I decided to take a break from the recipes to show you the beautiful Morang river of Maracas Valley …..
One of the rivers found in Maracas Valley, it is frequented by most who know of it. Nestled at the foot of the El Tucuche Mountain and blanketed under lush green forest, this river provides a pleasant backdrop for a river lime.
Closely situated to this river is the village of El Luengo. The river is a an important source of water for the villagers and wild animals alike. A pipeline runs from the mountainside to supply the village with fresh drinking water that is unlike any other. I might also add that it tastes even better than bottled water.
The walk to the Morang river is a relaxing one since you are under the thick forest cover most of the time. Along the way there are many small pools, some of them seemingly secluded. As you go along the beaten path the familiar aromatic smell of Tonka Bean fills the air but for a moment and then floats away in the cool breeze. There are many cocoa and coffee trees along the way that reminds me of our rich past, when these crops were integral to Trinidad and Tobago’s economy.
A word of caution though! I would advise any visitor to travel in groups for safety reasons, after all you are in the forest. Other than that, please walk with garbage bags and leave the natural environment untouched for others to enjoy. This is truly one of the many hidden jewels of Trinidad and Tobago.
the journey now begins on foot
notice the pipeline
On our way we had to cross the river. Hope you don’t mind getting your feet wet!
We finally arrived at the main pool
Quite refreshing
On our way back we came across some Hunting Ants (Army Ants).
Hope you enjoyed the pics!
I used to go up there with my cousin and some friends but ever since crime has elevated in that area we no longer go. The water was always clean and clear and if you were able to climb up the wall then you would meet a small waterfall and some more pools. Simply amazing.
Hey guys ….
I was there with my wife only a few months ago.
Do you call “crime” a few folks nicely smoking Ganja with their feet in the water? Then yes, they were CRIMINALS there!! And my God, most of them were rastas!!
By the way, the hand rail that appears on the picture wasn’t there any longer, 6 months ago.
The cascade is actually a little bit further away then where these pictures have been taken. And they’re much prettier than this. There’s a couple different sets of ponds. Follow the trail, you’ll get to the top one. Before that, there’s a path leading away from the main trail, easy to miss, that will get you to another wonderful place.
Now, what I call criminal is to forget to mention that the path leading to the cascades is kinda unsafe. By unsafe I mean slippery and overgrown. Cancel that. Most of it is just a path in the jungle and it’s following the side of a hill/mountain. Don’t know the name, but “Big steep rock”. And I call a path the kind of trail where I can’t put my 2 feet side by side.
So yes, if you’re 12, it’s fun and easy. If you’ve been using this kind of paths when you were 12, I’m sure it’s still fun.
If you’re over 40, hehe, trust me, you’ll be happy to stumble on Bandits !!!
Don’t go there alone (because of the path, not because of the humans), take a phone, put on shoes, relax and enjoy nature. Take your garbage down with you.
(You also can talk to the rastas, they bite less than the ants).