No 3.Terrific Trinidad – Carnival time.

Carnival time in Trinidad takes place over a two-week period with a variety of activities and competitions, culminating in J’ouvert and the street processions with the final judging on the last day of Carnival.

I arrived in Trinidad on Saturday 3 February 2018. As previously mentioned, Mel had been in Trinidad since early December 2017. We had no intentions of being in Trinidad for Carnival as we thought we would already be making our way up north, along the Windward islands. However, like I stated in our previous update, nothing goes according to your time schedule in Trinidad, particularly over Christmas, New Year AND Carnival.

We thought that since we were in Trinidad, we may as well make the most of the opportunity and enjoy what Carnival has to offer.

On Monday evening – 5 February, we went on an outing to see the steel drum bands rehearsing for the big competition on the last Saturday of Carnival. The outing was organised by Jessie James, a very well known and highly thought-of Trinidadian in the sailing community. He is also the SSCA station host.

Firstly, we visited quite a few businesses that make the costumes, accessories and head gear for Carnival. The work involved is quite incredible, along with the cost. It is a year’s long organisation and production line. The creativity and thought behind each piece or garment is also something quite incredible along with the many hours of sewing and using a glue gun.

Some costumes are more elaborate than others, with some just consisting of the EXTREMELY basic “pieces”, for want of a better word, barely covering the private parts of one’s anatomy.

After visiting the various companies, we went to listen to a few different steel drum bands, watching the variety of ways they organised and practised for this extremely prestigious event. We spent most of our time with the Renegades, who were the eventual winners of the big band competition. Their band leader was quite a charismatic character along with his ability to get so many people (100+) working together to create an amazing sound.

We had a rather late night but an enjoyable one as we were in the company of a group of boaties who knew each other as they all had the same type of motor boat – a Kadey Krogen. There was John and Paulette, Ken and Sylianne (it was their boat we were heading for when our engine died as we were moving to the Stainless-steel company’s dock), Ken and Carol – they were visiting Ken and Sylianne in Trinidad and Marty and Suzanne.

On Tuesday, 6 February, we joined up with the same group of people from the night before to watch the semi-finals of the Kings and Queens. The event started at 5.30pm and only finished at 1.00am! The Kings and Queens are individual contestants who try to out-do the competition with their elaborate costumes, which are loosely linked to a theme. Many of the themes seem to concentrate on “dark” subjects.

There were over 40 contestants in each of the men’s and women’s categories. I fell asleep a few times blaming it on jet lag, as each contestant would come on stage then do a little dance or performance across the stage to show off their elaborate costume in front of the judges.

Some contestants costumes were so elaborate that they required a support system consisting of a frame with wheels to enable them to show off their costumes. Some where HUGE while others were not as elaborate and required only their arms to show off their costume. It was an extremely colourful but long night.

During the rest of the week there were other Carnival events and different stages of the various competitions which Mel and I did not attend as we thought we would part take in J’ouvert.

J’ouvert was on Monday 12 February, starting at 4.00am and finishing at about 11.00am. We were collected from outside the Peake Boat yard at 2.00 am, went around to collect the same group we were with at the Kings and Queens from their marina. (Sylivianne, Ken, Paulette and John etc.) The whole event was very organised as you belong to a group – we were with the Trevor Wallace Carnival group – TW. You paid a certain amount, received a T-shirt, cap and then you could drink as much as you wanted from the bar truck that meandered the streets of Port of Spain. For security reasons, you were advised to stay with the trucks – there was the drinks/bar truck, food truck, toilet truck and two music trucks which bleated the pounding music that made your whole body vibrate. It was quite uncomfortable at times, so we tried hard not to be too close to these trucks.

There was also the paint truck. The whole aim is to get completely covered in paint, plus to drink as much as you can and dance as the procession moved forward. There was a considerable amount of “whining” (sp) by the locals, which is rather provocative and suggestive… but hey, when in Rome do as the Romans do, etc., while dancing through the streets of Port of Spain. At times it seemed like organised chaos, as the different groups would be coming in opposite directions down the same narrow street, requiring the procession of people and trucks to pass each other. How they manage to avoid injuries, I don’t know, but everyone seems to have a great time and enjoy themselves. It was a relief though when we eventually found our bus

driver and we could sit down in the cool comfort of the minivan on our way back  to the boat yard. It was even better after a lovely long shower to wash all the paint off your body which wasn’t an easy feat.

Mel, for a few weeks after J’ouvert, kept away from rum punch as the drinks at J’ouvert were certainly loaded with alcohol and the tots were NOT your regulation tots. Quite a few of our group became quite inebriated, which was not a difficult thing to do considering everything was so readily available. It was definitely a unique way to see the different suburbs of Port of Spain.

The following day – Tuesday 13 February, we joined up with the same group of people and headed down town to watch the street processions of the many floats and groups of people. The processions started at 6.00am, although Mel and I decided that we would only catch the later bus down town (9.00am) and catch the earlier bus home (3.00pm) as we knew we would have had enough of seeing the colourful and creative costumes PLUS the music was SO loud! These processions only finished after 5.00pm – another very long day to mark the end of Carnival.

That was Carnival 2018 for us! An experience that we enjoyed and glad to have had the opportunity to have been involved in.

Until our next updated – the Taste of Trini….. keep well and safe.

Best Wishes

Mel and Caryn

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