Trinidad & Tobago Carnival-Trinidad Carnival
Taking part in the mas (short for masquerade) which culminates into the ultimate street party‚ is the reason most people journey to the twin island. However behind the bikini bash lays traditional events, which are the gems that make up the true spirit of Carnival. Century old traditions sprouting from the culture of the ancestors is the tapestry upon which these events were born.
Canboulay
Taking place at the crack of dawn on Carnival Friday morning this festival starts off the weekend of celebration. Correctly named cannes brulee which means burning cane this early morning event is a re-enactment of the former slave traditions of burning sugar cane‚ chantuelle singing stick fighting‚ religious drums and vulgar dancing.
Stick Fighting Competitions
This is a ritual dating back to slavery where men would duel with sticks called a bois in gayelles or rings. Drums and Chantuelle singing called lalways sometimes sung in patois prompt the ritual to and fro dance of the fighters whose prize were accolades gained from resulting wounding and sometimes death of opponents. Today the National Carnival Committee and the Trinidad and Tobago Stick Fighting Association hold controlled incident free competitions for monetary prizes.
King and Queen of The Bands (Preliminaries)
This is the parade of the large costumes or floats as it sometimes called that represent carnival bands and where the true creative talent of the people is seen. The preliminary event is an opportunity to see all the creative extravagant and colorful costumes that enter the competition. Pyrotechnics ‚lighting and other elements of showmanship can be seen at the final competition.
Panorama‚ The Steelpan Show
The steelpan‚ universally known as the national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago‚ is one of the most important elements of the carnival season. Steelbands‚ orchestras of steelpans in pitches of tenor‚ base and alto playing musical arrangements of popular calypsoes‚ soca and sometimes R & B compete in an event called panorama. The music of the steelpan drives the spirit of Trinidad & Tobago carnival.
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Ole Time Mas in Trinidad
At the end of slavery carnival costumes and characters were usually a parody of the plantation owners. Characters such as Dame Loren‚ Midnight Robber‚ Minstrels and Rat were all exaggerated representations of the white lady‚ plantation owner and the overseer. Today these characters including many others are still alive.
Trinidad & Tobago International Soca Monarch
Soca monarch is an international competition open to anyone across the globe and is known for extravagant stage performances. Soca is the sound of the new Caribbean generation that began during the 1970s. Compared to the calypso‚ it is a more party type music more suited to the ribald nature of dancing indicative of carnival celebrations. Over the years soca has evolved from fusions with other musical genres such as reggae‚rhythm & blues‚ pop and alternative.
Sunday Night Dimanche Gras
Generally accepted as the Calypso Finals competition the Dimanche Gras is a forum for the finalist of the Junior Calypso Competition and Young King. Though Calypso is not a dying art form it has taken the backseat to soca music which bombards the airwaves during the season. Due to this the Dimanche Gras is one of the few opportunities to enjoy Calypso music in the spotlight.
Extempo and Limbo Competitions
This competition is an extreme version of the dance done at island parties where participants include fire and other objects in their act. Drums are a very important part of the performance. Extempo is what could be called ad lib calypso where participants create verses on the spot about their opponents or the political environment of the country.
Paramin Blue Devils
Every carnival the streets of the rural community of Paramin transforms into a frenzy of blue people carrying whips and other objects‚ blowing fire‚ jumping on trees and engaging in extreme forms of behavior that could be considered a form of psychosis. Also called Jab Jab the Paramin Blue Devil competition is the largest in the country and one of the few traditional art forms of the carnival still employed by the younger generation.
Jaycees Carnival Queen Show
Similar to other pageant shows the carnival queen show has a talent‚ swim suit‚ gown and most importantly a costume segment of the competition. The pageant carries a theme upon which contestants are to base these segments around but still keeping within the culture of the people.
Trinidad and Tobago carnival is a true cultural delight an eclectic mix of the old and new that could satisfy any desire.
