Wednesday, June 8, 2011

BIKE RIDING IN TOBAGO.





Meet The Unofficial Ambassador of Tobago!

If you are thinking of visiting Tobago for its incredible rain forest and spectacular diving, how about an amazing bike ride? Let me back track a little. About 20 years ago I met my friend Eamon, one of the best unofficial ambassadors of Tobago there is. With his positive vibes and love for Tobago, I immediately knew we would get along. Whenever I return to Tobago, I always make sure to visit Eamon and am consistently welcomed with a warm, friendly hello.

Among the many outdoor activities I enjoy in Tobago, I had never experienced a bike ride with Eamon across the island. I have to tell you, this is the island I ran wild on! It is an island I thought I knew so well...until today!

We scheduled a 3pm ride. I went to Eamon’s home and was embraced by Fat boy, one of his dogs.

We talked a bit and I got a bike, helmet and gloves and we were off. Eamon served as my trusted tour guide. Pssssssssh! Like I needed one!

We rode through village after village…all fairly familiar and expected. All of a sudden, I found myself being lead through back yards, passing goats, chickens and smiling kids asking us to perform tricks on our bikes. Eamon was more than happy to please them. And as quickly as it had begun, all of a sudden I found myself standing at the crest of spectacular cliff towering over crystal clear blue/green water and rocks.

My jaw literally dropped. Eamon simply smiled and led us on to our next destination. Before you know it, we were riding through a fishing village,

through a park and climbing steep hills. I honestly thought I had experienced it all until we were riding through a lush estate.

All of a sudden we came upon an amazing white sand pit surrounded by blue waters. Nirvana!

Eamon thankfully dug in to his back pack and pulled out some healthy snacks. We chatted in this private paradise a bit, then recharged, we hit the pedals again. On the way back, we thought we accidentally ran over a 4 foot snake! To my bloody surprise, Eamon jumped off his bike and ran into the bushes to make sure the snake was okay.

Would you believe he not only caught the snake (which we thankfully did not hurt), but he also picked it up and apologized for scaring it! He then released the reptile back to the bushes.

I am simply blown away by his compassion for all living things. That compassion and passion also extends to the flora and fauna native to our beloved Trinidad and Tobago. On our way back he described the many crabs that were along our track scurrying about with bright orange legs. They kept disappearing, one after the other, like a wave of fire it was spectacular!


We carefully crossed a major road and headed into an area called Friendship Estate. I was familiar with the Friendship Estate, but not like this! It is extremely lush with many small streams covered with big rocks and large tree roots protruding from the earth and water. It’s like a scene from Jurassic park! Needless to say our adrenaline rush continued! Off we went sweating and thirsty, ready to find our way home.

If you want to get a view of Tobago that you won’t get from a boat, plane or car, I highly recommend Amon for a visually stimulating experience while you stay healthy.

Great job Eamon!

Email: tobagomountainbike@hotmail.com
Phone: (868)332 5872

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

beautiful pictures! I cant wait to visit Tobago again. How can I contact Eamon to experience the bike tour?

Unknown said...

Here it is
Email: tobagomountainbike@hotmail.com
Phone: (868)332 5872.

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog Antonio, I will definitely check it out next visit.
Christian

iomabeergarden said...

Super pics and great writing to fully illustrate the experience G.

"You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on to them, to feel the pull of their weight and allow yourself to follow where they lead."
-Marcus Buckingham

I just came across this quote then I happened onto your post, I believe it all speaks volumes. Tobago sweeeet.

newer older