We're hiking in Trinidad's northern range, heading for Aripo Cave, when Ivan mentions that there's a fer-de-lance up ahead. "It's one of Trinidad's four poisonous snakes," he says matter-of-factly. Mottled brown and gray, the fer-de-lance is half-coiled in the thick undergrowth. And though I don't have any great affection for snakes, this one -- a baby, according to Ivan -- is sublime as it lies motionless on the damp soil.
We don't get too close, of course; this is, after all, the snake responsible for more human deaths than any other in the Americas. But with Ivan and his brother Edmund as our guides, I don't feel uncomfortable. Both are affiliated with The Pathmaster (tel. 868/621-0255; www.thepathmaster.com), a Port-of-SpainÂ?based tour company, and it's clear that they're intimately familiar with this terrain.
After studying the snake, and carefully skirting around it, we trudge ahead through primary montane forest. The air is dank and cloying, with showers spitting intermittently from above. (Each year, some 100 inches/245cm of rain fall here.) Decked with verdant ferns and a canopy of swaying hardwood trees, the forest has a primeval feel. Land crabs scuttle across our path. Emperor butterflies, with iridescent blue wings, flutter nearby. And purple honeycreepers dart from limb to limb. For urbanites like me, this is the perfect getaway: an outdoor adventure that's physically demanding and mentally engaging.
The Pathmaster offers a number of active itineraries in Trinidad and Tobago, which last anywhere from a few hours to ten days. Options include hiking, kayaking and cycling -- sometimes a combination of more than one -- and all trips are rated from 1 (easy) to 5 (extreme adventure). You don't have to be a tri-athlete to participate, but the itineraries are designed for reasonably fit people who welcome a challenge and who are curious about the natural world. Our hike to Aripo Cave? It's rated 3 (strenuous).
A rising cacophony tells us that we've arrived at the cave. What we're hearing are the calls of the guacharos, or oilbirds. It's not hard to understand why the Amerindians once believed these otherworldly shrieks were the souls of the dead crying out. The dissonant squawks, however, belie the birds' appearance: At about 18 inches (46cm) in length and with brown fingered wings, the guacharos are cute as they huddle cautiously on the flat surfaces of Aripo Cave; and controlled as they fly -- with a helicopter-like ability to hover and turn -- from one side of the cave's mouth to the other. (We're able to see the birds with the help of a flashlight.)
We don't linger at the cave's opening but rather climb, shimmy and crawl into its rough maw. And it isn't long before we're covered in guano (droppings) -- which in no way diminishes the thrill of being so close to these strange birds, the only nocturnal, fruit-eating avian species in the world. Guacharos, Ivan explains, forage at night, navigating by echolocation, or sonar.
Soon enough, we're on our way back -- the hike takes about four hours, including a break for lunch (with food and beverages provided by the Pathmaster). By mid-afternoon we've returned to Port-of-Spain. Sure, we're all a bit fatigued, not to mention grimy, but there's still enough daylight left for some kayaking on Williams Bay. And off we go.
Though only separated by 20 miles (32km), Trinidad and Tobago are markedly different from one another. The latter, laid-back and tranquil, has a population of just 45,000 (compared with Trinidad's 1.25 million) and contains only 6% of the country's land (and no poisonous snakes). Not surprisingly, then, despite both islands being first-rate ecotourism destinations, my rainforest hike on Tobago is quite different from the expedition to Aripo Cave. Here, we're led by Harris McDonald, the owner of Harris's Jungle Tours (tel. 868/639-0513; www.harris-jungle-tours.com). A great bear of a man with a stentorian laugh, Harris drives us to the Main Ridge Reserve, which runs along the upper portion of Tobago's mountainous spine. Established in 1776, it is the oldest protected nature reserve in the Western Hemisphere.
Our group follows Harris along a gently descending trail; it's an easy hike, more like a leisurely stroll, during which we see a trio of blue-backed manakins as well as two striped owls peering down from the upper canopy. A number of endemic species live in the reserve, including the red-crowned woodpecker, the white-tailed sabrewing hummingbird, and the olivaceous woodcreeper. To spot and identify these species, you need a good guide. Harris is more jocular than Ivan and Edmund, but like them he displays a keen knowledge about the ecology of his country and, specifically, of the reserve. He adeptly mimics birdcalls and explains to our group that the rainforest here is relatively young, owing to a hurricane that uprooted much of the flora in 1974.
Beckoning us to a tree with a distended trunk, Harris plunges a twig into what turns out to be a termite nest. The translucent insects scamper up the twig, which Harris then licks as if it were the last of a popsicle. "Tastes like carrots," he says, offering the "snack" around. (I pass.)
Later in the day, Harris drives us along serpentine roads to Charlotteville, where a crescent beach fronts Man O' War Bay, on the island's windward side. After our rainforest walk and some early-afternoon snorkeling, this is the ideal place to relax, take in the spectacular view, and sample the island's delicacies: rum and a hunk of sweet, spongy coconut cake. If the Caribbean can be epitomized by a single setting, it might be here at Charlotteville. Men play checkers in the ample shade of a nearby palm tree. Sleek yachts bob at their moorings. And the waves burble softly against the beach. All of which can have a soporific effect on a weary traveler. But before my eyes shut, Harris flashes his impossibly wide smile and says it's time to head for Argylle Falls, where we'll hike a short distance, then swim in the cool runoff from the rainforest. Another adventure in paradise.
Note: This trip was sponsored by the Tourism Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago
General Information
For entry requirements, cultural activities, and a list of airlines servicing the islands, visit the Trinidad and Tobago Fast Facts and other pages at Frommers.com or check out the Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company's website (www.visittnt.com). When you're there, it will be helpful to have a copy of Frommer's Caribbean 2006.
Where to Stay
On Tobago: I stayed at Arnos Vale Hotel (tel. 868/639-2881; www.arnosvalehotel.com), a charming inn set on 450 acres overlooking the Caribbean. Every day at 4pm, while tea is served on the hotel veranda, the island's birds serenade visitors. Other lodging options include: Le Grand Courlan Resort Spa (tel. 868/639-9667www.legrandcourlan-resort.com), an upscale property on the western part of the island; Kariwak Village Holistic Haven and Hotel (tel. 868/639-8442; www.kariwak.com), which offers yoga and tai chi classes, and has an excellent open-air restaurant that's great for dinner; and Blue Waters Inn (tel. 800/742-4276; www.bluewatersinn.com), a favorite of nature lovers, located on Tobago's northeast coast.
On Trinidad: You won't go wrong at Port-of-Spain's Coblentz Inn (tel. 868/621-0541; www.coblentzinn.com), with its themed rooms (try for the Rum Shop if you have a penchant for the "crazy sugar cane juice") and its fabulous Battimamzelle restaurant. Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge (tel. 800/426-7781; www.asawright.org) is located in a protected area of Trinidad's northern range and is famous among birders. It's worth a visit even if you don't stay overnight. Monique's Guest House (tel. 868/628-3334; moniquestrinidad.com) is an inexpensive option near the capital.
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