Port of Spain, Trinidad Carnival, Performing Art
Framed by the lush hills of the Northern Range, Port of Spain combines state of the arts attractions, from luxury hotels to the new Academy for Performing Arts, and age old traditions, most vibrant at carnival time across Trinidad and Tobago.
The capital has plenty of tourist attractions and can be visited on a day trip from Tobago. Short shuttle flights run throughout the day or there’s the scenic option of a sea crossing, 2½ hours by fast catamaran.
Guided tours are the safest way to explore. Those who prefer to do it alone should carry the bare minimum and keep to busy central areas.
Port of Spain, Carnival in Trinidad
Carnival in Trinidad is an exciting affair, packed with colourful events and celebrations long before the official date. Calypso, soca stars and steel pan bands battle it out for a place in the final and there are glittering kiddies’ carnivals and Mas costumed bands parading through the streets, alongside Blue Devils with pitchfork, horns and tail.
It all culminates in three days of revelry prior to Ash Wednesday. Kings, Queens and Calypso Monarch are crowned on the Sunday, Monday starts before dawn with Dirty Mas, lots of mud and body paint splashed on scantily clad participants, while the main parades are held on Tuesday, with full costumes and crowning of the best bands. Ash Wednesday is for cool down parties, on the nearest beach.
Dates are published years ahead and it’s advisable to enquire about tickets and hotels in good time.
Luxury Hotels in Port of Spain, Capital of Trinidad and Tobago
The recently renovated Crowne Plaza hotel has 243 rooms and suites on 11 floors. The décor is modern, amenities include outdoor pool, business and 24 hour fitness centres. The Crowne Plaza claims the Caribbean only revolving restaurant, with fabulous views of city and sea and a choice of Indian and international cuisine. The Olympia is for buffet, à la carte and themed lunches. The Maple Lounge Piano Bar completes the picture.
The new Hyatt Regency boasts a prime location right on Port of Spain waterfront. Rooms in stylish contemporary design range from King Room to Presidential and Diplomat Suites. Dining options include the Waterfront Restaurant, poolside grill and sushi bar. There’s a patisserie, rooftop pool, 24 hour gym and a spa specialising in aromatherapy signature massage.
Port of Spain, Academy for Performing Arts and Tourist Attractions
The new National Academy for the Performing Arts is a massive but elegant structure of glass and steel, shaped like a chaconia, the national flower. Built by a Chinese firm, at a cost of TT£500 million, it raised much controversy but it is stunning. The Academy is designed for performance and teaching with a purpose built stage for steel pan.
The nearby Queen’s Park Savannah is Port of Spain’s other main tourist attraction. Used for sports and various events, the grounds are bordered on two sides by an eclectic mix of colonial buildings, from the quaint gingerbread house to turreted follies or the red-bricked Queen’s College. The well kept Botanic Gardens and President’s Residence are just across the road.
The viewpoint on Lady Young Road offers a superb panorama over Port of Spain.
Trinidad Street Foods
The streets of Trinidad and Tobago are filled with many choices for food. Whether tourists are strolling around the sidewalks of Independence Square, located in the Port of Spain capital, or heading home after a night out, street food vendors lineup the roads with appetizing and wallet-friendly assortment of snacks.
Doubles
One of the most popular one isdoubles. An East Indian-inspired dish, doubles are made of fried bread (commonly known as "bara"), chickpeas ("channa") and pepper sauce. Depending on the vendor, a doubles stand might offer chutneys such as mango and cucumber. Customers can also choose how much pepper they wish to put. Locals say the dish was originally made with one bara but customers soon asked vendors to double up the bread; Thus its name today. Doublesare very popular as breakfast or brunch snacks and often sell out before noon. It also used to be the most sought after post-clubbing food, but the Mediterranean wrap, gyros, has taken its place today. Visitors can find a doubles stand at pretty much every street.
Recipe: Trini Gourmet doubles
Cost: $3-4 TTD, $0.47 USD
Corn Soup
Much like doubles, corn soup in Trinidad also draws its roots from East Indians. Unlike conventional corn soup, however, the Trinidadian version uses local herbs such as chadon beni and usually comes with dumplings (rolled flour steamed in the broth). Many corn soupvendors can be seen in highly-populated spots such as Port of Spain, St. James and the Savannah roundabout.
