Njengentombi yomhlaba, ndinokuthi ndithathe icala - kodwa ngokoluvo lwam, akukho xesha libi lokutyelela iTrinidad neTobago. Kukho amaxesha abiza kakhulu. Amaxabiso etikiti anyuka ngoDisemba ngexesha leholide kwaye ahlala eqolo ebusika. Iintsuku ezijikeleze iCarnival, edla ngokuwa ngasekupheleni kukaFebruwari, yeyona nto ibiza kakhulu kunyaka wekhalenda.

Ungangenzi kakubi - ndiyikhumbula nyhani i-Trini bacchanal enemibala. Akukho Carnival Njenge-Trini Carnival: iimveku ezihamba ubusuku, ukunyuka kwamandla kwi-panyards kunye neenkampu ze-mas njengoko zilungiselela ukhuphiswano, i-builder-cooker buildup ekhokelela kwincopho yeCarnival ngoMvulo nangoLwesibini, i-crescendo yokubhiyozela, ubuhlalu , iintsiba, kunye namandla e-soca, emva koko isithethe senkcubeko se-Ash ngoLwesithathu esithatha uninzi luye eMaracas Bay. Isiko lizise iTrinidad kunye neTobago igama elihle elizweni lonke kunye nokuzisa abakhenkethi kunxweme lwethu ngamashumi amawaka.

Ndazalelwa ndaza ndakhulela ePort Spain. Usapho lwam lwalusuka eBelmont, kodwa kwasekuqaleni kobuntwana bam, safudukela kwindlu yedolophu eWestmoorings, ihlomela ledolophu lasentshona kwikomkhulu esasibukele likhula phakathi kwethu ngeminyaka yoo-1980. Kwiminyaka yam yokufikisa, abazali bam bakha indlu kufutshane namanzi, kwaye ndizama ukubuyela ndibuye ndibabone rhoqo kangangoko ndinakho.

Kuyathandeka ukuba sekhaya ngexesha lokubhiyozela amaxesha aphezulu, kodwa iinyani zeakhawunti yam yebhanki indikhokelele ekubeni ndilixabise ngokwenene ixesha lonyaka ongekhoyo. Ayikuko nje ukonga imali, nangona-kwaye ikukuzimela kwinkcubeko yam kwaye ndiphinde ndiyazi iTrinidad endiyithandayo, iTrinidad ebaleka kwimithambo yam, i UBathathu Emnye ngaphaya kokubonwa ngumkhenkethi. Baninzi abandwendwela unxweme lweJ & apos; shenxisa kwaye u-Pretty Mas unokuphosa iT & T eseleyo. Uninzi lwabantu abaza kuza abanokuze bafumane indawo ezolileyo onokuyifumana ukuba uyawazi amanye amacala ale ndawo, okanye undwendwele nomntu owaziyo.

Ndivumele ukuba ndibelane nawe ngeTrinidad.

Ukulala eTrinidad kuya kukhutshelwa ngumculo weqakamba kunye namasele. Uvusa umdla we-kiskadee, iintaka ezihlala ezihlahleni zidlala ngombala otyheli-okwahluke mpela kwi-oyile edidayo ye-iridescence yamahobe atyelela ibhalkhoni yam edolophini eChicago. Kukho & nesizathu sokuba uninzi lwabakhenkethi bamanye amazwe batyelele iTrinidad ukubukela iintaka; Sinezinye zezona ndawo zibalaseleyo zetropiki emhlabeni ezijikeleza nje izitiya zethu.

Xa ndityelele ekhaya eTrinidad, kufuneka ndichithe ixesha elincinci kuwo wonke umntu, ndonwabele isiselo kunye nembasa yokutya naphina apho ndiya khona. U-aunty Jannette kunye nomalume uRawden basenokusinika ikheri okanye umthendeleko wokutya kwesiNtu kwesiCreole- icallaloo, imacaroni pie, ipelau, kunye nenkuku esityiweyo. Alukho uhambo oluya ekhaya olugqityiweyo ngaphandle 'kokufaka liming' kwipatiyo nomhlobo wam, uJolie, kunye nosapho. (Ukuba ikufuphi neKrisimesi, umama wakhe uya kusiphatha ngendlela yewayini yakhe ayenzileyo.) Kufuneka sithenge ukutya okuphindwe kabini kwisidlo sakusasa, kwaye iroti, ewe, umyeni wam akakhathali nokuba ivela phi, njengoko okoko iparatha ithambile kwaye ininzi. Ngempelaveki, ukuba sinethamsanqa, udadewethu uyakumenzela isuphu yombona edumileyo kwaye umntakwethu uza kuzisa ibhotile ekhethekileyo yeeramu ebekade efuna ukwabelana ngazo. Zininzi kakhulu iiramu ezenziwayo eTrinidad kwaye zithengiswa apho kuphela, ke ndihlala ndigcina igumbi kwisutikheyisi yam ukuze ndime ngaphandle kokusebenza.

