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Englishman’s beach in Tobago – Wikimedia Commons

This is an adventure travel website; however, when traveling, you cannot be on the go one-hundred percent of the time. Today, guest blogger Allie Merrick will share a tip or two about kicking back before or after the adventure.

The rest and relaxation I experienced in Trinidad and Tobago came in many forms. However, rhum and lobster were two of my favorites.

The Rhum
While the island cocktails I enjoyed consisted of a formula that included fruit juice variables, the constant in the equation was always Trinidad’s black-labeled island rhum. A prerequisite for sunbathing on the beach included the preparation of said beverage. With each glass, my state of relaxation was drastically increased, while my inhibitions were equivocally decreased. Beneath the rays of the sun and between the waves of the surf, I defined the term “full exposure” with an involuntary demonstration presented by myself sans beachwear where it belonged. Ladies, when playing in the waves on the coast of Trinidad keep your bikini tied tight. Better yet, wear a one-piece as the intense tide can manhandle you and unexpectedly undress you without permission. After the waves had their way with me, I decided the shore was a safer place to sit and sip.

On a side note, this black-labeled Trinidad rhum must be consumed quite a bit on the islands, as the bottles it comes in are recycled, reused and restocked on local market shelves with peanuts inside them for sale. As a fan of nuts, I can highly recommend purchasing these bottles of blanched peanuts.

The Lobster
A mid-west girl, grown and raised, I was used to sizable steaks and legs of lamb. What I was NOT familiar with was the size of lobster found in Trinidad and Tobago. With a tail nearly the size of my head, the lobster served at Jemma’s Kitchen (a MUST when visiting) cascaded over the edges of the plate it was served on. While I have had lobster more times than I can count, if there was a point system for seafood like there is for wine, there would be no numerical value to express the magnitude of pleasure manifested on the palate by this lobster.

The tail was as epic as Everest and damn near that large. Mountains of local fare sides were served in bowls and formed a range along the middle of the table. It seemed as though there should have been black diamond signs posted to indicate that meals served here were for experienced eaters only. Even the salads warranted more practice that a bunny-hill level could provide. Amateur appetites, while welcomed, should be given warning that the level of abundance in both quality and quantity here is intense.

While on this eating excursion at Jemma’s, should you need to stop for a moment to rest, there is a black-labeled island rhum I might suggest.

Allie Merrick is wine personality as co-host of MY WINE WORDS (www.mywinewords.com) and a travel photographer/videographer, currently working on filming HAVE WINE WILL TRAVEL (www.havewinewilltravel.com). When not traveling or tipping back, she works with brands to give them a voice online via ALLIE MERRICK INC (www.alliemerrickinc.com). Allie can also be followed on twitter.

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