Take a therapeutic swim in the waters of the Pitch Lake

WHAT DOES A HUMMINGBIRD AND A TAR BABY HAVE IN COMMON?

Well, if you're in Trinidad, the world's largest asphalt lake burst open here, according to indigenous Amerindians; it was created by the Gods as punishment. Legend has it the lake swallowed an entire tribe after they ate humming birds which were believed to be the souls of their departed ancestors.

But seriously, the Pitch Lake located at La Brea in southwest Trinidad fondly called the "Eight Wonder of the World" by villagers is still a source of amazement and mystery. The Pitch Lake is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world and a major supplier to the international market.

The Spaniards, who ‘discovered’ Trinidad, called the area La Brea (tar), and the name still sticks (Oh, Gawd, not again!). Ever since, its pitch has been used to asphalt roads from New York to London to Lord alone knows where. The lake, surrounded by lush cashew and mango tree, and factories for pitch refinement, ‘lives and breathes’ in constant motion, pushing up the remains of prehistoric creatures such as a giant sloth, a mastodon’s tooth and tree trunks 3,000 or more years old.

A recent study connected to the European Space Agency, discovered there are living microbes beneath the asphalt’s surface, which may one day help answer the question whether or not life exists on other planets! Spanning some 109 acres, the lake appears like a huge oval-shaped car park, but on closer inspection, it looks like very dark clay, with rough undulating patches.  

Visitors can walk on the surface and you might feel it is alive – with its hissing and burping sounds. Small pools of water form on it during the rainy season and you can bathe in them. They contain high levels of sulfur and villagers claim they are the fountains of life, good for curing anything from skin conditions to joint pain.

Check out the video and be sure to visit on your next trip down south!