Trinidad Parade Carnival Finale, whinnin' for the police!
25 February 2020 | Port of Spain, Trinidad
Barry Bartholomew
Hola Amigos!
The raucous finale for Carnival was/is on Fat Tuesday the day before oh so solemn Ash Wednesday. This is party hardy time with all the streets of down town Port of Spain blocked off for many miles of parade route lined with vendors. The overall party climate is fun filled, welcoming, light hearted, joyous, silly merriment. There were plenty of very stoic police on hand both on motorcycle and horseback. Of course the ladies enjoyed taunting them with dance as they were somehow able to maintain the look of those very serious Royal Castle Guards in England!
Many of the big costumes and portions of them are also in the parade, It starts early Tuesday morning and goes until dusk. There are dozens of pan bands each accompanied by their team. They are typically in matching costumes the band has designed and often created. The larger bands have huge trucks with gigantic speakers. Can't tell you how many people advised to be sure and get the best ear plugs money can buy to block out as much LOUD music as possible This proved to be extremely important advice!!!! The bands are also accompanied by their own " refreshment truck" think RUM and also have food for their people. Some bands had a open bus for their peeps to take a break and ride along. Also there were pottie trucks that ambled along with san-i-cans on board.
The city was alive with music, some old Calypso songs but mostly the more modern SOCA beat....very, very Caribbean! One cannot listen to it with out tapping along, bobbing your head or swaying with the beat. The parade moves along slowly with a stutter step kind of two step dance that's called "chippin'". Easy to do and fun to shuffle along with the beat,
The atmosphere is very joyfully sexual with young an old, big and small, most usually scantily clad....participating in the revelry. The craziest thing of all was the "whine" aka as "whinnin'" This is clothes on love making in the streets!! Just minding my own business all during the day, three different women came up to me grinning and started grinding on me to the music!!!! Ahhhhhh..... Scarrrrrry....had several heart attacks that day
....but I'm ok now. Still got a smile on my face that can't be wiped off......lol
It will take the entire year to recover and to decide whether or not I can handle it again next year......
I'll exercise and take vitamins....just maybe....
Barry _/)