CafféLatté Magazine

Monos Island and Red Tape Fun


Monos Island is off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. It is small, quiet, beach-y, sandy, and all round fantastic! It is filled with fruit trees, land creatures, sea creatures and caves (you have to look for them). When I do go there, I am anxious to jump off the jetty, jump off the rock (exhilarating, indeed), swim with the fishes (nervous sometimes) and just lay back the watch the day go by. Occasionally, someone would mention that an eel is in the water, at this point I am scrambling to get out. Monos island has potential, and I suggest that the potential is to "leave it be".

Speaking to some of the residents and vacationers there, reveals a tale of dumping, killing of some animals and just a "don't care attitude". Thanks to caring residents and some vacationers Monos island is kept almost spotless, so that folks like me could enjoy a real green haven.

One resident I know, regularly and voluntarily cleans the area. On public holidays she rents out her home to Trinis and others seeking a little peace from the mainland. She mentions, at the time we spoke that, only four people live on the island, with at least one household of regular weekend dwellers. Her husband, (deceased) was a fisherman when they married, and since then she has been residing on the island since in the 1980's. She also gave me my first Noni juice. Noni, the fruit, bears in abundance on Monos island, the leaves are glossy and green, and the fruit itself is light green to a slight light yellow-green. The Noni juice, has a taste that is out of this world, I suggest you have to try it yourself.

When the sun goes down, and those pesky mosquitoes come out, it is time to go home. So we bid our friends "Good-Bye!", take our tired, salty, sun-burned bodies into one of the pre-arranged, water-service boats, and head for the mainland. Later that night, when I lay in my bed, I hear the sea, see the fishes, scramble from the eel, jump off the jetty and I touch my chest and thank Jehovah that he has created this earth, then I remember, "Oh shocks!", I forgot my heart in Monos Island.