Trinidad is alluring, a constant surprise to first-time guests, but it's not just another carbon-copy paradise. Culturally diverse, the island is a bouillabaisse of more than 40 nationalities and ethnic groups, the largest of which are of East Indian and African descent (each accounting for about 40% of the population). The medley is reflected in everything from food, design and language to music, dance and humor. At Carnival time, Trinidad throws the grandest, wildest party in the Caribbean. Divali, the Hindu festival of lights in October, draws big crowds, as do many other festivities throughout the year associated with Trinidad's various cultural and religious groups.
As famous as Trinidad is for the steel drum, the island is also the birthplace of calypso, another lively style of music associated with the tropics. Typically, calypso features a fast beat and witty lyrics that express the singers' opinions and amusing observations—sometimes political, sometimes bawdy, sometimes both. In fact, calypso songs have been credited with making or breaking politicians.
In 1824, J.G.B. Siegert, a Prussian physician, created a blend of herbs and spices to combat stomach ailments. The recipe for the now-famous Angostura Bitters is so secret that five people have memorized five portions of the recipe and are not allowed to interact with each other. It is still produced on Trinidad.
Every street in Trinidad has two names—the ones on the maps sold to visitors to the islands and the ones on the street signs.
Trinidad was once part of the South American continent. For this reason, it has plants and wildlife not found on other Caribbean islands and, together with the many Caribbean species present there, accounts for the richest flora and fauna of any set of islands in the Caribbean.
Fans of famed Trini author V.S. Naipaul can see his tidy, two-story boyhood home at 26 Nepaul St. (at the corner of Western Main Road), St. James (near Port of Spain).
