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South America in 1997

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Bec
2004-09-19 15:06:15

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Port of Spain
Cafe on Park street. The heavy grille protecting the owner or operator is standard cafe equipment in Trinidad. Poverty, drugs and alcohol contribute to giving Trinidad one of the highest crime rates in the world. In 1996 there were more than 1000 murders for a total population of 1.3 million.

The capital still has several of these old but handsome 19th century houses.

Every day is market day on Prince street.

I stayed here in Lyn's Guest House at the east end of Park street. The normal price of 7 US$ a day goes up to 20 US$ during Carnaval. It is clean and more importantly, safe because of the presence of an armed guard at night.

Jolly Hermine Johnson manages Lyn's Guest House and the guard keeps the rowdies out.

Coming in one night after sundown, a noisy group invited me to drink rhum with them. I was a bit apprehensive but joined them anyway because I figured that I might as well since I would certainly not be able to sleep through the din. It turned out fine, we got along marvelously and I got invited to a "limin" party for the next night.

Sure enough, the next day they picked me up and we did the rounds visiting their friends all afternoon with of course a little rhum at every stop. Late in the night we ended up at Terry's place, high in the mountains of Diego Martin peninsula. In the usual order, me, Marva, Carol and Sonny in front with Terry, Andy and Lydia in the back.We had a ball and a late dinner of "breadfruit oil down" then Scobie brought me back as the others went on "limin" in another part of the Island.

Marracas Bay
The beach was quiet on Sunday morning, everyone else but me were either in church or getting over their Saturday night bash.

Copyright Bernard Cloutier

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You've got to be a little nuts to go on a "limin" party with a group of perfect strangers...

HC, 2009-04-20 01:53:35

In 1996 there was not over a 1000 murders..there was barely over 100...it's only recently the murder rate has skyrocketed and still it isn't close to 1000..it's around 400 now...get ur facts straight

me, 2008-11-16 00:12:32