Troubles in Paradise? Week 1 update

So, we made it! and survived a whole week! 51 more to go and we might actually be able to say we're good at this travelling thing.

Plane Landing - Tobago

It was a pretty bumpy start with our nice bank account that gave free overseas withdrawals falling through (hello 3% + £1.50 from Barclays), then getting told we might have to pay up to £1,860 for a years supply of malaria tablets for the both of us! Thankfully it wasn't that bad in the end. After that having some confusion with the travel health people meaning we could only get half the injections we wanted (If I die of one of those diseases I fully blame them ;p). But we made it and survived the two weeks of trying to say goodbye to everyone. Kim even managed to fit her vast amounts of stuff she wanted to take into her Backpack, after several re-packs to shuffle some bits around, a whole year surviving with about 9kg worth of stuff each.

Now I'm one of those people that when a police car goes past I try to look as normal as possible and end up looking shifty and weird. Going through the immigration lines at the airport is a similar situation, if you just act normally, no-one will suspect a thing and you probably won't have your bag checked. Unfortunately we discovered that Kim may not be quite as cut out for travelling as we previously thought, with a bout of travel sickness rearing it's ugly head as we we're getting off the plane. So trying not to look shifty whilst Kim is having to dash out of the queue for a trip to the toilets and coming back looking a bit green and sweaty made me surprised we weren't pulled out of the line for a search there and then. After that, trying to explain why we have six months of Malaria tablets for a two week holiday in a country that doesn't have a problem with Malaria, but missing out the key detail that we are travelling and moving on from Tobago led to a bit of confusion at the declarations.

But Tobago. Actually here, and wow what a place! I love that first moment when you step off a plane and the wave of hot air washes over you, the way it never does in Britain. The first drive through from the Airport to the Villa was a bit of an eye opener, it does not appear to be a rich, affluent area with many of the buildings looking half built then abandoned. But you have to give it to them, they enjoy what they have, packed bars with music blaring, BBQ's dishing out amazing smelling food and everyone just 'Liming' (I think that's tobagonian for chilling/relaxing). The lifestyle appears to be working well for them. After talking to three locals whilst wandering round an old fort we guessed their ages at about 30 and were then enlightened that the youngest was 49 with only a few gray hairs on his beard giving a hint of his true age.

Within a five minute walk is one of the most idyllic beaches I've been on, with a bar serving cocktails so you can just sit back, take in the scenery whilst watching the morning fisherman hauling in their nets for that days catch.

But unfortunately the problem with paradise is that we aren't the only one's that love being here. The mosquitoes seem to love it just as much as we do, both Kim and Gary have been eaten alive with clusters covering their lower legs and several more spread all over. Kim must be protecting me as I've only got two so far :p
Since getting here the first aid kit has already has had about 4 outings due to bites, glass in a foot, a really nasty splinter :p and did I mention the bites? But other than that and everyone getting burnt to a crisp in the first three days due to a rather intense sun it's gone pretty well.

So, much more of a nice relaxing holiday so far as opposed to travelling and seeing the world, the serious travelling starts in a few weeks when we throw ourselves into a country we barely speak the language and have no clue what we're doing :p Now we have a car, next week should be a bit more active with wandering round the Rainforest, a few Boat trips and seeing more of the island.