Five Trinidad Scenes

trinidadfive scenes Rich in nature and culture—and not heavily commercialized—this island is one of the best spots in the Caribbean STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY Susan Kraus 58 LM w i16 t’s often overlooked among other Caribbean destinations. After all, Trinidad—the larger of the two islands that constitute the nation ITrinidad and Tobago—is the most southern of all Caribbean islands and only 7 miles from Venezuela. Its climate is as much South American as Caribbean. But what makes Trinidad an outlier among Caribbean islands also makes it a delightful place to visit. Trinidad is a rare vacation destination that is not tourist-driven. It is rich in diversity, more a melting-pot than even the U.S., and it has an abundance of natural attractions. Oddly, flights to this island often cost less than flights to islands much closer to the United States. Trinidad is an intriguing location for those seeking a beach … but something more as well. Here are some of my favorite scenes from a recent trip to Trinidad. SCENE ONE: THE PANYARD (WITH A SIDE OF DOUBLES) I’m walking along a side street in downtown Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad. Storefronts and cement walls line narrow sidewalks, so it is hard to see what is ahead. But I’m drawn toward the music that echoes across the pavement. The sounds are the compelling beat of a steel pan band gathering in the outdoor rehearsal and performance space known as a panyard. Usually a cemented-over vacant lot and often partially covered by a high tin open-air roof, panyards are scattered across Trinidad and gather in the hundred-plus street bands and orchestras. As I approach, the music grows louder and more insistent and seems to urge me to pick up my pace. I turn a corner and suddenly find myself in the panyard. It contains at least 75 people playing various instruments: single pans, double pans, groupings of bass drums and some instruments that I do not even recognize. Their repertoire is varied and complex: Beethoven to the Beatles, a bit of calypso and some jazz. There is no written music. No one follows a score. It is all in the musicians’ heads, the result of hundreds of hours of practice and open-air jam sessions. The musicians are all standing. They move their bodies as well as their hands with the music. Within minutes, I’m swaying with them. When the musicians take a break, I walk to the corner rum shop for an icy-cold Carib and grab a “doubles” from a street vendor. In a few short days, I’ve developed an affinity for doubles, an Indo-Trinidadian vegan street food of spicy curried chickpeas stuffed between two baras (puffy fried rolls). They are both breakfast staples and favorite late-night snacks. Wrapped in paper and dripping deliciousness, doubles are eaten by hand. They are the reason I carry Handi-Wipes in my purse at all times on Trinidad. “Ah doubles no pepper,” I say, then dare to ask, “extra chutney?” It’s the fresh chutneys that give doubles their zing. At least I think so. It is hard to separate out the tastes and origins in doubles, as it is with much of Trinidad and Tobago, a nation whose people trace their ancestry to India, Africa, France, Spain, China and other parts of the world. 59 Refreshed, I return to the panyard, where the music feels as if it will LM go on forever. w i16 SCENE TWO: THE SANCTUARY It is late afternoon, and we are driving up a winding lane into the Caroni Swamp and Bird Sanctuary. It is a remarkable ecosystem of more than 15,000 acres of protected land, is home to over 180 species of birds and hosts 40 different species of fish that come here to spawn. Leaving the car, we step into flat-bottomed boats to navigate the mangrove waterways and take a quick inventory. We’re prepared with mosquito repellent, water, sunglasses, binoculars, camera and notebook. But most importantly, we have with us our guide, Lester Nanan. Full of information and highly observant, Nanan stops our boat at almost every turn to point out boas sleeping in mangroves, egrets or herons resting by the shore and even iguanas and crabs on rocks. His family and heritage greatly influenced his love and respect for this land, as well as his dedication to its preservation. Nanan’s grandfather spent years petitioning the former rulers—the British Crown—to protect this habitat from pollution and exploitation. Both Nanan’s grandfather and father were responsible for the scarlet ibis’ designation as one of two national birds after Trinidad and Tobago became an independent republic in 1976. Throughout his life, Nanan’s father continued to document the