Arnos Vale and the Famous Waterwheel
At Arnos Vale you will find possibly the best preserved remains of a sugar estate in Tobago. There are many sugar estate remains and mills on the island. But this site is now occupied by the famous Arnos Vale Waterwheel, a historical site cum restaurant/museum/dinner theatre.
Your knowledgeable guide will show you the entire Waterwheel property and probably relate a detailed history. You might decide to stay for a meal or for the performance. If history and good food interest you, this is worth seeing. If you just want to be in pleasant surroundings, this is well worth seeing.
The water came from the watersource to the wheel, which spun a system of gears, which in turn turned three vertilcal cylinders. The cane was put through the cylinders rolling against each other. The juice was in that way squeezed out.
They then siphoned off the juice to three large pots that sat on a furnace. The first pot was the collest and the last the hottest. The men would ladle the juice from the cool pot to the medium-hot pot, then to the hottest pot. After that it was put into barrels to rest for several weeks. At the bottom, the molasses settled out. The raw sugar was loaded into barrels and sent to England. The molasses was taken and processed into rum.
The Birds
At the Arnos Vale hotel, there is a custom of having afternoon tea at 4.00 pm. That's the time that birds of many descriptions come to feed. Tea is served on the verandah and the birds come right up to the bird-feeders on the railing. Ruby-throated humming birds, parrots, mot-mots and several other varieties. You don't even need to be a birdwatcher to be entranced.
Snorkelling
Close by you will also find a pleasant bathing spot and there is productive snorkelling. It is one of the best snorkelling places in Tobago for the sport. No need to take a boat out.
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