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So this year TJJ with their fast self decide to make the 4 hour trek down to Key West in Florida to check out the age old tradition: FANTASY FEST. I can't start this review without starting from the organization of the trip to give you an idea of how big this thing has become for the Caribbean community in South Florida.

About five days before the trip we call over to Tropical Feast Restaurant to book some spots on "de bus." They tell us the bus sold old but they trying to get a second bus. The next day they got the 2nd bus but it sell out before we could get the whole TJJ crew organized. So we book some spots on the 3rd bus they were getting. You believe by the next day the 3rd bus sell out and some TJJ followers just had to get left behind. Anyway so the few of us who get on the bus get to the restaurant early because the bus suppose to leave at 7:30 a.m. Of course in true Trini fashion we didn't leave till 10 a.m., but no big thing as it was lime from the time we reach there in the parking lot half asleep till we get down to the Keys.

Each bus was fully stocked with a bar in the back with our very own bartender. We even get some complimentary saltfish n buljol for breakfast. So is drinks, food, wining and ole talk all the way down. Bram... the 4 hours drive just fly by in no time. We reach the Keys and right off the bus we got some complimentary pelau. Nice. So everybody head nice and belly full so we ventured off to find Duval Street to see what this Fantasy Fest is all about. Much to our surprise the FEST was not as rowdy and scandalous as we were told it was in previous years. You still had the array of half naked women (and some completely naked) parading the streets showing off their tot-tots (ta-tas) and displaying the art work on their bare chests (and other parts of the body) of the resident air brush artists. But what surprised us the most was the age of some of these exhibitionists - mostly over 60 - and most of the tot-tots stayed put when they walked by .... can you say "Silicone"!! Hey, if you bought it, flaunt it right??!! But anyways, I digress.

So after we had our fill of seeing half naked people we went back by the bus and by that time the music truck set up and we had our own little jam session in the parking lot with the fifteen other bus loads of people who park there. The vibes was nice. Drinks just passing. Everybody wining and having ah good time. Then about 7 o'clock the truck started making a move with those people wearing their Miami Carnival costumes in full gear and the hundreds of non-costumed revellers just tagging along as if it was carnival all over again. We jammed with the music truck all down Duval Street and about 4 hours later we made it back to the parking lot and it was all over. Everybody jump on their buses and we made the long trek back home. The bus was dead silent this time with all man jack sleeping (except the bus driver we hope).

Big up to all the bus drivers who got us back home in one piece. All I have to say is next year for sure. Costume and all!

SM for the TJJ fam