We awoke before proper daylight for the last major development on our trip, which would be a sort of vacation-within-a-vacation: we were off to Tobago! The island rests some 22 miles northeast of Trinidad (further than Trinidad itself sits from mainland South America), and can be accessed by air and by ferry. We opted for the latter, and found ourselves departing from Port of Spain around daybreak to begin the approximately three-hour trek across the water.
The going was slightly rough, and, when making a visit to the restroom, I was greeted by an attendant holding complimentary paper bags and the sound of other passengers being violently sick in the stalls. As we rounded Trinidad's northwestern peninsula and passed through the Bocas del Dragón, we were able to make out Venezuela across the waters. Little else memorable happened on the crossing, although we were able to glimpse dolphins once or twice. We arrived safe and sound in Scarborough, Tobago, and while waiting to disembark, I was greeted by the happy sight of magnificent frigatebirds in flight far overhead (although I wasn't able to get any particularly good pictures).
From there, it was a short drive to the house we would be staying in during our time on the smaller island, which was nestled in a thickly forested hillside giving a stunning view of the island's beautiful, lush westward slopes. Life prospered in every nook and cranny; even the power lines had incredible epiphytic bromeliads miraculously sprouting off of them. Mere moments after arriving, as we unloaded the car, I found an exciting visitor on a bush in the front yard.
After settling in at the house, we made a visit to Mount Irvine Bay, a mere fifteen minute or so drive to the west, for a rather relaxed evening. My brother and Wendy tried a hand at snorkeling off of the shore, but I was pretty exhausted at this point and spent most of the time half-dozing in a convenient hammock on the beach, although I did manage to take a few photos, including of a few new-to-me bird species.
Our beach visit passed uneventfully and was pleasantly restful. Back at the house, Natalie prepared a delicious fried plantain dish for us that I felt would make an excellent dessert. I retired early in an attempt to dissipate my lingering exhaustion.