Trinidad Carnival 2008

SAT FEB 2nd:

After reachin how late cuz my XL flight had a 'missing part', and going through the hell of Tobago and everybody rushing to get on the last flights to Trini; when I land I was met by Hasan and his cousin, and we were on our way one time. 1st making a pit stop for beers (of course) and then I had to fly to St. James to meet Maya (my sis - please see the hot body brown skin girl next to me in all my pics). They dun tellin me, I eh have time to bathe, so I run and do a splishy splashy and get dressed, in a shorts and LUCIOUS LUCIAN shirt.

We end up goin Trini Posse fete first, after like an hour of traffic, I had time for a power nap that looking back, praise jah I did.... when I walk the outside venue, with a big Red Bull and some huge structure with lighting men and cameras on cranes and ting. When I reach Destra was performing, songs like "Saddle". I eh go lie her dancers very roff....

It was a cooler fete, so I find my brother, but looking for the rare Lucian flag raised in the crowd, and start batting rum like there's no tomorrow cuz my foot hot and I feelin' like I reach late and I been missing out. They endless people on, after Destra it was dat girl who singing exp-o-o-o-o-o-o-ose!, the padnas who singing Gyal Farm, Ricky T, Patrice Roberts (I love you Patrice), and yes Machel Montano HD was deh, dropping all the big tunes like "Defense"! and my fav Carnival song for 2008 'When las you hear about de "Congo Man"! go dong dong dong de dong dong dong de dong! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St8BK0HLqNs)

From early I dun standing up on a cooler wining, and somehow I end up leaving the fete very muddy. Machel had a big finale for his "Blazin' de Trail", when u sayin 'aahh de heat!' and how much big flames on either side of the stage and fire works, so much so, I was not even in front and I felt like my eyebrows were about to burn off!

So yeah, once Machel finish everybody looking to go Insomnia which would have basically da same artists again in a next venue, but I eh vex, I just reach, as long as I goin to a fete I in dat. So when we get deh, Hasan is like, well lewwe go Diamond Vale Breakfast fete. Apparently we had a link, so we decided to go there instead, but not before watching 2 fellas parachute their way down into the sea and on stage for Machel's show at Insomnia. I eh lying Trinidad real have hype. I also saw Jah Cure pass by and he call me "Empress" - You check it. (I know people suckin their teeth now, hahaha)

Anyways gassa by the time I reach Diamond Vale 7am sun blazing, so I perch myself under a tree with a drink or 3 in hand and to cut a long story short I end up wining until 1PM that day. I ate doubles for the first time, which upon my first bite was like a the clouds opened and a light shone down from heaven, and a whole choir of angels serranaded my tase buds cuz dat was the most delicious thing I ever ate. Gassa I eh know how I did it, but everybody, it is possible to not sleep for 36 hours and stay wiining and drinking rum. YES..... I CAN!

SUN FEB 3rd:

We went and sleep for like 4 hours then I had to get up and go collect my costume. Which I was looking forward to. And I eh go lie it was lovely (better be for the money I pay) embellished in how much diamante gems, well sewn and just all round gorgous. (gorgean Taribba-hahaha) After dat gassa I could do nothing but sleep, Super bowl or no Super bowl, I went and sleep at 7.

MON FEB Feb 4th - 2AM:

Oye I was awakened by what sound like a Carnival truck park inside my bedroom. Yo the jouvert bands turns out passin RIGHT IN FRONT the house I staying in. Everybody sleeping, but I wide awake like I just drink 12 cups of coffee. My foot hot like hell, so I go upstairs and watch the bands pass, feeling depressed cuz everybody sleeping.... Luckily my equally hot foot sister decide she want to go too and after watching more and more bands pass and we wake up Omar and decide we goin - WE IN DAT!

We join up with Yellow Devils and after like 5 mins we dun have yellow paint on us. It was a real irie vibe as we wine down de road, get hose down soakin wet.... mad and off.

