters and create a reign of terror. Most of the planters fled, and Count de Lopinot was one of these.

He was concealed in a barrel by one of his slaves and sent as part of a consignment of sugar to Jamaica.

From Jamaica he wrote to the British authorities saying he lost everything fighting alongside the British soldiers and would like some sort of compensation and resettlement. They told him to proceed to their newly conquered island of Trinidad, where the Governor, Thomas Picton, was being instructed to offer help to him.

Count de Lopinot arrived in Trinidad on April 29, 1800. He was accompanied by his wife and two children, and it was reported that he had a hundred slaves. On his arrival he learned that Picton had received no word from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. However, being here already he decided to stay.

Having been previously successful in sugar he bought part of a Tacarigua sugar estate on credit, but things did not go too well and he suffered great losses. However, his long military experience must have come to the knowledge of the authorities for in 1805 new Governor Thomas Hislop appointed him Brigadier General of the Trinidad militia.

He had got no compensation from the British for his “services” in Santo Domingo and so now as Brigadier General he applied again. His perseverance paid off. He was asked to select a parcel of land.

He and his slaves struck out into the forested mountains north of the Arouca savannah where he lived. Following the course of a river that is now known as the Lopinot River, Count de Lopinot and his slaves made steady progress through the woods, pushing more than five miles north until at length they came to an attractive valley with a plain almost completely ringed by mountains.

The air was cool and the valley seemed ideal for an estate. He obtained the grant of this valley, which contained 478 acres, and being totally fed-up with sugar he decided to grow cocoa. He called the estate La Reconnaissance (The Look-out).

The count and his slaves made the valley flourish and in a short time the name of “Lopinot” became of great importance. A great deal of cocoa was exported down the Lopinot River, and from there to Port-of-Spain. Count de Lopinot became active, politically, and in Ralph Woodford’s regime he was brought into the Council of Government.

He remained a member of the Council of Government until his death in 1819. He was buried among the cocoa trees of La Reconnaissance not far from his house.

The village the count left behind was made up of the 100 slaves he brought with him. The cocoa plantations which occupied the valley were mostly gone by the time the 20th Century opened, but Lopinot is still a place of thriving cocoa estates.

More than 200 years have gone by since the “count on the run” came to Trinidad. His life was hectic up to then and he made sure the British compensated him for what he had gone through. And in the end he compensated Trinidad by giving it a beautiful and historic mountain village.

Source: https://www.nalis.gov.tt/…/Towns-an…/Towns-and-Villages-J-R…

Boysie Singh was a notorious Trinidadian killer who was eventually hanged for murder in the mid-1950s.

Born at 17 Louis Street, Woodbrook, on April 5, 1908, he grew up to be a gambler, thief, arsonist, pirate, and mass murderer.

Singh’s father Bhagrang Singh was himself a fugitive from justice, who reportedly fled India to Trinidad.

Singh started doing petty crime, even spending time at Carrera Island Prison in the 1940s.

Following prison, he ran gambling clubs and brothels, moved on to the protections racket, and was known to set fire to cars or buildings when "clients" would not pay up.

Later, he smuggled goods from Cedros to Caracas, then resorted to piracy. From 1947 to 1956, Singh and his henchmen terrorised local fishermen and Venezuelan smugglers. They would kill a crew, steal their goods and engines, and sink the boat.

Singh broadened his criminal reach to include human trafficking, smuggling illegal immigrants some of whom he would rob or kill.

Along the way, it is reported, he murdered hundreds of people. Legend has it that some victims were made to "walk the plank", in the tradition of old-time Caribbean pirates, and plunge to their death at sea.

Twice, Singh was charged by the police. In one case, he got off due to lack of evidence. In the other, he was convicted but won on appeal and was released.

Eventually, Singh's luck ran out when he was convicted for the murder of a dancer. All appeals failed, and he was sentenced to death.

Boysie Singh was hanged at the Royal Gaol in Port-of-Spain on August 20,

Mari Narine
Admin · January 23 at 6:25 AM
Did You Know - The POS Lighthouse

"The lighthouse on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, is one of Trinidad’s most obvious landmarks identifying the entrance to “downtown” Port of Spain.

