Tobago, a part of me.

 

Tobago. It’s the sister island to my homeland Trinidad and just like sisters often are, they could not be more different. Tobago is like a dream that you don’t want to wake up from, it’s an entirely different world and that’s what makes it hard to believe that this magical island is accessible via a short fifteen minute plane ride from Trinidad. What makes Tobago so special? It’s everything from the way the sun kisses your skin with wild abandon to the crazy bright colours are the island itself. From the moment you step off that plane you may feel as though you have become part of an exotic oil painting, or that you have entered a different realm intended by God to serve as heaven’s lobby. I suppose it’s different for each person, but for me, I feel the most beautiful, sweet bliss that eludes me in everyday life, I feel true freedom.

There is a small bed and breakfast that is located on a high hill. Here you can see the most beautiful view of Tobago, and on a clear day you can see a bit of Trinidad’s north coast. This is where I always stay. Time simply does not exist, and sometimes I can spend hours looking at the picturesque views from my balcony. The view at night however is a different scenario completely, it is a juxtaposition within itself. On one hand it seems to be a more serene version of what you would see during the day, but on the other hand if you look away from the twinkling lights of the tiny city Scarborough and towards the ocean your ears will help complete the story that your eyes had begun. The gentle sound of the waves washing over the shore sounds almost sad, like a song that has been sung over and over but has been waiting exclusively for you to listen. It seems to know that it will never be heard again, because every night it is a different song that plays until the break of dawn.

These very waves break upon the shores during the day to give a very different experience. Lying on Pigeon Point, when it is deserted, is an experience you will never forget. This time the sounds that the crystal blue waters make as they pound upon the white sands are joyous, they are boasting that they are strong enough to speak but gentle enough that if you dive in and close your eyes, you will forget that the water even exists. Sometimes it pleases me not to even go in but to simply lie on the soft white powdery sand with my favourite book where I am content to stay until I fall asleep. By the time my eyes open, the sun is setting and the scenery somehow surpasses all that has already overwhelmed me. The sun is the deep pink blush of a young bride and the clouds are the veil that form a perfect white frame to its’ beauty. This time the only thing being conveyed by nature is a sense of tranquillity, the kind that can only be understood when experienced first hand. The best part about this experience is that the only thing you ever have to do is wake up the next morning and experience it all over again.

A few days on this island, living that life is al I need to liberate me of the shackles that tie me down in everyday life. There are no time deadlines, no rules, no restraints, you have nowhere to be and nowhere to go in particular which ironically opens you up to the possibility of going everywhere and experiencing everything if you want to. My point is that I achieve true independence here because it is the only time in my life where I truly get to do what I want to do and not under any circumstances but the ones that I have intentionally created. Nothing exists here besides the genuinely dreamlike surroundings, myself and my Creator. The island has intoxicated me and allowed me to become a part of its’ landscape, where my mental faculties will remain for a long time after my body has returned home.

About the Author: I was born and raised in the West of Trinidad with my grandparents. I had never even visited the sister isle to my country until the age of thirteen and have fallen in love with it ever since. I now try to visit the island at least once a year.

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