Diving

Thursday 14 Jan 2016

Tobago - Castara

Up early in the hope the Internet might let me update the blog! I opened the door and found it was grey and drizzly. No matter, it is still 25C, so I make a cup of tea and set to work. Get on Internet, write blog, save blog, no chance, publish blog, no chance! Oh well at least the view is good!

I can hear the waves still crashing on the beach, there will be no swimming or snorkelling on this side of the island today.

After breakfast we head back on the now familiar road over the mountains to Roxborough. Turning east we continue on to Speyside and the Blue Waters Inn. After getting through security, we headed down the very rutted drive and park in the hotel car park. We wandered in to the hotel and found a place in the lounge for Lynn to sit and get a drink and then I headed for the dive centre.

I'd already filled in most of the paperwork but had a couple of questions. Those resolved we came to the thorny issue that the last time I'd dived was in the Seychelles 6 years ago! Where did those years go? I suppose we've been to places that I either couldn't dive (Galapagos) or didn't want to or couldn't dive (Alaska, USA road trip). The dive master told me I needed a skills check before we went diving. I happily agreed, and went for a dive in the hotel swimming pool. I had to demonstrate DV and mask clearing and simulate out of air, buddy breathing and a controlled lift. I guess it is like riding a bike, I managed it tombs satisfaction.

Off we went in the dive boat to find a relatively sheltered dive site. The water was certainly rougher today. Under some cliffs and close to waves breaking onto rocks, we jumped off the stern of the boat and dropped into 20+ metres of water. The visibility wasn't fantastic, but was in excess of 15 metres. The dive was a drift dive along the coastal wall. The fish life was everything you wish of tropical diving and I saw too many species to mention. The coral was good too, the fan and gorgon were particularly spectacular. Of note was a huge Moray Eel, many huge lobsters, baby squid and right on cue at the end of the dive a larger turtle.

After almost an hour at 18 metres, we came up and decompressed at 3 metres before clambering back on the boat and heading back to the hotel. I can say that I rediscovered my love of diving again today. Why ever did I stop? Look out wish list!

Back on shore, I joined Lynn for lunch in the hotel. We were amazed that the prices were almost the same as those outside the hotel. Service was good too. In fact things were so good, I booked to five again on Saturday.

Following this, we headed back to Castara. We had to go the coastal route as the route over the mountains is too high following the dive. Diving and then climbing to altitude are a recipe for decompression sickness aka 'the bends'. The coastal road still climbs, but nowhere near 650 metres of the mountain road.

Back in Castara, we relaxed and had another attempt to update the blog - failed. I popped out and booked to have dinner at Castara a Retreat an upmarket dining spot owned by Brits and featured in the Telegraph Travel pages,  doancha know! Look it up on line, it looks really good!

We strolled back into the village and visited D'Almond again. It is a low key place but the food is good. Tonight we both had the coconut shrimps in garlic sauce with wedges! It was delicious and has the added effect that any self respecting Vampire will leave us in peace.

Footnote: Suddenly at 2140, the Internet suddenly burst into life andcenabked me to not only write this, but hopefully publish it too.