Trekker DOESN’T Go to Carnival

This mannequin at one of the local grocery stores is probably the closest Trekker is going to get to Trinidad's annual Carnival.

Don't look, Trekker . . . don't look!

President Gamiette scheduled a Couples’ Conference on the island of St. Lucia. No doubt, one of his primary reasons for picking March 6-8 is because it is also the week of Carnival in Trinidad. This 2-day festival - similar to Mardi Gras held the week before Lent (another thing to look up) - is a sort of "religious" holiday celebrated to the constant rhythm of steeldrums as Trinidadians and tourists shed their worries and inhibitions in a joyful blur of “freeness.”

Trekker thought it might be fun to participate in some of the “safer” activities, including music, food and costumes, but Carnival – at its most primal - is lewd and crude, crass, indecent, raunchy, vulgar and obscene. Driven by a historically high alcohol consumption, men dress as women, women as men, respectable bankers and businessmen wear diapers or drape themselves in chains and torn clothing to splash and be splashed with paint or mud.

As Americans residing in Trinidad, we received an e-mail notification from the U. S. Embassy reminding us to be careful during Carnival week because of increasing incidences of assault, house break-ins, pick pocketing, robberies, carjacking and other frightening crimes.

So Trekker – who doesn’t get to go to Carnival – is going to have to curb his “tiger self” in the company of 18 senior missionary couples on a beautiful Caribbean island! Grrrrr!