Lonke utyelelo, siqhubela eMaracas Bay. Indlela iqhelekile kwaye icacile, nditsho nakwiinkumbulo zam: ivumba elingaqondakaliyo leepreyiki zepreyiki ezisendleleni Indawo yokujonga apho abathengisi bathengisa khona iinanapple kunye nemango chow, iziqhamo ezinencasa zetropiki ezidada kwi-brine yesosi yepepile; izinja zaselwandle ezinobuhlobo ezilahlekileyo ezibonisa umdla omncinci ebantwini de kube kupholile kwaye kuvulwe amashwamshwam.

Nangona iTrinidad sisiqithi esincinci, nokuba abanye abahlali abanazindawo kwaye baziphe ithuba lokuphonononga iimbombo zayo - bahlala ezibukweni laseSpain nakwimimandla eyintshona ngaphandle kokuya ' indlu yokukhanya , 'ephawula imida yesixeko. Kodwa xa ndindwendwela, ndirhuqa usapho kwenye indawo ixesha ngalinye. Kolu hambo lwam lokugqibela, ndabaqinisekisa ukuba mabaqhubele kude kummandla osemaphandleni waseCarapichaima, ikhaya lodumo Itempile elwandle. Le ndawo yokundwendwela yamaHindu yakhiwa emanzini e-Waterloo ngo-1947, kwaye iseyinto entle ethandekayo kwiinkolelo zamakhulu amawaka abemi. Iiflegi ezimibalabala ezifakwe emoyeni wetyuwa, kwaye mgama, umsi wesinyithi esivuthayo wanyuka kumangcwaba ekwabelwana ngawo ngamaHindu, ngamaKristu, nangamaSilamsi.

Kuninzi kakhulu endikukhumbulayo malunga neTrinidad: abathengisi basesitratweni, iivenkile zerum, kunye nomngxunya wodonga Iiparoli . Iindawo zasekuhlaleni ziyazi. Le venkile iluhlaza inxibe ngokujikeleza isitalato iShumi eBarataria apho ufumana ezona pie ziphambili. Amaphiko , ivenkile eroti ngasemva kweYunivesithi yaseWest Indies, apho ikhari imnyama kwaye ityebile. Umthengisi kwi Imarike eluhlaza yaseSanta Cruz ngubani okukhuthaza ukuba uzame iipea zabo zephuphu ziphinde zitshintshe. I-ice cream ye-Guinness, i-ice cream ye-soursop-igama lencasa kwaye banalo ngokwentsusa I-B & M. inqwelo, ipakwe ecaleni kwendlela esePatna Street eSt.

ESt.James: Ndikhumbula ubusuku obuzolileyo bendawo ebumelwaneni ngoLwesihlanu- 'isixeko sethu esincinci esingalaliyo.' Abangcakazi nabaseli baxinene ezindleleni, bahamba kancinci kancinci ukuze babonise umgca Nkosazana Kanhai & apos; s dosti roti ngaphambi kokuthatha isigqibo sokupaka kunye nokujoyina, ukuzibandakanya nje kwisandla sakhe esimnandi. I-curry enamandla esongelwe kwintlama ethambileyo, ethambileyo ephekwe entsha ngaphezulu kwe-tawah eshushu, isithethe esineminyaka engama-75 ubudala esiqhubeka kanye apho ngekona ye-Mooneram kunye ne-Main Main Road. Kwimizuzu embalwa kude, unokufumana ukukhuthazwa 'kweNdlu kaMnu Biswas,' ikhaya losapho lweV.S. Naipaul , Ngothando ibuyiselwe kwimbali echanekileyo egqibeleleyo kwiminyaka yokuqala yamashumi amathandathu.

Ndiyazikhumbula iinxalenye zeTrinidad apho uhambo lwakho lunokucothiswa ngumhlambi weenkomo obalekayo, apho ipakethi yeebhokhwe isenokuphola ecaleni kwendlela. Ndiyakukhumbula ukugqabhuka kwamagqabi phantsi kweenyawo kunye nesikhalo seenkawu ezibomvu ezibulalayo ngasentla apha Bamboo Cathedral . Kwaye ungasemva kwesikhephe esibaleka sisihla ICaroni Swamp kanye xa umhlambi weebis ezingqombela ubhabha udlula, iintsiba zawo ziyadlamka ngenxa yemithi yemangrove.

