My second visit to Tobago was in May 2000. My husband and I spent most of the time
soaking up the sun on the beach, but on a rainy day we decided to visit some
interesting Tobago sites. Our first stop was Richmond Great House (pictured right).
To get there, we got a local taxi from Scarborough travelling along the Windward
Road on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island. Located in Belle Garden, Richmond
Great House is one of the oldest surviving plantation houese in Tobago; its foundation
dates back to 1766. The square, white-washed brick house sits on a hill amidst six
acres of plantation land. The land was granted by the British Crown to Walter Pringle,
who originally made it into a sugar-cane plantation. In the first half of the
20th century, the land was converted into a cocoa and coconut plantation.
The Great House is currently owned by Dr. Hollis Lynch, a retired
Professor of African History who taught at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Lynch
restored the house to its original splendour and decorated its interior with his personal
collection of African art and textiles. He eventually opened the house to the public
and converted it into an inn. When we arrived at the Great House, the whole place
was as quiet as a church-mouse. The view of the mountains, palm trees and jungle was
breathtaking. After walking around a bit, we found someone to give us a tour of the house.
(Tours cost TT$10 a person.) We saw Dr. Lynch, but he was too busy watching TV to speak with
us. There are rumours that he is thinking about selling the Great House as his
children (all living abroad) are not interested in inheriting the property. I wish I had the money!
The second stop on our little rainy-day adventure was the First Historical Café.
I'd read about this fascinating Tobago treasure in a travel magazine and was quite
eager to see it for myself. The Café is located at the eight mile mark on the
Windward Road in Studley Park. Upon our arrival, I saw some goats grazing around the "Welcome to
Studley Park" sign and just had to take a picture of this quaint scene.
The First Historical Café is perched on a cliff's edge overlooking Pinfold Bay on the
Atlantic side of the island. Even on a rainy day, the view of the rushing waves and the diving
pelicans was an amazing sight. The Café was opened by a retired Tobagonian, Kenneth Washington,
as a sort of shrine to the history of Tobago. All along the walls are meticulously handwritten
accounts of Tobago's history and culture along with local anecdotes. Some of these include the following: "Tobago's
first shipment of sugar left the island from Studley Park aboard a ship named Dolly" and "Trinidad
is bright and loud and Tobago is calm and whispers. Trinidad is cosmopolitan, Tobago is natural
and unspoiled. However, citizens of both islands are hospitable and dignified."
While enjoying a delightful lunch (the Café serves a light menu of sandwiches, burgers hot dogs and salads along with fresh juices, beer and rum), I picked up a flyer distributed by the Washington family that describes the Café as follows:
The First Historical Café caters for all and can be likened to a Tropical Chest overflowing with Historical facts of Tobago's past (15th to 20th centuries). It lends itself to a very picturesque and rustic ambience, amidst beautiful patches of natural flower arrangements, complimented with gaily coloured bamboo decorations. The idea of this amazingly new creation was undertaken with the view of sharing a knowledge of this Historic and PARADISE ISLAND with all those persons who are interested in knowing a little of the background and history of same.
These pictures of Tobago's highest waterfall were taken during my first trip
to Tobago in 1993. For some reason, I feel inspired to include them now. Well, this
three-tiered waterfall (54 metres tall) is a beautiful sight! My husband and I had
met two great guys on Store Bay beach who offered to drive us around the island (for free!
though we had to fork over the money for the rented car) and the waterfall was one
of the stops on the trip. I didn't know what to expect and was not wearing appropriate shoes
for climbing up the waterfall. Boo hiss! I must do that one of these days.
Argyle Waterfall is located in Roxborough and is open daily
from 7:30am to 5pm. The entrance fee is TT$20 per person, and if you don't have
two wonderful Tobagonian gentlemen to show you around (as we did), local guides can be hired
for TT$15 at the Roxborough Visitor Service Cooperative Society. The best time to visit
the waterfall is during the rainy season as the increased flow creates an even more
spectacular sight.
