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Pigeon Point and Trinidad

Urlaub / Vacation - 3 months ago - cheesy

As our flight to Trinidad was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. we decided to relax on the beach. Pigeon Point, the most beautiful beach of Tobago, is not far from our hotel. We went swimming a bit and David and Susanne take pictures of the kite surfers. After a cocktail on the beach we left for Trinidad

At the airport in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, eight traditional carnival costumes were on display. Here’s the description next to the costumes (The 2012 Pictures you will find under the Carnival Folder):

Pierrot Grenade:
Pierrot Grenade was a finely dressed masquerader and deeply supreme scholar / jester proud of his ability to spell any word in his own fashion and quoting Shakespearean characters as Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Othello at length. Pierrot Grenade, is a satire on the richer and more respectable Pierrot.

We didn’t see any of those but this was the closest to a Pierrot Grenade:

Baby Doll:
The baby doll character, which is now extinct, was played up to the 1930s. The masquerader portrays a gaily-dressed doll, decked out in a frilled dress and bonnet. In her arms, she carries a doll, which symbolizes an illegitimate baby. The masquerader portraying the baby doll, stops male passers-by and accuses them of being the baby’s father.

We didn’t see any of these, but MacFarlain did a gruesome version of it:

Clown:
Traditionally clowns were considered “fools” and carried all kind of antics to entertain and interest a crowd. These clowns were dressed in baggy clothing with big red noses, wild hair, big shoes and often, white faces.

Even though we didn’t see any of these either, there were some clowney characters:

Mad Cow:
The Cow Band, which dates back to the days of the Camboulay was traditionally played by abattoir employees. On Carnival Monday it consisted of a small group of men dressed in gowns of sacking made from rice bags.

Here is a version of carnival 2012:

Dame Lorraine:
The Dame Lorraine was a mas character played by the 18th and early 19th century French planters, who would dress up in elegant costumes of the French aristocracy and parade in groups at private homes/yards on Carnival Sunday night.

Another one that was present:

Suck me nose sailor:
This character was introduced during the 1880s when American, French and English naval ships came to Trinidad. Today it is one of the most dominant Carnival characters in Carnival and it has been modified into many different styles.

No “suck me nose” but lots of sailors:

Jab Jab:
The name of this mas is derived from the French patois for “Diable Diable” meaning a pretty devil mas resembling a mediaeval jester’s costume.

One band actually was dressed as Jab Jabs:

Bat:
The bat costume is normally black or brown and fitted tightly over the masquerader’s body. The headpiece covers the head entirely and is made from swansdown and papier mache face, teeth, nose and round eyes. The mouth is used for vision and occasionally the mask is lifted to his forehead for a breath of air.

Auch hiervon eine:

Other traditional carnival characters are:

Fancy Indians:
Among the most spectacular mas costumes, Fancy Indians are based on the indigenous peoples of North America. The wearer decides how expensive or expansive he wants this costume to be. Bands of Indians can comprise a warrior chief and his family, a group of chiefs, or a group of warriors.

Moko Jumbie:

The stilt dancer known throughout the Caribbean, is a traditional folk character that was originally brought from West Africa. The word “Moko” is derived from the name of a West African God and “jumbie” or “ghost” was added by liberated slaves after Emancipation. It was believed that the height of the stilts was associated with the ability to foresee evil faster than ordinary men. The Moko Jumbie was felt to be a protector of the village.

In Trinidad they wanted to sell us iguanas for dinner but we decided to go to Sweet Lime instead.

All pics:

Tags: beach, carnival, Costumes, Karneval, Kite Surfer, Kostüme, Strand, Trinidad

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