Anse Bateau – nature lovers paradise
Charlotteville is basically a one road town where the yacht community is concerned. You can buy beer (they have their priorities right) and on a good day you might find a restaurant open. The one restaurant recommended in the cruising guide was closed for renovations! The other in the street was closed!
When we returned to Charlotteville to check out after Anse Bateau; there was a huge football match, every road was jam packed with cars and people. The football field under spotlight and music blaring from speakers the size of small houses. Everyone decked out in their finest rave party gear, most leaving little to the imagination. We decided dinner and drinks in town and watch the 'people show' was a good idea. Can you believe with all those people not one food establishment was open! One bar only! It was amazing, the proprietor’s wife sitting with a box about a half meter square, FULL of cash on her lap. She digs in when you need change comes up with a fist full and scratches through to find the right notes.
We finally found one small place open that had been closed on every other day. Fish, chicken, beef and goat Trinidad style on rice with baked pasta and beans was on the menu. The only other patrons were 4 guys who sounded like they were from Germany and Sweden. So dinner was served watching the waves wash up the beach almost to our feet and it was great!
But back to the beginning! After finally checking in with the ever friendly (not) customs official we stayed another two nights! We were waiting for weather to improve as it was raining cats and dogs. We finally decided if we were going to wait the weather out we were going to do it in a better setting and lifted the anchor motoring north.
We left Pirates Bay, rounded North Point and turned east. The coastline up this end of Tobago is very different to the South end. Down south the coast is consists of beach dunes running into the coral reef. Up North it is steep sheer cliffs dropping deep into the ocean. Only the occasional beaches dotted among the cliffs.
We rounded the head of the island, passing between St. Giles Island and the shore. In this group of uninhibited islands there is an amazing rock called 'London Bridge'. It has been totally hollowed out but the action of the sea making an eye through it.
One of our dives from the new anchorage was to this site and we descended to the rocky floor and then swam through the eye. The gap between the rocks is about one meter wide and you ride the current and it rushes through. It picks you up and sweeps you forward then tries its best to pull you back out. The dive-master suggested you hang on when the back rush happens and then kick gently to move forward with the tide. Luckily we found we didn't need to, being old divers and snorkelers we are used to being washed about by the sea so you just give a good steady kick against the wash and stay in one place until it turns to take you with it.
Grabbing rocks is never a good idea under water, this was proved again as we swam out the other side and saw a good size Spotted Scorpion fish lying lazily on the rock watching our progress daring some unsuspecting diver to touch him and get stung. They are almost perfectly camouflaged and you have to look carefully to differentiate between them and the rock they rest on. Their dorsal fin contains very toxic venom and gives an extremely painful sting.
As we washed through the eye, I turned on my back; it was incredible to watch the turbulent water smashing through the space above you.
Back to the journey, we rounded the tip of the island and headed South again past Anse Gouleme, Anse Brisant and lay anchor in Anse Bateau. A small bay protected by Goat Island and Little Tobago Island.
On shore is the hotel Blue Waters Inn, it is swt alone amid steep wooded hills edged by a pristine beach. The bay has beautiful clear water and is great for swimming, snorkelling and diving.
We were made completely welcome here. The manager is a Trinidadian Yachtsman and he encourages the yachting visitors. They opened their doors to us, we were free to use all their facilities including their brand new swimming pool that was completed and officially opened while we were there. The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to assist us at every opportunity. An example is we ran out of airtime while there and our waitress (Georgina) phoned her boyfriend and he drove to Charlotteville to buy us some airtime.One of the staff at the dive shop, Aquamarine dive, had seen us trying to buy Roties in Charlotteville (Arab bread stuffed with hot curries, delicious) they offered to pick up some for us in Speyside ( a little town in the next bay) after the dive. Thereafter each day we dived they drove off at lunch ot fetch Roties.
Not once did we feel there was an ulterior motive.
We took one of the tours to Little Tobago Island Bird Sanctuary. Little Tobago is also known as the 'Bird of Paradise Island'. This is because in 1909 the owner, wealthy British newspaperman, William Ingram, imported 50 of the birds from their native New Guinea when he saw them being slaughtered for their feathers. The birds did well for years and on his death, his son deeded the island to the government with the stipulation it be kept as a reserve. But in 1963 Hurricane Flora had no respect for deeds and blew the beautiful birds out to sea where they drowned, the few that did manage to hang on soon died out. Although the New Guinea government offered to replace them local naturalists have objected as the native birds are thriving.