The lighthouse was built in 1842 by the governor Colonel Sir Henry Mcleod to assist sea traffic for ships entering and leaving Port of Spain’s harbour. It was initially situated at the end of a 120’0” long jetty leading from the seafront, approximately where the south side of Independence Square is now.

This was prior to the second and third phases of the reclamation of Port of Spain’s waterfront in 1845 and at the end of the nineteenth century. Fort San Andres was connected to the jetty by a wooden bridge.

From time to time the lighthouse was upgraded, but the structure remained the same. The structure leans slightly toward the west, but this has not interfered with its function or stability.

The friendly rivalry between those from Port of Spain and those from south and east Trinidad is symbolized by those from Port of Spain being ignorant of “anything and anywhere east of the lighthouse”."

Source: http://nationaltrust.tt/location/port-of-spain-lighthouse/

TRINI SPOTTING - by Alloy - copyright 1999
(long read, but interesting and funny)

Trinis are a unique lot of people who can be spotted "a mile off". They can be identified by their body language, speech, decorum, taste and even their judgement of time and space.

They are very defensive of their peculiarities and feel offended when mistaken for any islander, other than a Trini.
"That's a Trini!" - These are the familiar words uttered when one hears 'Trini Speech'. Trinis speak with a three dimensional, stereo effect, set to the rhythm of song.

For clarity, their speech is punctuated with sounds, eye, hand and body movements which together serve to remove any miscomprehension of space, size, density, colour, texture and intensity from their communication.

A Trini's choice of words to describe a breadfruit falling from a tree will fully describe the state of ripeness of the fruit, and where it fell.

A ripe fruit falling to the ground will fall "BLAF!" whereas a ripe fruit falling on a galvanized roof will fall "BLANG!" A green fruit, on the other hand, will fall to the ground "BUDUFF!" and that same fruit, falling on the same roof, will fall "BLAGADANG!"

A door will open "Kreekes" and will close "Badam! or "Clit-ticks!" depending on the force used to close it.

A dripping water tap will drip "plunks, plunks!" but when WASA reduces the water pressure, the water will drip "chirrip, chirrip!"
A gunshot will sound, "Potow!" but if the bullet ricochets, the sound changes to "Peeoweeeee!" Horses gallop, "Broogoodook! Broogoodook!"

Depending on its size and the depth of water, a stone could fall "Plunk!" or "Ploonks!" or "Ploochunk!" or "Splashaw!"

A Trini's cry in pain will denote the acuteness and intensity of the pain he or she is undergoing and can vary from " WooY!", "OOOOOOHH!", "Ohyoyoy!", "SSSSSSSSSSS" and "AHYAYAYE!"

His expression of surprise: "Aha!"; "O Gawd!"; "Bon Jay!"; Oui Foute!

His expression of disgust: "Ah Chut!" (usually accompanied with a STEUPS or stamping of the feet)

His expression of Joy: "Geez an ages!"

His salutations: "Woy!"; "Hey Man!"; "Chile!"; "All YUH";

"Breds" and even, "Stranger!"

How does a Trini swallow a drink: "Gloodocks!"

A sudden shower of rain falls: "chwa!"

Trini women call each other "chile"; the men call each other "boy" and the boys call each other "man". If you think that confusing, they refer to any older person of the male sex as "uncle" and of the female sex, as "tantie." Individuals of two generations and older are called "Granny","Ma" or "Pa" depending on their sex.

Trini words come from all languages. Example, from the French: oui, laingniappe, la diablesse, petit pot chambre, toute bagaille, mouche coocoon, fete, farine, flambeau, camboulay, drievay, etc. From Hindi: dhal, bhagee, channa, juta, bowgee, daroo, gobar, barra, chunkay, kari, paisa, etc. Similarly, words are used from Spanish and other ethnic languages in everyday speech.

There are words that only Trinis use and understand, for example: birds "ramajay"; people "dingolay"; crabs "caray"; rude people "steupse"; careless people perform "vie-ki-vie". Only Trini's know "Nancy Stories". Your sweetheart is your "doo-doo"; a Venezuelan is a "Pyol"; a bull's sex organ is a "bull pissel".

