an amazing day "down the islands"

Today we went "down the islands," as the Trinis say. This means that we went to the north-western tip of Trinidad where we got on a boat to cruise around for the day to check out some smaller islands. I LOVE being out on the water and this day was absolutely amazing!! The natural beauty of Trinidad could never cease to amaze me. Even though it's the dry season and Trinidad is experiencing a pretty significant drought, the scenery is still incredibly beautiful. As Jess put it, we probably had our laziest day thus far but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Sunbathing surrounded by good company (including relentless entertainment provided by "el fruto" and "el muchador"), floating across a crystal blue ocean inhabited by graceful pelicans and flying fish (along with TONS of jellyfish!!), and observing the mountains and colorful cottages all around us while the popular local soca music blared from the deck below made for an unforgettable day. There were several moments when I just sat back, took in the beauty and positive energy all around me, and thought that this was the most care-free I've felt in a LONG time. If I could spend the afternoon like that for the rest of my life, I'd be a very happy woman (and probably a very sunburned one too...). After a fabulous day "down the islands," we are sporting some serious tan lines (or should I say, burn lines) but even that couldn't possibly put a damper on such a fun day! Oh, and to top it off, stopping to get some local ice cream on the way home was a great treat. I can definitely recommend the cherry vanilla/orange pineapple combination :)