All our sightseeing in the Woodbrook area of Port of Spain was done by car with Andrew our guide.
The area was originally a 367-acre sugar cane estate owned by W F Burnley of Scotland. In 1899 it was sold for £50,000 to the Seigert family, who invented Angostura aromatic bitters, a medicinal tincture that became an integral ingredient in cocktails and food and which we had lurking in the back of our drinks cabinet without knowing it was from Trinidad. When the area was sold by the Seigerts twelve years later, they wanted the family connection with the estate to be preserved and at their request, nine streets were named after family members: Cornelio, Carlos, Alfredo, Luis, Alberto, Rosalino, Ana, Petra and Gallus.
Unfortunately, the Museum of the City of Port of Spain, also somewhat confusingly called Fort San Andres, was closed temporarily. However, we were told that it contained ‘Hummingbird II,’ also known as ‘La Borde Sailboat,’ a historic vessel which was the first local boat to travel the globe, and the country’s last locomotive.
Nearby the fort stood the 64-foot-tall St Vincent Lighthouse, built in 1842 by the governor Colonel Sir Henry McLeod to assist shipping entering and leaving Port of Spain’s harbour. It was initially situated at the end of a 120-foot-long jetty, until land reclamation projects were completed. Whilst the lighthouse has been upgraded several times, it leans slightly towards the west, but this has not interfered with its function or stability.
On the left-hand side of the area were the Jean Pierre Sports Complex (named after Jean ‘The Dancing Queen’ Pierre because of her fastness and eloquence on the netball court), and Hasely Crawford Stadium (after track and field athlete Hasely Crawford, who was the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal).
Running horizontally across Woodbrook, Ariapita Avenue, was home to bars and restaurants and a vivid nightlife. It was here we stopped at El Pecos for lunch where we queued with locals to help ourselves to a buffet of traditional Trini dishes which was weighed to calculate the cost. As this was early on in our trip, it gave us the chance to try a variety of dishes including Trini doubles, jerk chicken, rice and peas, buss up shut and a variety of breads and bakes. It was here I tried my first mauby juice, a tree bark-based beverage drink which tasted a little like a root beer. Fortunately, it didn’t cause the laxative reaction which many first-time drinkers are said to experience.
See also:
Port of Spain – Sightseeing in Belmont
Port of Spain – Sightseeing around The Queen’s Park Savannah
Port of Spain – Sightseeing Downtown
The Prince of Port of Spain – Brian Lara
Port of Spain – Sightseeing After Dark
Port of Spain – Fort George