Recipe: Trinis in London corn soup
Cost: $10-15 TTD, $1.58-2.37 USD
Oyster Cocktails
Of course the list wouldn't be complete if seafood choices aren't mentioned. The island of Trinidad and Tobago is rich with delicacies from the waters. A unique example is oyster cocktails. Street vendors serve raw oysters in a cup and mix it with tomato juice and pepper sauce. The result is a well-blended seafood concotion. Customers, once again, can pick the hotness of the pepper sauce. (Hint: Anything after medium pepper may be too much for newbies.) Oyster vendors are not as prevalent as doubles or corn soup stands, but many are available around the Savannah and southern parts of Trinidad such as San Fernando.
Cost: $10 TTD, $1.58 USD
Shark and Bake
The bestseller of Trinidad street foods, however, is shark and bake. Perhaps the most publicized grub on the list, shark and bake has been featured in several food shows. Its ingredients is exactly its namesake: shark meat and deep-fried bread (or "bake"). The most exciting part of chowing down a shark and bake is the array of dressings. In Maracas Bay, about 45 minutes from the capital, Richard's Shark and Bake reigns as the king of beach snacks. Richard's stand offers buffet-style trays of dressings, from garlic sauce to pineapples to green seasoning.
Cost: $20 TTD, $3.17 USD
Trinidad Caribbean Island, Wildlife Conservation
At the southern end of the Caribbean, Trinidad claims myriad butterflies, mammals, snakes, some venomous, and over 470 species of birds. Leatherback turtles nest along the coast, as they do on Tobago, and from rainforest to wetlands, much of the wildlife enjoys the protection of nature reserves.
Hiking trails into the Northern Range promise nature in the raw but easier options include the Asa Wright Nature Centre and the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, both easily accessible from the capital Port of Spain.
Leatherback Turtles on Trinidad Caribbean Island
Every spring, leatherback turtles return to their nesting grounds on the beaches of Grande Rivière and Matura on Trinidad’s north eastern coast. Grande Rivière ranks among the world’s top sites with up to 300 turtles a night at the height of season. Oxbill and Olive Ridley are also present, all helped onto the sand by strong waves.
During the nesting season, permits are required to access the beach after dark under the supervision of local guides. These can be obtained from Nature Seekers in Matura and the Visitors Information Centre in Grande Rivière. Early booking is advisable as numbers are limited.
Conservation work involves education programmes and moving nests away from danger areas, thus saving hundreds of turtles every year.
Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad Northern Range
In a former plantation overlooking the stunning Arima valley and named after its founders, the Asa Wright Nature Centre is a prime location for bird watching. Well kept trails wind through the surrounding rainforest but many birds can be spotted from the veranda of the old house. Drawn by a string of feeders, hummingbirds, blue-grey tanagers, manakins, honeycreepers and bananaquits are frequent visitors
A guided walk through the estate may reveal tiger lizards, agoutis, leaf cutting ants carrying 50 times their weight, termites, snakes and tarantula. Powder puff and heliconia splash colour among monkey ladders and tall buttressed trees. The estate also has a colony of nocturnal oilbirds roosting in the caves.
Trinidad Wildlife Conservation, Caroni Bird Sanctuary
Caroni is the third largest wetland on Trinidad, supporting three types of mangrove and thousands of Scarlet Ibises, the national birds, who come to roost in their favourite spots every night. Flat-bottomed boats leave from the entrance at 4.00pm, taking visitors through secluded channels and open lagoons to witness the return of the birds. It’s a fabulous sight, up to 12 000 birds, vibrant red, draping the trees like Christmas garlands.
Over 150 species of birds live in the sanctuary, most commonly seen blue herons and snowy egrets. Other wildlife includes boa constrictors, easily spotted curled up on eye level branches, opossums, tree climbing crabs and freshwater caimans. The nearby Gulf of Paria is home to pink flamingos. Booking.com
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