The serenity of Aripo Heights, nestled in the foothills of the highest peak (El Cerro del Aripo) in the Northern Range of the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is punctuated occasionally by dragon flies engaged in a mating dance, a babbling brook that's sure to melt the day's stress away, not to mention singing frogs, chirping birds and the intrepid tourist...ah Nirvana!
The trek started at the base in the village at a bar, appropriately called Falcon Crest, perched atop a winding staircase with handrails seemingly on the wrong side where the regular patrons drink overproof rum (75%+ alcohol by volume). So after a round or two, we are finally on our way, heading off the main road on foot through what seems to be the entrance to a rain forest. Stepped fields of watercress, engineered to be irrigated naturally by water cascading from the falls on higher ground, drape the banks of our nature trail.
And now, Aripo Heights from another perspective ... As part of the customary Ash Wednesday "Carnival Cool Down", I told TrekkerD that I'd like to go to the beach. I was told that would be no problem, and that his dear friend Lincoln knew of a place that also had a beautiful waterfall in a secluded area "off the beaten path". It all sounded wonderful, so the next morning we got up early and got dressed ... me in my bathing suit, cute shorts, sun-visor and flip-flops ... and waited for Lincoln to pick us up. When he arrived, he told me that running shoes might be more appropriate. I suppose that should have tipped me off.
ReplyDeleteThe approximate 1-hour drive from Couva (mid-central west coast of Trinidad) to Aripo Heights (mid-central north coast) was lovely and scenic, with quaint towns along the way, few people in the streets, and small friendly bars (locally referred to as “rum shops”) similar to Falcon Crest on just about every 4th street corner.
Now to those of us who are not such eco-friendly nature-lovers, and who have what some might consider “irrational” fears of spiders and other insects, the “meditative sounds of nature” that TrekkerD referred to proved to be somewhat disturbing. Add to that the fact that there was no afore-mentioned beach anywhere in sight, and I now realized that hiking boots and cargo pants might have been a better choice than my running shoes and shorts.
I must admit that the waterfall was indeed lovely to watch and listen to when we finally made our way through the “rainforest” to get to it. Unfortunately, during our trek into and out of the forest, and also while standing on the edge of the water, I managed to accumulate no fewer than 50-75 insect bites around my calves, shins, and ankles. At first I thought they were simply mosquito bites, but as time progressed and the itching got worse and the bumps got larger, I realized that it was some other manner of beast that had attacked me … I now believe they might have been sand flies. It is now 2 weeks later, and the prescription strength steroid cream I’ve been applying has reduced the itching, and the bumps are gradually drying up. I will probably not be wearing skirts for a while Funnily enough the men did not seem to be at all bothered by insect bites.
All that being said, the KEY take-away is: The trip to the waterfalls at Aripo Heights is definitely a must for the eco-tourist … just make sure you’ve applied insect-repellant and have taken proper precautions to cover your skin with appropriate clothing.
Happy trails!
Sharon