Any polished conceptions were quickly gone when I realized this would be my first cricket game. The party atmosphere was boosted by dancers, acrobats, and soca music. The audience started dancing and twerking on its own at every six or wicket.
In the meanwhile, flag bunting was present everywhere. The nation was formerly a Spanish territory that was subsequently transferred to the British in 1797 thanks to Christopher Columbus. It was granted independence in 1962, a milestone that is fervently celebrated each September.
I was told by a local with a wonderful lilt, "People here are forthright and say what they mean - this is not a PC country and no one takes offense - we laugh instead," as there was merriment in the air.
The House of Angostura, established by Johann Gottlieb Benjamin in 1830 in the Venezuelan town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolivar) for medical purposes (yes, really), is also located in the capital. He wished to enhance the soldiers' digestion and sense of hunger.
Midway through the 19th century, the firm established its distillery in Port of Spain, and its Angostura bitters recipe is still kept a well guarded secret. The corporation is the largest manufacturer of rum. Nevertheless, taking a tour of the distillery and accompanying museum is an engaging afternoon activity. Also, be sure to look over their oddball butterfly collection and art collection.
The Scarlet Ibis was chosen as Trinidad's national bird in 1962, the year that Trinidad and Tobago gained independence. In addition to 180 other species, including the pink flamingo, the Swamp is the ideal spot to observe these stunning red birds. There are 40 different fish species, several snake species, crab species, and raccoons that eat crabs inside the 40 square miles of mangrove and swamp.
A family-run company with over a century of expertise, Bird Sanctuary Tours, offers a well-honed experience aboard a flat-bottom boat, pointing out the sleeping snakes and other wildlife.
We traveled to the bustling Maracas Beach in the area as our stomachs began to growl, where we dined on the Bake and Shark menu at Richard's wooden hut restaurant. Food is served on fried flat bread in this traditional fast food of Trinidad, which some refer to as classic street food.
Tano Harewood, the proprietor of Island Tours and our tour guide, was able to navigate the throngs of people waiting in line to pick up our meals despite the busy location. I chose a Trini Aloo Pie, which is a pastry filled with spiced mashed potatoes and then cooked. Shark or shrimp were chosen by others.
Take a boat trip to the Islands and the Gasparee Caves.
West of Port of Spain, in Chaguaramas, lies the picturesque Gaspar Grande island, which can be reached by boat in about ten minutes.
It is advisable to have an organized tour with a guide to point out the wonderful wildlife and flora and then continue the boat cruise around the Islands. We traveled through one of the sea canals in the Boca del Dragon in a speed boat named "Life is Good," from which we could see Venezuela. We made stops at Scotland Bay and Sandy Bay, where we saw turtles poking their heads above the water and an anhinga bird perched on the rocks. Back on the boat, we were given lunch and rum drinks and given the chance to cool down in the warm Caribbean Sea.
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