Archiv
CW 07 2002
10.02.2002 - 16.02.2002
Today is Sunday, February 10, and today it's starting for us: carnival in
Trinidad!
Since we're going to have a long night ahead of us we're going to do as little
as possible during the day, so that we're fit for the night. We get picked
up at 6pm and are driven to Port of Spain, to the Queens Park Savannah, to
an event called Dimanche Gras. The kings and queens of the bands are being
elected here tonight. Today is the finale, after the pre-elections that took
place last week on Tuesday and Friday, deciding who can go to the finale.
Every carnival band has it king and queen, namely those wearing the most impressive
costumes.
At the Queens Park Savannah there are tribunes with seats and standing room
on the left and right, like at a stadium, with a large show stage in between.
This stage is made after a road and is surely more than 200m long and easily
20m broad.
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We have seats and sit there waiting for whatever is going to come,
already expecting the best since we can see some of the oversized
costumes blinking and glittering from behind the high walls. |
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Fascinating, from the beginning to the end. But that's not to be all. There'll
also be a calypso competition here today. Artists who are probably well known
in Trinidad perform here. Even we notice that this has got to be a very special
artist when the masses get totally ecstatic. All in all, something different,
but the whole thing drags on and since we don't know too much about this field
of music it does get a little boring after a while.
Before the second round of electing the kings and queens of the band starts
we're honoured by the visit of a real VIP. The Premier Minister of Trinidad
and Tobago drives onto stage in his Daimler and a shudder runs through the
park, the people are cheering him. He stands there and waves, says a few words
and drives off again. After this important visit the calypso competition (unfortunately)
goes into a second round and after that the impressive costumes of the kings
and queens pass us again, this time going from left to right. Unfortunately
we can't stay until the end since we have to get going, get to our meeting
point where we'll be picked up again at 11pm.
On the short walk to the meeting point we get to see the Premier Minister
again, this time from up close. We see the procession of cars moving towards
us, stop and stand at the side of the road, see the Presidents limousine and
wave at him. And really, rather friendly, he waves back. Now wasn't that good
timing?
Some of you might be wondering now: "Why are they leaving? The highlight
of the event is yet to come." Good question, and it is true, but, we
looking forward to another spectacular event called J'Ouvert.
J'Ouvert (pronounced: shurvei) and Monday Night Mas are actually THE beginning
of carnival and start on Monday morning at 4am. And we can't miss that, can
we? We've also arranged tickets and transport for this event and therefore
we have to be changed and ready at 1.30am. So we go back to the ship, change
and have a cup of coffee and a glass of juice before we get going.
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We've got "costumes" for J'Ouvert: a band
T-shirt with shorts and, most important, a small bracelet (like the
ones you get on a club holiday), without that, nothing goes.
You can only enter the bands camp with this "costume" and this bracelet, and only with these you'll get food and plenty of drinks during that event. The band with which we're going is called "Desert Rats". So, we get picked up again at 1.30am sharp and are driven to Port of Spain again, but this time outside of the city, to the Lions Cultural Center. This is where the Desert Rats camp is and here the people's mood is heated up with plenty of drink and music. Music is coming from huge loudspeakers. Playback music, but they also offer live music. |
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We've been listening to someone called Rupee on the radio for the last few
days and he really makes good music. And it's just him, jumping up and down
on stage, singing a few titles, creating good vibrations. Everything is totally
uncomplicated. Fans are dancing around him on stage and there's no big ado
about security and stuff. As he gets off stage I take the opportunity to also
quickly say "hello" to him and, how surprising, Rupee even speaks
a few words of German. That really amazes me! Even if Rupee is gone, the party
is really starting up now. But, actually, what is J´Ouvert?
J´Ouvert really is a mud- and paint fight with music and party and all
of that is happening in the streets of Port of Spain, starting at precisely
4am, with open end. If I say mud- and paint fight, I really mean that people
cover each other with mud and paint. And we? We're still fairly clean, but
that changes quickly. People constantly come up to you with buckets full of
paint and rubs this stuff into your face, onto your clothes, into your hair,
wherever, as long as you get really dirty. We didn't bring any paint with
us, but you can dip your hands into someone else's bucket to smear colour
onto someone. And that is fun!
By the way, from tonight on there's a new dance on Trinidad.
The Schuhplattler (a Bavarian folk dance where you clap your heals together)
was cultivated like crazy.
Felix tries to teach the Schuhplattler to a local. Very funny! Watching this
we laughed so hard we almost died, and others standing by had no idea what
was happening or what that was.
Absolutely terrific!
The general mood is great and slowly but surly the crowd is preparing to leave.
And leaving means that a trail of a couple of hundred people, accompanied
by two large music trucks and a few mobile bars, starts moving. Huge speakers
are fastened to the trucks and DJ's play vibrant music and the bar-trucks
supply the crowd with cold drinks.
If I say the trail starts moving, I don't mean they start walking down the
streets, no, they dance down the streets. Everybody is dancing to this great
music: soca, calypso and whatever it is. That rhythm! You can't help dancing,
and dancing with everybody. Since the camp is located a little out of town
it takes a while until we meet other bands and other people in the streets
of Port of Spain.
