THE PLANTATIONS OR LOWLANDS OF TOBAGO

We moved into an apartment in the Tobago Plantations development last week.  This is where the missionary couple we replaced have been living for the past year.  Two sister missionaries live above us on the third floor.  Of course we are enjoying ourselves here.  We had a nice apartment in Trinidad but the contrast of living here is quite obvious.  There are no bars on the windows or doors, the streets of Tobago are much less congested and there are beaches everywhere.  The island is only six miles wide and twenty-six miles long so it would be hard to get lost.  There seem to be adequate services for food and the drive to the chapel from where we live is only about fifteen minutes on an excellent road.  I believe we are spoiled.  Our assignment is to look after the Tobago Branch.  I am the Branch President and Nettie is happily going to take care of Primary (no Primary presidency, teachers, chorister,  pianist - nothing - Nettie will do it all).  There were 6 children there last week ranging from two years to ten.  We are spending our days cleaning and organizing 'things' at the church house. 

Our palm-lined entry

Front entry of the Magdalena Hotel which is close by

Hibiscus Flower

Our apartment

Typical architecture

Magdalena Hotel in background.  Our swimming pool (pools are everywhere).

Flowers of every color and shape.  

We haven't begun the wet season yet though we have had a couple of rain storms.

Out on the golf course

We understand it is a PGA course.  It is beautiful and we are able to walk it before eight in the morning and after five in the evening.

Magdalena Hotel from golf course

Lily ponds

We wondered if they bloom all year long.  The leaves are a deep red-brown and about twelve inches in diameter. The flower heads are about eight inches in diameter.

Atlantic Ocean behind the golf course

 Golf Course with coastline in background

Flowering tree

Pond with more water lilies  

Signs are posted everywhere warning of Caiman - we have seen one in the large lake and we were told that one was in our swimming pool a couple of months ago.

Looking at our housing units behind pond

Imposing stone structure behind one of the golf greens

Closeup with canon on left 

 First we thought the structure was for sugar cane production or storage, now we wonder if it was a defensive structure (see canon on left)

Intriguing historic structure in excellent shape

Another flowering tree of which there are many

Large pond of water plants with an island of trees in the center

Beautiful flowers everywhere

I know, you thought we were roughing it as missionaries in the West Indies.  We actually are working hard in a country of contrasts - tonight we visited with the Regis family which I will talk about on a future blog.