Tropical Trinidad

Trinidad – the trinity – the three mountains.

It is also known as The Land Of The Hummingbird. On this Caribbean island, located in the Gulf of Paria 11 km from Venezuela , there is a fusion of different cultures and religions. This stems from the mid 19th century after slavery was abolished, freeing those from the plantations and opening up vacancies for those in other countries of the British Empire, like India , where my ancestors came from. Today on the island 40% are black African and 40% are Indian. The rest is a mixture of European, South American and Chinese.

English is the country’s official language, but the main spoken language is Dialect or broken English, with a combination of Spanish and Indian - mainly Bhojpuri/Hindi.

Trinidad is the birthplace of the steel drums and calypso music, although it has ‘Soca’ music and ‘Chutney’ – which has more of an East Indian sound.

Don’t Miss

Carnival. All other Caribbean Islands and even the Notting Hill festival stem from this which is held two days after Ash Wednesday. See beautiful costumes, carnival queens, plenty of Carib beer, rum and people dancing in the streets. It is said to be the event of the year. And unlike the Rio Carnival, revellers can follow the masquerades.

Turtle watching at Matura Beach . Learn about their behaviour and find the time to do watch their eggs hatch.

A visit to the Hindu Water Temple at Waterloo is a must. It is an attractive building that is surrounded by sea.

There are so many things to do on this island depending on what takes your fancy. From visiting the bird sanctuary in Caroni, the Nariva swamp to check out the wildlife, setting your eyes on one of the few natural pitch lakes in the world or go to the forts in Port of Spain , the capital, to learn about colonial history.

Beaches

Trinidad’s sister island Tobago is renowned for it’s stunning beaches and that is why it attracts so many tourists, but Trinidad still holds it’s own when it comes to white soft sand and calm sea.



Maracas Beach is the most popular beach. Its backdrop is a mountain covered in tropical greenery and here you can purchase Shark and Bake, which is a local dish.

Manzanilla is another place that is perfect for sunbathing. If you are looking for somewhere more exciting, the east coast beaches, such as Mayaro, have a rougher sea, but it’s busier with fishermen and boats. If you help them pull in their seine they’ll usually let you keep some of their catch for your supper. This is Trini way, so feel free to jump in and start hauling!


Night Life

Like everything in Caribbean life – liming or hanging out is a big priority. Rum bars are dotted everywhere.

For night clubs the best bet is to go to the capital Port Of Spain .

Locals love their card playing and have their own Trinidadian games such as All Fours where you play in groups.















Street parties may also been held in the communities - catch the women wine and grind to the music and you may even see some Indian dancing too.

Food

My cousin once said: ‘in Trinidad you eat, and eat, and when you begin to feel a little full, you stop then eat again.’

Food is normally referred to by it’s Hindi name, like aloo for potato and chana for chickpeas and so on.

In the morning locals will line up outside street stalls to pick up doubles, which consist of soft naan bread, which they call roti, filled with chana or chickpeas and spices, and aloo pie which is spicy potato in a wrap. Try spicy goat curries, all types of rice, dhal and chicken dishes too. You can purchase things called ‘sahina’ which is a pakora with spinach in it. Fruit is normally eaten with pepper, and you can buy sour plums, pears and so on.

If you’re a chilli fan Trinidadians like their chilli ‘hot hot hot!’, ask at the local supermarket for advice.

Any Buts?

Crime is on the up in this third world country. Be careful where you go late at night and always travel in groups.

Trinidad is in the tropics and is very hot. Make sure you are well covered and use a high factor sun cream. Even if you do decide to play cricket on the beach and it is overcast, you will still get burnt.

Mosquitoes - sleep under a net, use lots of repellent and even burn incense sticks to keep these pests at bay.

Poverty - you will see people living in shacks, derelict buildings and unfinished roads with pot holes.

But unlike all the other West Indian islands, Trinidad has not been hit with commercialism or tourism on the same scale. It’s bursting with culture and is also a scenic country.
















Last year I travelled to many different parts of Trinidad staying with relatives. I got to see the laid back way of life, cooked by the river, went to markets, visited religious statues and temples, and even witnessed a Hindu wedding blessing in the river with a goat as a dowry. One night staying down in Mayaro with some cousins I slept on the beach in a hammock under the stars - with a mosquito net over me of course!

Flights are available with British Airways, Caribbean Airlines or Monarch. You may have to fly to Tobago first and then get an internal flight from there to Trinidad . But this allows you to stay in Tobago for a few days too. The best hotel is the Trinidad Hilton in the capital with rooms starting from 149 US dollars per night which works out at about £90. For more information go to http://www.hiltoncaribbean.com.