When Trinis hang out, they "liming" and only in Trinidad can you find a "douglah" who is a "shugs"; or eat "farine and zaboca."

A physically challenged person is a "brokofoot"; a fat woman is a "boobooloops"; a giddy head is called "bazodee" and if you should fall into a fit of convulsions, you are considered to have "caught Malkadee".

Nicknames are commonly used amongst family, friends and neighbours and usually originate from a trait, habit or preference of the individual. Some examples are: Rathead, Dr. Rat, Broko, Cheesey, Dazzler, Stinkin' toe, B-Flat, Finny hand, Yampee, Slim, Stinky, Walking Dead, etc.

For a Trini, every situation or thing has a comparison to be drawn on from his surroundings. Here's how he describes the following:

- The blind: "Blind like a bat".
- Illogical Behavior: "Mad like Mahal".
- A cheapskate: "So cheap, he won't buy a glass of water for free".
- Lowly Behavior: "So low, he could pass under a razor blade".
- Ugliness: "Ugly like sin" or "So ugly de mirror will break."
- Shamelessness: "When God was sharing shame, she went to de toilet".
- Stupidity: "He went to school in August".
- Trust in God: "God doh sleep".
- Karma: "Monkey say, 'cool breeze'".
- A non-happening: "Wen cock get teeth".

A Trini's punctuality is atrocious and is recognized world-wide. His judgement of time and space is phenomenal - i.e. phenomenally off. Tell him to arrive at eight and for sure he will be there for half past late!

His idea of NOW is 'Here'; LATER is "Tomorrow sometime" and YESTERDAY propels an attack of amnesia. Ask a Trini when he would likely finish a project and he will surely reply "just now" or "later". That could mean in a few minutes or years hence.

Likewise, he lacks a sense of dimension in terms of linear measurement.

A tall, overweight person will be described as "tall as a lamp post and wide like a bus". Distance is another confusing proposition and again linear measurements do not apply. Somewhere can be reached either by foot or by some means of transport, other than one's own volition.

Any place that can be reached by foot is "just dey", "not too far" or "just round de corner". Street names are hardly committed to memory so there is a tendency to use landmarks as reference points when giving directions.

A typical example of directions given to find Mahase's house in an unfamiliar area will be like this: "Yuh follow dis road 'til yuh reach a standpipe on de right ... Right after de standpipe, yuh go come to ah small dirt road on de right ... yuh pass it and continue straight until yuh get to a next one ... opposite to dat road, yuh will see a big, mako Mango Rose tree ... next to it, is ah nodder trace ... take dat trace and yuh could arkse anybody yuh meet where Mahase living... real easy to find man!"

Another thing about Trinis is that when they talk, they must articulate with their hands and body. Observe two Trinis carrying on a heated discussion and you will understand where the Japanese got their Karate moves. They stab the air with their hands, sometimes pointing up, down, sideways, make circular motions, touch, push, and shake the other party. It is like watching a silent movie with sound.

Trinis have a special gait when walking that have special names too ..like, "bump", "bump and grind", "drag slipper", and "jock waist". Trini women walk with a unique sway of the hips. However, put her in the spotlight in a sexy new outfit and that sway becomes a "jock waist" ... enough to eroticize any male.

It is said that Trinis love all the "F's"; i.e. Food, Fun, Fete and Fashion. Their food must be spicy and varied. Fete must be "long and hard", "'til yuh drop". Fun, they must have, at work or play. Fashion must be the latest, sexiest and most colorful.

A Trini in love is at his best. Courting is redefined to an art form and is, literally, a labour of love. More often than not, the woman will draw the man's attention by "sagashiating" her body. When she gets his attention, she starts to play "hard to get."

How does the Trini man react? If he's interested, he starts to "play dead to ketch corbeau alive" all the while checking her out so as not to "buy cat in bag." The courtship ritual could vary and may start by "giving sweeteye", touching, pinching or even throwing pebbles at each other.

