I have been visiting Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, since 1998. The city is also dubbed the New York of the Caribbean. Traffic congestion, crime, art, culture and diversity are comparable between New York, the U.S.A. and Port of Spain of Trinidad and Tobago, on a normalized basis. It’s January 2016, and this marks my ninth visit. Trinidad is called Trini for short. And I like it that way!

Trini appears to me funny when I hear people speak English. Their English is more like Tringlish, similar to Hinglish, English spoken by Hindi-speaking Indians, or Chinglish, English spoken by native Chinese. It is very distinct. English is the first language in Trinidad and Tobago. But spoken English is richly rhythmical with a dense accent. Equally, I may appear funny to Trinies when I speak English because I originally hailed from Nepal and my spoken English is different from that of Trinis. Like their Tringlish, mine may be Nenglish–English spoken with a Nepalese accent.

We generally admire a funny person. I much admire Trinis because quite a few things are funny here. The way people dress up in various costumes during the great Carnival festival is fabulous. For me, it is more than funny. It is cultural, historic, and artistic. It shows passion and dedication. Some people here spend a couple of months in preparation for this fabulous festival event. The Carnival festival is amazing–the music, the dances, the processions, the food and of course the drink! It is a spectacular event.

Trinidad and Tobago is a jewel in the crown of the Caribbean. Its people are both richly rich and poorly poor. Only V. S. Naipaul’s sharp pen could paint their landscape in full detail. One section of the Port of Spain is like the Chicago South and the other is like New York Manhattan. Just a couple of blocks away from the glitter of the city’s business district are quite a few stray dogs and humans searching for food in the litter. To add agony to aching hearts, people are looking deeply dejected by the despair of poverty and drugs. Thus the litter and the glitter are juxtaposed in a sad way.

I have seen drivers in Port of Spain with one hand in the steering wheel of a Maxi-taxi and the other holding a beer bottle. They appear so skilled in their driving profession that they are drinking and driving at the same time without killing anyone. Taking a ride in one of those maxi-taxies is really funny even though your heart may pound faster and faster as you get closer and closer towards your destination.

One of the favourite pastimes of Trinis is going to a beach, as there are plenty of them. I visited Maracas Beach a couple of times. Every time I go there, I experience an increased sense of bliss. The old and the young, the men and the women, the boys and the girls all move towards the ocean in their colourful swimming suits and undies and merge their bodies in the water. When a rough tide comes their way to submerge their bodies under it, they jump up and down as if embracing heaven and earth simultaneously. How lovely!

Hidden under the history book of nature and of men and women of this lovely land are some treasures that captivated my mind. One such treasure is the Asa Wright Nature Centre, located in Arima Valley of the Northern Range. Spanning 1,500 acres of protected rainforest, it boasts incredible biodiversity with hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and more. Over 250 species of birds have been found here, making this centre one of the top birdwatching spots in the Caribbean. The sight and songs of hummingbirds, antshrikes, honeycreepers, and squirrel cuckoos enchanted me. I was beholden to the sight of the botanic garden. I have been to this Centre several times. But this time a write-up carved on the welcoming board caught my attention. It read: “Take nothing but pictures; kill nothing but time; leave nothing but footprints.” How profound!

Among many other enchanting attractions such as the La Brea Pitch Lake (the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world) and Fort George Museum, the Hanuman Statute located in the village of Carapichaima stands out. It was consecrated in 2003. The spectacular 85-foot-tall statute, built in a Dravidian style of architecture of South India, overlooks the Dattatreya Yoga Centre and shares the Temple’s landscape. It is the tallest Hanuman Statute outside of India in the world; the record for the tallest Hanuman Statute is being held by the statute (171 ft) in Madapam, Srikakulam district on the banks of the river Vamsadhara in North Andhra, India. Hanuman is a Hindu god, a revered disciple of Lord Rama. It is assumed that the height of the Statute is a reminder to Hanuman’s devotees that they should grow in height spiritually.

The Temple-in-the-Sea, five hundred feet into the water of the Gulf of Pairia in Waterloo, is another amazing sight. Its location, beauty and serenity all command praise. When I read the history of its construction, I could not stop admiring its builder–Sewdass Sadhu. How a person’s passion, grit, and commitment can make a difference! It is an amazing story. Sewdass Sadhu came to Trinidad in 1907 as an indentured labourer. There were quite a few indentured labourers brought to work on the island from India. Most of them were Hindus and believed in prayers. They used to do so in temples back home. But there was no temple for this activity in Trinidad. Early in his life in Trinidad, Mr. Sadhu set a goal of erecting a sacred Hindu temple on the coast of the Gulf of Pairia. Brick by brick, he finished his project in 1947.

However, the temple was built on land owned by the Caroni Sugar Company. The Company wanted it demolished, but Mr. Sadhu resisted. The company resorted to the law enforcement authority, which demolished the Temple in 1952 and jailed Mr. Sadhu for 14 days over the matter. This development made Sadhu more determined, and he began work on a new one in the sea so that he did not have to get permission from the government to build the temple. He worked another 17 years to complete it.

The Temple is indeed a tribute to the power of human passion and persistence! Mr. Sadhu died in 1970, but his legacy is one of the crowning events in the colonial history of Trinidad. Here are two pictures of this historic temple:

The greeneries across the rolling hills of the land, the food and costumes, and the upbeat spirit of the people will certainly cheer you up in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The seashores and natural beauty of Tobago are unique in their own ways. Your body will start to feel fresh and your lungs happy as soon as you land in Tobago. Eco-tourism is the name of the game here. However, any description of Trinidad and Tobago would be incomplete without mentioning the classic doubles, a common street food consisting of curried chickpeas wrapped in two fried flatbreads, topped with a variety of chutneys and hot pepper sauce, and the sumptuous morning breakfast served in different locations. So tasty and so affordable!