When Experience T&T emailed me two Mondays ago and said the Sunday Guardian team could accompany them on their tour of the Salt Water Volcano as part of our Staycation series, truth be told I thought they were talking about touring the Salt Water Pond at Chacachacare.
Photographer Edison Boodoosingh was apparently also under that same misconception.
But just like the Carnival characters the jab jab and the jab molassie, while the names may appear similar the Salt Water Volcano is very different from the Salt Water Pond.
Firstly, the Salt Water Volcano is located deep inside the forest off Guayaguayare Road in Rio Claro.
Secondly, getting to it is not for the faint of heart.
However, seeing it up close and personal is definitely worth it.
The tour began just after 7 am last Sunday when Edison and I jumped into the back seat of tour guide Courtenay Rooks’ pick-up by Grand Bazaar, Valsayn.
Our first stop was Knolly’s Tunnel in Tabaquite.
Knolly’s Tunnel is the only man-made tunnel in this country and is 660 feet long.
Our visit coincided with the 119th anniversary of the tunnel’s opening by then acting Governor Sir Clement Knolly.
So Edison and I jumped into the tray of Rooks’ pick-up as he drove through the tunnel. Hundreds of bats flew overhead and hundreds of cockroaches crawled on the walls as Rooks drove through the dark tunnel. I kept telling myself that the drops of liquid that fell on me during that drive was water and not guano.
After we left Tabaquite we headed to Rio Claro where the entire tour party met up.
That is where we met Rati, the local guide or as Rooks described him “a true bushman of the area”.
Rooks gave us a description of what we could expect on the tour.
“The volcano is not a volcano like Soufriere (in St Vincent) or one with a big crater, this is very different. It is a unique eco system, the whole area is very unique and very ‘this should not be here. This does not work with that,’” Rooks stated.
Our group totalled 13, “lucky number 13 on the 13th,” as we headed into the forest.
Although it was a sunny day, because of the recent rain the ground was wet, muddy and slippery. My sneakers after the hike could attest to that. Rati, with cutlass in hand, lead the group.
The area is one of the parts of the country where oil exploration originally took place. The compacted crushed stone from a “macadam road” upon which we walked was evidence of that history. As we walked further the disturbed area was replaced by forest with giant Mora trees.
If there was any uncertainty that we were in the forest, the loud howling of the Red Howler monkey dispelled all doubt. While I am a huge fan of the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy reboot I was definitely not in the mood to meet Caesar or any of his followers.
In addition to the howling of the monkeys, in the mud we also saw the fresh paw prints of an ocelot and the foot prints of a lappe which let us know we were definitely not alone. We also stumbled upon a hole that Rati said was the home of a tattoo (armadillo).
We hiked, crossed a stream and we descended a steep decline using rope.
Tar seepage let us know we were getting near to our destination.
The dense forest eventually gave way to a limestone formation known as a tufa, which is caused by a combination of salt water and pitch that flows on the surface.
We climbed to the first crater where we could see and hear the bubbling of volcanic activity.
Rati warned us to follow his steps. We did not need to be told twice. Imagine finding a pitch lake deep in the forest on top a hill and you will have a fair idea of what it is like to be there.
But you would have to see it to believe it.
No amount of words or photographs can honestly do it justice.
“This is not supposed to be here,” I thought to myself as I looked at the bubbling pitch while Rooks’ words echoed in my mind.
After spending some time exploring the area, with our feet sinking into the soft surface, we then hiked to a second crater where Rati pushed a branch, more than eight feet long, into the pitch.
It disappeared.
It made me wonder what else had disappeared in that magical portal.
After some time looking around we eventually hiked back the way that we came.
The hike probably took three hours in total while the drive to and from took about four hours in all.
We eventually reached back to Grand Bazaar around 7 pm.
It was a long, tiring day but it was definitely worth it.
The Sunday Guardian has partnered with Experience T&T as we embark on a Staycation Series for the month of August.
Read the Sunday Guardian to get the first-hand experience of reporters participating in the available tours.
Anyone interested in tours can email experiencetandt@gmail.com or call 497-6403 497-6404 343-3012 343-9439.
Imagine finding a pitch lake deep in the forest on top a hill and you will have a fair idea of what it is like to be there.
But you would have to see it to believe it.
No amount of words or photographs can honestly do it justice.