The latter is called "Tobago Love". During courtship, several names of endearment are used, for example: "Doods", "Doo-Doo", "Dahlin", "Pumkin", "Sugar", "Shugs", "Sugar-plum", "Sweetie" and even "Toolum". Oftimes, the love turns sour and so do the names. She becomes a "jagabat" or a "yardfowl" and he a "peong" or a "hornerman".

A jilted lover who has not got over the relationship is considered to be in a state of "tabanca", which has worsening stages. Ordinary "tabanca" is bad enough but "tabanca tajari" is worse and "tabanca najar" is the very worst. At this last stage the afflicted could end up in "St.Anns". Some people retaliate to being jilted by resorting to "obeah" to "put a lite" on the ex-lover.

Get a Trini vex. Well, you better had hide! In spite of his good naturedness, he can get "bad like a crab' and behave like a real "canal conch".

The very worse thing you can tell a Trini is something about his natural mother. Worst of all, if one refers to her sexual organ you in plenty trouble. That place is his Holy of all Holies, his Mecca, his place of Sanctity. Many acts of violence have resulted in defense of its desecration. Just the phrase "Yuh Mutha!" could lead to serious blows.

Trinis embrace life with the Spirit of Nature and in this way acknowledge their reverence of God and their fellowman. If he takes a liking to you, you are sure to know, for it will be reflected in his word and deed. However, if he chooses to ignore you, well ... "Crapaud smoke yuh pipe!"

Source: http://oletalk.tripod.com/trinispotting.html

Want to visit a Caribbean Island but don't feel like rubbing shoulders with hundreds of sunburned American tourists? Go to Tobago.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Caribbean, the beach-filled, sunny, and resort-laden destination for cruise ships and tan-seeking vacationers? Maybe you’ve considered being one of those vacationers?

Here’s the upside: It’s easy and affordable to get there. And then the problem: Most popular spots within the Caribbean—like Turks and Caicos and Saint Thomas—are perpetually overrun by tourists (like you).

There is, luckily, an alternative to packing yourself into a Caribbean beach filled with hundreds of other sunscreen-soaked Americans. Let me introduce you to Tobago, the lesser-known sibling island to Trinidad. It’s the place you go when you want to sit on a quiet beach in the Caribbean and not be surrounded by yachts or spring breakers. From a lot of major cities, there’s a direct flight to Trinidad; from there, just hop on a quick 15-minute flight (very cheap and leaves every 30 minutes), and you’re in Tobago.

The island is intimate, the culture is chill, the locals are friendly, and it’s very easy to get around. Super developed, Tobago is not. Compared with its Caribbean cousins, the place is bare of malls and brand-name hotels. You’re coming to Tobago, instead, because you’re looking for unadulterated nature and a slow-going place to laze on the beach with friends.

And because it’s not yet a tourist town, the food caters to the locals—meaning you’re not getting watered-down resort fare. You’ll find spicey and chile-laden goat curry spots, as well as Italian food in tree houses, excellent takeout kebab, and freshly grilled seafood served beachside.

Tobago is so low-key that there are essentially no travel books available on the country. So here’s your beginner’s guide to the Caribbean gem.

Where to Stay
There are some hotels and resorts on the island, but most are still pretty rudimentary. Your best bet for comfy digs is to rent a condo or a house on HomeAway or VRBO, which will likely be both less expensive and more comfortable than the area hotels. Go for the properties right on the beach.

When to Go
Like most beach vacations, Tobago is best experienced in five days to a week. Lucky for those who have to endure chilly winters, the best time to visit is between January and March, when the weather there is temperate and not too humid.

What to Do
Spend a chill day at the beach
The beaches in Tobago are pristine—you can’t go wrong making a pit stop at whatever beaches you spot in your area. The most popular is Mount Irvine Beach, adjacent to a golf course and known for its excellent surfing. Englishman’s Bay is another good option, a crescent-shaped beach where you can spot leatherback turtles chilling on the sands. If you’re looking for hidden treasure, drive 45 minutes up to Castara, a tiny but stunning spot with gorgeous views of the forests below.

