Just returned

[T Heie]

Yah, mon! Hi, good afternoon.
We've just arrived home from our week (too short) on Tobago.
This site was invaluable in giving us the information we needed to have a wonderful trip
We will definitely return to "paradise" some day soon.
More to come, including my one and only story of the Aloe Man at Store Bay, eating take-away conch roti, dining on goat, SCUBA diving twice (our first times), Sandy Point Beach Club (excellent, and full of nice staff and travelers), a road trip to Speyside and Charlotteville, Sail Week revelry, sunburns, beach chairs and umbrellas, taxi rides, Sunday School, and the warm people of this special place.
Thanks again, Steve and the other people who posted comments and suggestions.

Troy

[V Fabry]

..and we do want to know really all, because it's still more than 2 months till we can go, so tell us... everything you liked(specially about the Speyside Charlotteville side of the island)

[Paul Tallet]

Tell me more about the umbrellas.

Cheers

[Jane H]

Damn it Paul - that was what I wanted to know.

Jane

PS Are you getting accustomed to "Tobago Anorak" status?!?

[Paul Tallet]

Yes Jane

One could speculate that 'umbrella' status is the next notch up !!

Cheers

[T Heie]

Ah, yes, the umbrellas.
well, my lady and i were not about to put our oregon-white skin beneath the hot tobago sun without having the refuge of an umbrella. we found them to be very affordable ($5 US for two beach chairs and said umbrella at Store Bay -- for the whole day; $3.50 US for two chairs at Pigeon Point, sans the umbrella -- just find a nice tree to sit under there). as it happens, we met a nice couple from Reno, Nevada, and whilst our mates came to tobago somewhat darker than we were, our friend was not about to pay the $5 US for any amenities at Store Bay. "That's a rip-off," I believe I heard him say. A pity, really, since his wife was the color of a lob-stah after the first day.
also, it's so much easier to read Earl Lovelace's "Salt" in the comfort of a chair, rather than scrunching oneself up into any variety of positions in order to have a read on your beach towel.

Re: the Aloe Man of Store Bay.
Only saw him once; he rubbed down a German tourist who had arrived the night before. The German guy was quite surprised -- particularly because, as he explained to Mr. Aloe, there was no sunburn for the plant to soothe, which apparently made Aloe Dude so embarrassed, he simply walked away without asking anyone for any money.
We found the vendors at Store Bay to be a non-issue. Really, they were quite polite when we said a kind, 'no thanks,' even wishing us happy days as we continued our holiday.

[Paul Tallet]

There was me getting all excited about umbrellas ... and he starts going on about 'sun shades'.

Pah ... what is the world coming to ?

[T Heie]

oops 'sun shade,' yes, you're right, Paul.
i was writing in English instead of British.
my apologies.

restaurant note:
Ru-B-Lou's and Bonker's were outstanding, and the buffet at the Tropikist was a nice night out, despite the fact that all the power went out toward the end of the meal; the candlelight atmosphere was pretty romantic, now that i think of it. After Hours near the airport was strictly local fare, somewhat on the over-fried side; we stuck to goat roti, conch roti and crab 'n' dumplings at Store Bay and were not disappointed. watch out for the bones in some of the roti (huge bones, in fact.) Flaming Dragon and Dillon's apparently were open depending on the whim of the owner, so we never made it in.