Irie we go home at like 8, to bathe and get ready and I eh know how but we reach on the road all 12 o'clock. For my first time we following some Trini's who basically tell us we go be in TRIBE, and we eh have no other choice. On Carnival Monday, nobody really wearing costumes, and apparently most people not deh on Monday. But it was in my opinion still pleasantly full. I know I quarrel about how much TRIBE costs, so you know from the moment I reach we dun in the drinks. I would like to add some commentary in point form to sum up my two days:

1. TRIBE service was impeccable. I never waited more than 1 minute for a drink, maybe less. 2. For lunch, we sat in a park with blankets laid out for us to eat lunch (nice touch), which was a choice of 3 meals - BBQ, Creole or Mexican. 3. They had a tent with full length mirrors and deodorant to freshen up. 4. The mobile bathrooms had mints safety pins and more deodorant. 5. The security was so tight, it was like every 2 feet was someone on the rope (no exaggeration). 6. Tuesday breakfast was doubles (of which I ate like 5), bake, yogurt, banana, or cereal.

All this may be seen as standard for some Trini's, but as a 1st timer I was very impressed.

So Monday we saw familiar faces, we wine on the green-eyed padna (Michael Ealy) from Barbershop (and break his waist), who apparently in TRIBE every year, and saw Jeanille from TEMPO. The rest is pretty much a blur, just know plenty wine and jook go on.

Carnival Tuesday we had to be up from early, cuz apparently we had to be on the road from SEVEN? Boy ... amm.... hmm.... well we got there for 8AM and I eat my doubles, so I dun content. You basically remained stationary for like 2 hrs, but I eh vex cuz I feel I getting a cough, so maybe I should drink some Hennessy straight? At 9am? Yeah man... it's amm... medication!

Come Tuesday everyone dolled up in their costumes, so it looked all so pretty... seeing the frontline costumes and all the sections grouped was really beautiful. After admiring my band gassa no time to waste, we basically wine from then til 8pm, with an extended and well needed break for lunch... I well fell asleep for 20 mins in the park.

My only thing about TRIBE is that they don't have any jamets. I eh see no one on the ground, or legs on a truck... no people in a upside down wine!!! Everyone was generally so well composed. Otherwise, the band irie!!

For those who askin'... yes the route long, and I do suggest you do a lil' exercise before going down and not too get toooooo drunk, cuz u go burn out. Doh wear a new new shoe, and girls if you wearing heels you crazy!!!

For those men wondering... YES THE WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL, but ladies not everybody are super models, and trust me after a while you not even concerned if a Tyra Banks look alike standing next to you cuz it's all irie vibes.... and who cares when you have a drink in your hand!

To be honest, what more can I say about Trini Carnival is I wine for the whole of St. Lucia and I'd recommend anyone who like to fete to come down!!

After that I was basically cooling out in Trini for a bit, enjoying the delights of being in the Caribbean, like listening to this show called 'Gladiator' in the morning and on Ash Wed they had a big debate if you should not wine for 40 days, and a woman call and say it not possible to for her not to wine for 40 days. lol . U must love the Caribbean!

I spent 2 days in Tobago and it's absolutely beautiful. The day I leaving they say lewwe go on a glass bottom boat. I deh thinking, 'irie, we goin on a touristy, look at the pretty fishies' kinda vibe. But we end up on the most bacchannal boat, a man bring on a bottle of black and Soca blasting as we cruise over the reef. We park by that nylon pool (that's the name?)

The place were sand settle in the middle of the ocean, so it super shallow, only up to your hips. It's absolutely beautiful and I would send anyone who goin' Tobago to go on Cool Runnings boat. Big fete break out in the sea and everybody wining in the sea like it was a mermaid mas!!

I left Tobago late cuz XL was 'missing a part' again. Somebody say a prayer before I board my flight.....

I hoped I have been partially thorough... I can garauntee u I go be back in Trini next year and the year after that. I hope some of these pics can help illustrate one of the baddest week of fetin I ever go thru...

Til de nex account.....