Up to now we only got covered with paint, but that's about to change, since
the mud party is starting. They call this mixture of soil and water mud. It
doesn't take long until none of us have even a single spot that isn't covered
in mud or paint. A nice feeling, especially when that stuff starts to dry.
Hmmm!
But that's just how it's supposed to be and that's how it carries on for hours.
Dancing, drinking, mud-spreading and meeting people while doing that. One
is totally surprised to find out that we're from Germany or Austria. He can
hardly believe it. He disappears for a second and returns with a small tin
in his hand. There's also paint in this tin, but it's golden, and he honours
us with it. From now on we all run around with golden ears and noses. Thomas
and Gerhard got most of the gold. Well, they also deserved it the most since
they've got the most mud on them. : ) We've been going for hours and it's
already starting to become light. Seeing us in the light, we actually all
look pretty bad. But, what the heck?
It's really impossible to describe the atmosphere in the streets. It's all
one huge party, great mood, everybody is dancing with everybody, everybody
is laughing with everybody, no aggressiveness. Having fun is the only thing
everybody wants - and we're having endless fun! Even though J'Ouvert doesn't
really have an ending, there's an end coming up, because we've organized our
transport back home und one really shouldn't totally overdo it. So we make
our way back to the meeting point. Unfortunately this means walking quite
a way even though our legs are really tired. But we arrive safely and in time
and Jesse is already expecting us. He's standing there, distributing large
grey garbage bags. Each of us has to get into one of those bags, so we don't
dirty the car seats. Even that is funny. Some others didn't survive this party
as well as we did and is hardly able to walk unsupported. That also happens.
So we drive back to the marina and by now it's 10am on Monday morning. I make
my way back to the ship and fetch us some things we'll need in the shower.
On my way I get some queer looks and silly comments. A few Germans are sitting
on their chartered ship and call: "Oh, she really got it badly".
And I couldn't help but answer and tell them, that things like this of course
don't "happen" to people who only stay in the marina and sit there.
Silence!
The showers: a sorry sight. We're not the only ones who are dirty form head
to toe and everybody is taking a shower now.
It wasn't easy to get that stuff off again and I'd already anticipated the
worst for our hair. But after some thorough soaking and hard scrubbing we're
almost as good as new. Now, quickly off to the bunks and sleep!
What a party, wow!
Unfortunately the heat doesn't allow much sleeping, so in the early afternoon
we already amongst the living again. But, we'll take it easy today, go out
for a small dinner in the evening and that'll be it, because, we're going
out again on Tuesday.
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Tuesday morning, 8am, and we're being driven to Port
of Spain, to the Queens Park Savannah again. Today, the fat is really
in the fire. Today is the "Parade of the Bands" and all bands,
that is all carnival groups, will be marching down the streets in full
costume, dancing and partying for all they're worth.
In Queens Park Savannah a kind of highlight of this parade will take place. Every band and every single member will present themselves on this stage. It's called "Play Yourself ", when everyone presents his costume and dances into the foreground where the press, radio and TV are situated. The carnival event per se. All band pass by here and are hard to control, until they're allowed to enter the stage. They almost conquer the stage and there's nothing you can do but wonder and be enthralled. |
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There they dance, those coffee-brown beauties, in their tight, glamorous costumes.
Everyone is on their feet, young and old, tall and short, slender and less
slender, everybody is joining in. What's quite funny, no, actually it's rather
embarrassing, if the tourists, also wearing costumes, mingle with the locals.
Apart from the fact that such an outfit looks anything but good on pale skin,
they also don't have the beat you need and therefore they look rather stiff
when dancing with the locals.
Even here, every band has its truck with it, from which music sounds, partly
actually roars. Now and again you also get to see a small steel band.
We watch this from our seats for a while and then we get out, into the streets.
On our way, we meet another VIP. Today it's the chief of police of Trinidad
and Tobago who shakes my hand and asks if I'm enjoying myself. Nice!
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It's really raving everywhere today. On the streets, one cool-drink
or snack stand next to the other. Fresh drinking coconuts are sold and
countless cars are standing everywhere, next to them, entire families
are picnicking or are just being here. One does encounter police, even
on horseback, but generally it's very peaceful and we don't see the police
intervening once. We have a snack and then we mingle with the crowd again. So we do get to see the participants of the parade from close up and we even get to look up at some "high officials". It's absolutely amazing to watch these people move around on stilts. It's basically impossible to absorb this plurality of impressions, scenes and happenings. |
At 5pm we once again make our way back to the meeting point to start the
journey home.
Who is it, we're driving around all the time? I spoke about Jesse earlier
and I mean Jesse James, the owner of "Members Only", a maxi taxi
service. He and his wife Sharon conduct this service on Trinidad and all we
can say about it is: you're in good hands with them. There's nothing they
won't take care of or do for you. They organized the tickets and transport
for all the events we went to. They offer an airport shuttle service, island
round trips, sightseeing tours etc. They also help you with everyday problems
and questions and always give you the feeling of being welcome and taken good
care of.
