Bit of a déjà vu, we will still be in Trinidad for my birthday for the second year running. Mr Gittens has eliminated every single option as to why our engine starting is not working… one more thing to be checked, the injection pump… it is going to take up to 10 days to have it sorted, my birthday is in 3 days… guess we are stuck here for another one, two years in a row. We also need to be in a marina, we can’t be on a buoy with no means of moving… the swell can be quite bad and there is always the risk at this time of year that waves may require us to decamp rapidly. So off we trot to Coral Cove, not the nicest of the marina, but safe. I make the most of it and do loads of varnishing and polishing… all our neighbours are well impressed.
So that leaves us with thinking about an activity for my birthday. We have hired a car and the first priority is to stock up. Shopping always a winner even if it is only for food. We did stray into Peake’s home store, found loads of goodies there, including motion sensor lights… they will be brilliant in the food lockers.
The Caroni swamp is not far but as per usual the traffic into port of spain is horrendous. We had made sure we were on our way in plenty time but it took us 2 hours to get there. Fortunately, we were not the only one so the 4pm departure had been delayed. We jumped in the boat along with another 15 people and we were driven around the swamp. We were lucky enough to see an alligator and a snake asleep in the tree. The place is full of bird songs. We soon reach a big lake surrounded with mangrove and the spectacle starts. Thousand of scarlet ibises come to roost on the island in the middle of the lake. The trees looks like they have red berries sprouting on them. Swarms of red wings in the sky, on a back drop of mountains, it is just stunning. The sun is setting, making those wings change tone from red to pink, what a spectacle. So pleased we could make it, truly magical.
We round up the day with a meal out and a movie… another shoot them up … was not lucky as we were last year with the green days by the river movie.
Sure enough, 10 days later, Mr Gittens is back with the pump, hopefully it will work this time and we will be able to move on finally.