Ask a Trini : 11 reasons to love Trinidad

While I tend to write about all aspects of travel … the good and the bad … I thought I would remind everyone about some of the reasons I love Trinidad.

1. Where else can you get Indian, Africa and “Indo-African” or “Afro-Indian” food?
   In Trinidad, you can find curry chicken in any Roti Shop. You can find a “Stew Chicken” on the streets of Port of Spain, but where else would you be able to find a “Curry-Stew Chicken”? Only in Trinidad!
2. Being able to eat “Doubles” … on demand
   Seriously … only in Trinidad, can you find “Doubles” that will have 7 types of chutney. It’s such a simple yet ridiculously addictive “dish” … I can’t call it a dish … it seems so wrong. You can have 4 of them and be full for the rest of the day. You’ll also never have the same “Doubles” twice … every one technically tastes different and no vendor has the same recipe.
3. Nightlife in the North
   Seriously … we are a people who have the ability to “lime”/hang out on demand. We will ditch our jobs for the day, if friends are coming into the airport, if there is a beach party going on, if we’re craving some special dish. We’ll also ditch work, if the we had a long night out … if you’re heading “North” on a Thursday night … it’s customary that you won’t see people at work on Friday.
4. A ridiculous number of public holidays
   We have many cultures in Trinidad. To accommodate all the cultures, history and religion … everyone gets a public holiday. Here’s a list of 2013 public holidays. It’s also an established fact, that if the holiday falls on a Monday or a Friday, then people will choose to make a 4 day weekend out of it.

   JANUARY 1st – New Year’s Day	FEBRUARY	MARCH 29th Good Friday30th Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day
   APRIL 1st Easter Monday	MAY 30th Corpus Christi30th Indian Arrival Day	JUNE 19th Labour Day
   JULY	AUGUST 1st Emancipation Day TBA Eid-Ul-Fitr31st Independence Day	SEPTEMBER 24th Republic Day
   OCTOBER	NOVEMBER TBA Divali	DECEMBER 25th Christmas Day 26th Boxing Day

5. Everyone wants to “Wine”
   I don’t need to say anything else … not all of us can “wine” … I’ll be the first one to say … I didn’t focus on this aspect of Trini-dom while growing up there.
   
6. Speaking of Wining … our music …
   No need for explanation … a couple songs from Machel Montano and you’re in the vibe.
   
7. Ridiculously sexy accents abound
   True story … it’s a confirmed fact that the Trinidadian accent is one of the sexiest accents in the world. If you want lyrical gymnastics to the soundtrack of a sexy accent … listen to a Trinidadian speak.
8. It’s a natural and cultural paradise
   Where else can you find a Pitch Lake, the Devil’s Woodyard,  along with one of the tallest Hanuman Statues in the world and a floating temple in the sea?
9. You can go to Tobago. Nuff said!
   Tobago is one of the reef and diving capitals of the world. Trinidadians forget how lucky they are to enjoy the natural splendor of Tobago without a passport. Beach hopping in Tobago is definitely a treat.
10. Driving the Mayaro-Manzanilla stretch
    I’ve been on some of the best drives in the world … and this 17 mile stretch is one of the best in the world.
11. Carnival in Trinidad
    I don’t need to say more

If you’re looking for more things to do in Trinidad … feel free to stumble on my list of 100 things to do in Trinidad.