Bush Trekking and Beach Bumming

When we asked a past Trinity student about Christo Adonis and what he was like she just gave us a smirk and said, “I’ll let you guys find out for yourselves”. That was a slightly unsettling and intriguing way to go into a day of bush trekking in the jungle. We had no idea what to expect. In my mind I imagined a grueling hike into the mountains, being dehydrated and in pain all day and being led by an intense guy with no tolerance for weakness. But my expectations were pleasantly inaccurate.

The day started with a bus ride through the mountains lined with tall green trees and vines and flowers with stops along the way to pick a cocoa plant or a couple of mangos. Our guides were Christo Adonis, a great character, and his son Kevin. Christo is a mixed indigenous Trinidadian and has stayed connected to their traditional customs and culture. He is a shaman for the indigenous spirituality and mentors students in their spiritual healings and rituals. His connection to the indigenous movement and his status as a shaman have made him a well-known name in the region so it was really cool to spend the day with him. He entertained us with good humor and information on everything we wanted to know about the jungle and what we saw and did. His son Kevin is a Rastafarian and knew everything about the jungle and was so at home there. They were both so close to nature and interesting that it made the trip such a good experience. At the top of the mountain we started our hike along a river to the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen.
The sun shone through the tall canopy, the blue butterflies flew around, the birds chirped and the crystal clear water cascaded down. It was completely unreal. True paradise. I felt so happy the whole day, feeling my feet in the water and in the dirt, feeling the sun and the waterfall crashing down, hearing the birds, sweating and getting dirty, it felt so good to be out in nature and away from everything. I felt so at peace.
Today we headed to the beach for the first time. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. We drove through the mountains to get there and the views were amazing of the cliffs down to the Caribbean sea. The beach was chill, people limin’ on the beach and in the water, families playing ball in the waves, blasting music from their cars and grooving, and just sitting around having a good time. Once again I felt disbelief at the fact that I am here in reality. Listening to reggae playing from the cars and sitting on a beach I just feel like I have been here many times before in my day dreams but now I am actually here and it is amazing. The vibe of the culture is so warm and easy and intoxicating. I find myself longing to live in a place like this, just as I felt in Cuba, where the pace is slower, people are warmer, music permeates every part of you, and the country is beautiful. One day....