Just walked through airport security with a drink... Best thing ever! Flying from Trinidad to Tobago they let you take drinks through security and on the plane.
Once we landed (only a 20 minute fight) we took a maxi cab to Pennysavers (grocery store) and did lots of shopping for food. We then stopped at a fruit stand for some fruit before the hour and a half drive to Charlottesville at the other end of Tobago.
The drive was beautiful and windy. Lots of views of the ocean and turquoise waters mixed with views inland of tall green hills. To get to Charlottesville you drive up this really tall hill and then come down the other side. The town is nestled into the hillside; all brightly colored houses.
After unpacking we went down to the beach and swam for the afternoon. I tried out my new snorkel gear although the water was too sandy to see much. We played in the water for a long time before coming back and finding out that the cabins don't have working showers per say; they only dribble water. We all had to rinse off best we could and wash our hair in the sink.
Dinner was good; rice, cooked vegetables, fresh avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and stewed chicken. Trinidadians are big on meat on the bone which I am not. Jessica jokes that I'll be vegetarian before I leave. If I didn't love pad thai and burgers so much I might!
The evening was reading and taking notes for our first day of class tomorrow and relaxing. I finished one of my two books I brought; I knew I should have brought more to read. It's actually pretty boring in the evening since there is no wifi or computers and it gets dark too early to do anything outside. There's only so many card games to play.
The other people in my cabin saw a cockroach in the kitchen; from the way they screamed I thought one of the stray dogs has gotten in. There are far too many bugs for my liking here in places they should not be...like the kitchen and bed. I want my rich American bug free room back. It's amazing how expectations change. I used to think the Lodge was pretty bare bones but now it's looking rather cushy.
The area here is very beautiful; tomorrow we are going to go explore Charlottesville I think. Maybe we will finally find a place to get a piña colada; all the girls want one now. However I was promised coral reefs off the beach and fruit trees at the Man-o-War cottages and these are both untrue...any fruit is not in season and no sign of coral reefs. There are some other cool beaches we can hike to this week which I'm looking forward to. Either way, I'm getting tanner!
There are two rather distinctive Trini drinks; Mauby (pronounced Mo-be) and Sorrel. Sorrel I'm told is usually a Christmas drink but I found a bottle and got it today along with some Mauby. They are drink concentrate you mix with water to your taste. Much nicer than drinking normal water!
It's only been a week since leaving but it feels so much longer. I miss my family at home; 4 and almost 1/2 months is still a long time away. The other students are starting to realize if as well, I think, but most are used to it from leaving for college.
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