wildlife, lead tours and speak for preservation. After his death, the government renamed the area as the Winston Nanan Caroni Bird Sanctuary in his honor. For more than two hours we meander in this area that Nanan’s family did so much to preserve. As sunset approaches, we stop in an open lagoon as scarlet ibis return to roost on the mangrove islands. The birds swoop down in “V” formations, their bright red feathers stark against the blue sky. “Cup both ears with your hands,” Nanan suggests. “Listen.” We do, and are rewarded with the sounds of the birds calling to each other, announcing their return. The sun drops quickly close to the equator, and the air instantly cools. We see a white, bright moon rising in a still blue sky as we head back through the swamp. SCENE THREE: BEACH, RAIN AND SHARK We arrive to Maracas Bay, a popular beach for residents of the bustling capital, Port of Spain. Most every day, Maracas Bay is a movie-set idealization of paradise with its lines of palm trees and deep waters accessed by a twisty two- lane road. Today, however, it is a drizzly weekday. And that suits us perfectly. We have no bumper-to-bumper traffic and no crowds. We stroll the beach, barefoot, as one lonely guitarist strums in the background. And, of course, the rain doesn’t stop the “bake and shark.” 60 LM w i16 STEEL PAN AND CALYPSO The steel pan is believed to be the only crafted acoustic instrument totally developed in the 20th century. It was helped along by the abundance of discarded oil drums from the U.S. Naval Base in Port of Spain during and after World War II. For centuries, African drumming had been outlawed (which is a history lesson in itself), and the emergence and fine-tuning of this instrument brought both a musical and cultural explosion. In a few short years, bands of over 200 “pannists” formed, playing complex repertoires, classical to calypso, with very distinct sounds, both diatonic and chromatic scales (tenor, guitar, cello, bass sections) and a rhythm section known colloquially as the engine room. Calypso is musical social commentary, dripping with allegory and double entendre. It is hard to appreciate without an in-depth understanding of the politics and mores of the island. But add to that soca (a fusion of soul, funk and calypso), chutney (Indian style soca sung in Hindi), chutney soca (musical stew of all of the above), rapso soca (soca and rap) … and you have a musical buffet unlike any other. 61 LM w i16 A regional specialty, the “bake” is a fluffy fried bread and the “shark” is a hefty portion of fried shark. But this is a different type of fried from the Midwest version of deep-fried. Here, the shark is cooked in an uber-hot, fresh oil that forms a light, crispy coating over the delicate flaky fish, but leaves no oily taste. Most places that serve the sandwich also have a buffet table of toppings: the usual lettuce, tomatoes, HISTORY cucumbers and mayo, but also sauces that Trinidadians consider essential: garlic, coriander, cilantro, tamarind and mango chutney. Originally, Trinidad was Competing open-air pavilions and stands line the road across the beach. Loyalty is inhabited by indigenous hard-won here, but we’re told that Richard’s Bake & Shark is a sure bet. The next day I will peoples who were nearly hear differently, from loyalists to other stands. But I think it is difficult to find a bad bake exterminated by European and shark when it is fresh from the beach. colonizers. The Spanish, We make our purchase, and I find myself pausing to inhale the sandwich’s freshness French and British each and the sauces which make all the difference. I do not ever remember eating shark, but fought over the region and this is the best fish sandwich I’ve ever tasted. left behind settlements and progeny. Groups SCENE FOUR: THE HERB BASKET from Portugal, Italy, China We are now driving up a mountain road, past terraced plots covered in French and and the Middle East also Spanish thyme, peppermint, chadon beni (similar to cilantro, but stronger), chives and arrived and merged into the other vegetables. There are staked tomatoes that look like they will simply disappear population. But the majority down the steep mountainside if they were to fall off their vines. of Trinidadians descend from Our destination is Paramin, a town perched on one of the highest points of the African slaves and from island’s northern mountain range and known as Trinidad’s “herb basket.” Paramin is Indian indentured servants. Catholic and rural, and its residents speak a French dialect that originated in the late 1700s.

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