Ndikhumbula ukubona umntu ezitalatweni kwaye ndaqonda kwangoko umyili we-Trini banxibe, nokuba yeyokukhathazeka-njengokukhula Ukudibana , imibala engqindilili kaRobert Young & apos; s Ilaphu , bubuhle be Zadd kunye ne-Eastman igawuni, okanye intshukumo engathandabuzekiyo ye ULisa Faye & apos; isilika edayiweyo ngesandla. Ndikhumbula amava e UpMarket , Owona mcimbi wokuthenga upopu uthandwayo apho ndinokugcwalisa ityesi yam kunye neemveliso ezenziwe apha: URachel Rochford amacici, Ubuhle obungapheliyo kwaye I-Curls ezonwabileyo, Amantombazana aonwabileyo , kunye nezinye izinto ezizodwa zasekuhlaleni. Akwaba bendinokuma ngokuthenga ingqokelela yamabali amatsha eCaribbean Iphepha leencwadi kwi Ihotele eNormandie .

Ndiyamkhumbula uBelmont kunye neenkumbulo zosapho apho-indlu utata akhulele kuyo, apho u-antie wam oneminyaka engama-90 ahlala khona, kunye nomama wam nosapho lwam, abashiyeke kwindlela emxinwa imoto yethu ayinakukwazi ukuhamba . Ukuyibona nje, ukuyiva nje, loo nto isisiseko semvelaphi yethu.

Abantu abahamba ngeMarike eluhlaza, intengiso esekwe eluntwini ethengisa ukutya okuveliswe kwalapha kunye nobugcisa eSanta Cruz, Trinidad, Trinidad naseTobago Imarike eluhlaza eSanta Cruz, eTrinidad. | Ityala: UMarc Guitard / Getty Izithombe

Umpu Ligama le-Trini elithetha ukuba buhlungu kwentliziyo, ukulangazelela, ukuphoswa yinto engaphaya kwamagama. Ndihlala ndihlala ndikhumbula ekhaya kancinci-kodwa kulo nyaka, ndinenyani umpu yeTrinidad. Imida ivaliwe ngoku, kodwa engqondweni yam, I & apos sele ndibala utyelelo lwam olulandelayo kwaye ndizama ixesha elifanelekileyo.

Ndifuna ukubakhona ukuze ndizalele ufudo lwe-leatherback e-Grande Riviere, ukuya elunxwemeni ngeeyure ezimnyama zasekuseni kwaye ndibukele ukushukuma kwabo kwakudala ukusuka elunxwemeni ukubuyela elwandle. Ndifuna ukuphakama phandle IBar eBrooklyn , okanye nayiphi na indawo kwi-D & apos; Avenue, nesiselo esinamandla esisesandleni sam kunye nobuso bam. Ndifuna eyona coconut ibusayo, ibandayo evela emazantsi enqwelo ngaphesheya kweQueen & apos; s Royal College ejikeleze Savannah . Ndifuna ukuyibukela ivulwe phambi kwam, ukukhupha amanzi kunye nokukhupha ijeli ngepuni eyenziwe ngeqokobhe lekhokhonathi. Ndifuna ukuba lapho Hosay , Ukuziva iigubu ze-tassa esifubeni sam kwaye ndijonge ngokumangaliswa yiparadesi yee-tadjahs ezihonjiswe phantsi kwe-Main Main Road. Ndifuna ukuphindeka kabini: enye ivela kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya, enye ivela eCouva, enye isuka eChaguanas, enye ivela eCroisee, enye isuka eWoodbrook, yolwazi kunye neepos.

Ngaphezulu kwayo nayiphi na into, ndifuna ukuvuka kwii-kiskadees ezingaphandle kwefestile yam, kwaye ndonwabele ukubhaka kukatata wam kunye nesitena esityiweyo sakusasa. Andinakulinda ukuhlala nje nabazali bam kwiveranda engaphambili, iintaka zitswina egadini, njengoko siphunga iti yethu yakusasa kwaye sincokola malunga nemithi yeziqhamo ethweleyo.

Ndide ndafika naseTobago okwangoku.

UPatrice Grell Yursik ngumbhali ozelwe eTrinidad. Wadala Afrobella.com Ngo-2006 , kwaye indawo ephumelela amabhaso ngobuhle kunye nendlela yokuphila ibonakalisiwe kwi-Essence, Ebony, Glamour, Trinidad Guardian, WWD, nakwiNkampani ekhawulezayo. Ubhalo luka Patrice & apos luvele kwi-Essence, Bust, O Magazine, Reader & apos; s Digest, kunye nokutya kunye newayini, kwaye wabizwa ngokuba yenye yeWWD & apos; s Abantu abayi-50 abanefuthe kakhulu kwiMarike yoBuhle beNkcubeko.