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    Home » Travel

    I Ate a Shark in Maracas Bay and All I Brought Home Was This T Shirt.

    November 26, 2011 by Jenn 9 Comments

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    Have you ever seen those tee shirts, "My aunt went to NYC and all I got was this T Shirt?"

    I want to make a shirt like that saying "My mom went to Trinidad and ate a shark and all I got was this t shirt."

    Well, I didn't eat an entire shark. Just a little bit - maybe half of its fin?

    I recently went to Port of Spain, Trinidad for the first time. As I asked friends and Twitter followers for suggestions of what to do and see while I was there, there came a resounding replies of "eat Shark and Bake!"

    I arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Friday afternoon and waited around the airport for....THREE HOURS until my husband's flight arrived.

    I was not a happy camper. However, he was renting a car, so it would have been pointless for me to pay for a cab to the hotel and sit there and wait - without wifi - so I stayed at the airport - with wifi.

    As you can probably guess, wifi is very important to me. <insert sheepish grin>

    So, Saturday morning, my husband and I began the trek to Maracas Bay, which was supposed to be about a 20 minute drive, but with the rain and our unfamiliarity with driving on the left side of the road through a mountain, it took us the better part of an hour.

    I may have shrieked most of the way there, clutching the dashboard for safety as my husband swerved (what I imagined to be) dangerously close to the side of the cliff, in case the car door suddenly fell off and I tumbled out of the car, over the side of the cliff and into the ocean.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? I always forget this until I look over the side of a cliff.

    Where was I going with this? Oh yeah...

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    When we arrived on the beach of Maracas Bay, it was raining. I wasn't too impressed.

    And then we walked a little farther along the beach and the rain stopped...and suddenly, the beauty of the beach came into focus. It literally took my breath away.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    I felt like I was in another world. I live in Miami and have stepped foot on a ton of beaches around the country. Beaches? It takes a lot to impress me. I've been to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina a million times. Mountains are nothing new to me.

    But beaches and mountains together?

    Mind. Blown. 

    maracas bay beach trinidad

    As I stood on the beach at Maracas Bay, I was speechless. The beach is surrounded by mountains and the ocean - it is completely isolated with the exception of a small fishing village (and by village, I mean like 4 small homes) and a few Shark and Bake shacks.

    We arrived pretty early in the morning, so the beach was empty. My husband and I walked the beach, feeling like the only people on the planet, and we just enjoyed it. 

    November 2011 038

    And then I remembered about the Shark and Bake! We saw three vendors selling it right next to each other, but acting on lessons I've learned from watching No Reservations, we headed to the vendor with the longest line, which was the world-famous Richard's Shark N Bake. And might I add, the only one that guaranteed they were serving shark...because you know, no one goes all the way to Trinidad to eat just plain old catfish.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    What can I say about the Shark and Bake at Richard's? It was fried and served on fry bread and...it was good, but I didn't really see what all the fuss was about.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    After our very anticlimactic brunch at Richard's Shark N Bake, I did what I do best when I am in foreign countries...I went shopping. For jewelry.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    There was a sweet little couple next to the beach selling handmade jewelry - and everything was not only beautiful, but completely affordable. I bought three turquoise bracelets, a pair of turquoise earrings and two braided friendship bracelets for $50 US!

    As we walked back to the car to head back into the Port of Spain, I saw this. And I freaked out a bit.

    Maracas Bay Trinidad

    Yeah, that's right, it's a Tsunami warning sign.

    And THAT, my friends, was my sign that it was time to go back to the safety of the city.

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    About Jenn

    Jenn, AKA "The Rebel Chick," is a single woman who strives to help her readers live their best lives possible. Whether it be through sharing new recipes, sharing her dating stories, or encouraging people to embrace adventure and travel, she aims to inspire people to live full, happy and authentic lives.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. {Not Quite} Susie Homemaker

      November 27, 2011 at 3:37 am

      Despite the rain & shark letdown, it still sounds like a great trip! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jenn

        November 27, 2011 at 5:10 pm

        It was a lot of fun! I can't wait until I can go back and see the beach on a beautiful day!

        Reply
    2. April Decheine

      November 27, 2011 at 8:56 am

      Sounds awesome, I want to take a vacation and see the ocean and mountains, sounds beautiful!

      Reply
      • Jenn

        November 27, 2011 at 5:11 pm

        It was beautiful! I am a total geek when it comes to nature...I love being outdoors in beautiful settings!

        Reply
    3. Amy

      November 27, 2011 at 1:11 pm

      Holy Amazing! That would be soo cool. I probably wouldn't eat the shark - BUT.. the whole trip sounds fun!

      Reply
      • Jenn

        November 27, 2011 at 5:10 pm

        It was fun! I never could get an answer as to what kind of shark it was, though!

        Reply
    4. ohkeeka [The Type A Housewife]

      November 27, 2011 at 6:18 pm

      I always imagined that shark would be really rubbery. Hmm.

      Love all the pictures--that beach is gorgeous! Totally worth the scary cliff drive, right?

      Reply
    5. Megan

      November 28, 2011 at 7:44 am

      I'm so jealous! I want to go visit another country so bad and it looks beautiful there.

      Reply
    6. terrance

      April 21, 2013 at 8:04 am

      Hey guys it's a really beautiful island and the drive is not so bad. Driving through the mountains is a true experience and the scenes are breath taking and not to mention the great Flavour of bake and shark with all local seasoning. Mmmmmmm. You guys should come for a vacation.

      Reply

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