DREAM TIME
Tobago is a dream windsurfing location. Arriving out of the fag end of a murky, cold and gloomy British winter one is immediately struck by the brilliance of the light and the clarity of the water. The body’s immediate response is to take a deep breath and . . . . BREATHE – as the air escapes the lungs it feels like so much tension is being expelled. But maybe that is a little bit too mystical for you – even so, the Tobagans won’t let you hold onto stress. They are not in a rush. They have T . . I . . M . . E. Time to chew the fat; time to have a joke with you; time to swap some banter. If one’s life in Europe is the equivalent of rushing around in a sports car – well, when you arrive in Tobago you’re cruising around in a classic Citroen Mehari (look it up). At first the change of pace (and style) comes as a jolt – but soon the vibe gets under your skin and you can’t help but let the smile spread across your face and slow down the pace of your gait as you quickly slip into the languid rhythm of the Caribbean.
A quick anecdote that illustrates this culture shock was given to me by a friend who recounted a story from his first visit to Tobago. After the long flight from the UK he and his wife were impatient to get to the house that they had rented for their holiday. So they jumped into a taxi and gave the driver the address – a remote spot towards the north of the island. After 10 minutes or so of friendly banter with the driver, he pulls over by a bar and says he needs to quickly see someone inside, is that OK? My friend, a little exasperated, smiles and says “yes” through gritted teeth.
“What the hell is going on?”, he thinks, “I want to start my holiday”.
After a couple of minutes the driver comes back out to the car and invites them inside for a beer! My friends are befuddled and surprised, but in that moment, they realise the holiday has already started. They are now in Tobago time and so respond with a resounding “yes!” and a lifelong love of Tobago and its people has begun.