We'd like to pay them a really big compliment and should any of you ever come
to Trinidad, this is the address you need: Jesse James and Sharon Rose James
from Members only Maxi Taxi Service, e-mail jessejamesmembersonly@yahoo.com,
or phone 633-3486.
Back at the marina Tuesday ends with a dinner and that's all we can manage
since we're all pretty exhausted. But it was good!
We've also got a full program for Wednesday. We have to go shopping, get the
ship ready and move off towards Tobago. After all, we need a nice place to
recover from the carnival.
So Felix and I go shopping (with Jesse James) and Thomas and Gerhard get the
ship ready. But getting the ship ready isn't easy today since in the marina
there's plenty of oil in the water. It's so much that actual clots of oil
are sticking to the hulls. It's obvious that someone produced a huge mess
here. Almost impossible to get that stuff off the boat. So Thomas and Gerhard
are really busy with that. We're also really busy, because we have to be done
with our shopping in one hour since that's when the taxi is leaving again.
It's just after 4pm when everybody is done with everything and has put everything
away and we can unfasten the lines. Surely we won't go very far today? No,
we're just going to a bay, 2 nm away, the Grand Fond Bay. We'll spend the
night here and early tomorrow morning we'll make our way to Tobago.
On Thursday we wake up at 5am, have breakfast and an hour later we're on our
way. Unfortunately the weather isn't cooperating too well. We have to go against
very strong currents which means that we have to use the engines at first.
That wouldn't be too bad, but we've also got the waves and the wind coming
directly towards us. So we get shaken around quite badly and can only set
sail after 4 hours.
We're making good time after that, but we also catch two gusts of rain. All
in all not a very nice journey to Tobago, but after 13 hours we arrive there
and drop anchor in Milford Bay, also called Store Bay. We prepare ourselves
some dinner and that'll be enough for today.
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Only on Friday do we actually see, where we are. To
our left is an endlessly long beach with palm trees and a great reef
in front of it, the Buccoo Reef. But before we take a closer look at
that I take the men ashore with the dinghy. Thomas has to go to the
officials again to take care of the paper work and Gerhard and Felix
also have things to do. I'm picking them up again later, which isn't
that easy, due to the strong swell at the beach. A wave hits me and
in no time a huge man stands to attention, instructing us, how to leave
the beach again. A lifeguard, just like in "Baywatch". Oh
well.
Back aboard Thomas and Gerhard take the dinghy and check out the situation at the reef. As the two return we weigh anchor and move a little closer to the Buccoo Reef in front of the magnificent beach. |
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This beautiful beach is very famous, for, as our guidebook tells us, this
is where the Baccardi spot was made.
Unfortunately dropping anchor takes a little longer here and with out usual
anchor we don't stand a chance at all. So we unpack our other anchor and with
that we make it on first try and now we can enjoy this magnificent view. Just
the right place to enjoy a sundowner and let the day end lazily.
Saturday, February 16, and our night is already over at 6.30am. Not even our
second anchor lasted through the night and we drifted off a little. So we
have to weigh anchor quickly and first of all get out of here. So we leave
Buccoo Reef and drive into Mount Irvine Bay where we have breakfast first.
At 10.30am we're on our way again, heading north. We've got wind, so we set
sail and move along with 7 knots. Captain Lieutenant Thomas and Admiral Gerhard
sail us for those 30nm and at 4pm we arrive at a beautiful bay. This is the
right spot and we drop anchor next to Felix and Gerhard's fellow-countrymen.
Also a catamaran, Gryllos III, with Alexandra and Karl aboard.
Thomas and I hop into the dinghy to quickly go ashore and run a few errands
and Alexandra comes over to visit.
This is just the right place to relax a little. Nothing but idyllic nature!
The bay's name, Man of War Bay, doesn't sound idyllic at all, but the beach,
the rainforest and the chirping birds are.
So we prepare ourselves a nice dinner aboard, sit together relaxing, and that'll
be it for today and this week.
… what the next week brought us
… here, in one week:
same time, same place!
So long
Diana + Thomas
Gerhard und Felix
Our excursion to the onboard kitchen will be to the bakery:
Almond-Peach-Cake:
100g pealed, chopped almonds
1 small can of peach halves (250g after draining)
for the dough:
200g wheat flour
2 tablespoonfuls baking powder
150g sugar
3 eggs (size M)
200g molten, cooled butter or margarine
2 tablespoonfuls brandy
a few drops of bitter almond essence
icing sugar to coat the cake
Roast the almonds in a pan, without using oil or fat, until they're golden-brown, then let them cool off. Drain the peaches in a sieve and cut them into small dice.
For the dough, sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix with the sugar. Add the eggs, the butter or margarine, the brandy and almond essence. Finally add the almonds and peaches and carefully mix them in.
Pour the dough into a baking dish previously lined with butter and bake for
50 minutes at 180°C with top- and bottom heat or at 160°C with circulating
hot air.
Leave the cake in its dish for about 5 minutes, then turn it over and let
it cool.
Cover with icing sugar.
Good luck!
And Friedrich Nietsche has the last word for this week:
Learning better how to enjoy makes us forget the best how to hurt others.