The island is the nesting ground of the Red Billed Tropicbird. At the island you climb to the top of the mountain and the Tropicbirds are all over on the edge of the cliffs on their nests. These birds are very graceful in flight but have very, very short legs and strong feet for swimming. In a human I guess it would be the equivalent of having legs from your shins down. This means the Tropicbird cannot land or really walk. We watched them 'crash land' in the bushes. They hobble and slide to their nests. When they want to fly off for food they slide and roll to the edge of the cliff then launch themselves into space using the speed of their fall to take to flight.
With the number of Tropicbirds about the Magnificent Frigate Birds have a smorgasbord of offerings. These birds, despite living over the seas are not seabirds and cannot land on the water. Their main food source is flying fish and theft! We watched in awe as they chase down the Tropicbirds in flight, grab and shake them to make them drop their meal, then let them go as they swoop down to grab the falling food from the sky. The Tropicbirds are unhurt, except maybe for their dignity and fly off to restock. At one stage we watched five Frigate birds after one Tropicbird. It was like watching an old aerial dogfight, swooping and turning as the Tropicbird tried every evasive manoeuvre to avoid being hit.
On the way back from the island we stopped to snorkel. The boat has a glass bottomed and en route they took us over the reputed second biggest Brain Coral in the world. It rises eleven feet high and sixteen feet in diameter. Brain coral is so named as it looks like a human brain on its stem.
We did a few other dives while there to Japanese Gardens, Sleepers, Black Jack hole (named after the large Crevalle Jacks that visit at the end of summer). We didn’t see any of the oceans large ones like the Manta or Shark, the viability wasn’t fantastic and the sea rough. There were hundreds of reef fish in every colour and hue. My favourites must be the huge black and gold Angel fish. They are so curios and turn to watch you watching them, their huge yellow rimmed eye following your movement.
I had an appointment with the US Embassy in Port of Spain Trinidad on the 15th November so sadly our time at Anse Bateau had to end. We lifted anchor on Sunday 11th and set off back to Charlotteville, where we had to sign out. Our plan was to be at the door the next morning at 08h00 when they opened so we could leave immediately for Trinidad. A different Customs officer was on duty and he signed us out no problem, when we explained again why we had not signed in and out of customs in Scarborough he was totally unconcerned saying it wasn’t our fault and not to worry. Then it was Immigrations turn. We discovered that an immigration officer had to be called from Scarborough, he would drive up to Charlotteville to sign us out then go back. To us the logic just wasn’t there. He was probably the one who had signed us out of Scarborough then would drive to Charlotteville to sign us back in. J Well that is how it works so we had to wait until 10h30 when he promised to be there.
Breakfast was on the cards and we finally found ‘Tanty’s Kitchen’ that was just opening for the day. Clarence the owner, is delightful. He spent many years in USA and moved home to Tobago to retire. He explained no one in Charlotteville served breakfast but he could make one of the lunch dishes for us. Fresh fried fish and chips were prepared. It was great and very nicely served with sliced cucumber and tomato. They even found coffee for us.
The Immigration officer finally arrived at about 10h45 and signed us out. We decided it was too late to set sail for Trinidad as leaving then meant we would arrive in the middle of the night. So we went down to coast and anchored in Store Bay. Anchor up the next morning at 05h00 and we sailed into Scotland Bay Trinidad (just round the corner from Chagauramas) at about 16h00.
On Thursday the 15th we were picked up by Dave of Ian’s taxis at 06h00 and arrived at the US Embassy just before 07h00. My appointment was at 09h00 but we had been advised to go early to avoid the traffic and the ques. When we got there about 100 people were already in line for their appointments. How it works is at the hour of your appointment you are let into the building. You had over your passport and papers then sit and wait to be called. I was finally called to my interview at 11h00.
Done and dusted they would courier my passport back to me in the next 3 – 5 working days. We had been told we would wait the max. To our surprise Peake Office called us at about 09h00 on the Monday to inform us the courier was there with my passport.
We had been hoping to leave as soon as we got it for Christmas in Grenada, but the weatherman is not as efficient as the US Embassy and had thrown 30 – 40 knot winds and 3 -5 meter swells at 9 secs into the passage between Trinidad and Grenada. So here we sit, it looks like Christmas in Trinidad and taking the small gap in the weather on the 26th to make for Grenada.
To all our family and friends, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your 2012 be blessed in every way!!
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