Visit Pigeon Point Heritage Park
This family-friendly enclave offers multiple activities in one spot—there are cute little shops, lots of great cafes for snacking, and a lifeguard-tended beach area, complete with a highly Instagrammable thatched-roof jetty.

Go around Buccoo Reef
Book a glass-bottom boat from Pigeon Point Heritage Park, and you can spend a day going around Buccoo Reef, a designated marine park containing hundreds of colorful species of fish and coral (Jacques Cousteau named it the third most spectacular reef in the world). There’s loads to see, so it’s the ideal spot to go snorkeling. Make sure your boat makes a stop at the surreal Nylon Pool, a one-meter deep enclave in the middle of the reef whose sheer waters and white sand prompted Britain’s Princess Margaret to name the pool after her nylon stockings.

Hike through the Tobago Forest Reserve
As the oldest protected forest reserve in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is the spot to go on a hike in Tobago. The main trek is short and accessible, weaving through a few miles of untouched forest. It’s worth hiring a trained guide who can point out the various herbs, spices, and native fruit trees that are abundant throughout the trail. The hike ends at Argyle Falls, where you can lounge in natural rock tubs surrounded by idyllically green trees.

Where to Eat
Doubles Truck
“Doubles Truck” is what I am calling the unmarked white van that parks outside a clothing shop called Chadija’s around lunchtime, serving up one of the signature dishes of the island: doubles. It’s a messy dish of two interlocking pieces of fried dough filled with mildly sweet stewed chickpeas and a generous dousing of green chile sauce. They’re wrapped in white paper and cost about 20 cents a pop. Wash yours down with fresh coconut water from the fruit stand a few feet away.

Kariwak Village
A very vibe-y open-air restaurant with a thatched roof serving Caribbean food that’s all made from the on-site garden. Get the spicy crab stew and be prepared to go home very satisfied, but with chile and turmeric stains all over your shirt.

Jemma's Seaview Kitchen Treehouse
Located right on the beach, this picturesque spot specializes in seafood prepared Caribbean style: fish that’s been breaded, fried, and dressed in a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce; curried goat; and shrimp drenched in herbs and garlic then grilled over an open fire.

La Tartaruga
An Italian restaurant situated in a tall treehouse, La Tartaruga will easily be one of the most joyful dining experiences you have in Tobago. This is thanks, in large part, to the exceedingly friendly and enthusiastic chef/owner Gabriele, who treats every guest like a long-lost sibling. The restaurant serves excellent Italian wines and specialties like freshly made tagliatelle dressed in pesto and potatoes, and meatballs stuffed with polenta, mozzarella, and spicy tomato sauce. It is the perfect marriage of Italian food and the breezy culture of Tobago.

Skewers
This is a local haunt for kebabs (the best are the lamb and the chicken), which are ideal for lunch and dinner to go—or a late-night snack. The meats are grilled ’til exceedingly juicy, the herby salads are fresh and fragrant, and though the food is decidedly Middle Eastern, it has pleasant local touches—like the various handcrafted hot sauces made with the fruity peppers of the region.

WHO IS ASA WRIGHT? Together with her husband Newcome Wright, Asa came to Trinidad to settle at Springhill in 1946. Born in Iceland in 1892, Asa was left to carry on the estate when Newcome died in 1955. Friends who enjoyed the flora and fauna of the Arima valley would spend time at Asa's home, hanging out on the large verandah. With the encouragement of her friends, Don and Ginny Eckelberry and Jonnie Fisk, Asa agreed to deed the Springhill estate as a nature centre. Her neighbour in Verdant Vale was William Beebe; his tropical research station at Simla was later added to the lands of the nature centre. The Asa Wright Nature Centre was established in 1967. Asa died in 1971 and is buried in Lapeyrouse Cemetery.

 Ummm, the Earth is 4.6 billion years old, one celled organisms appeared soon after soooo... 😏
 13.8 million years is more than life of planet earth? It may be a biblical whim which does not stand any scientific scrutiny ! Earth is nearly 4.5 billion years ! Life on earth is eastimated to be about 500 million years for the fossil record , possibly 4 billion years , just after the planet cooled and formed a crust and started to have some water on microscopuc level which left no fossils !