Kingston vs. Port of Spain

Trinidad seems to be the hurry-come-up sibling of Jamaica. 

After a week of partying there for Carnival, and seeing some of the country during trips to parties and back to the house, I think I can now qualify as a Trinidad expert. 

Port of Spain seems both richer and poorer than Kingston. Smaller too - but with much worse traffic jams (but maybe that was just Carnival traffic). Where as in Jamaica everyone has to impress with their wheels, with SUVs and BMWs being the order of the day - everyone in Trinidad seems to drive second hand Nissan Sunnys. 

Much of Port-of-Spain's buildings seem a little dilapidated and not terribly attractive - picture Vineyard Town. But gleaming skyscrapers are now being built. 

The city's hills would be impressive, if our mountains weren't more so. The climate was not as hot as I expected - which is a good thing. 

The neighbourhood we stayed in was very well kept, with green grass on the sidewalks and large homes on small lots. There seems to be more shanty type buildings and less mansions in the hills overlooking the city than is the case in Kingston. I had a feeling of greater security there than here - although the opposite is the case for wealthy Trinis who visit Jamaica, due to a high rate of kidnapping there.

 Yes ,the two cities - if not countries - are definitely related. Jamaica is more beautiful - but Trinidad has more money. And money improves the looks of just about anybody.

Amber of the Gods

If we accept that rum is the amber nectar of the gods, then the gods or God himself must be a Jamaican.

In Trinidad, I'll be getting into this carnival as much as my spirit will allow. I, like all Jamaicans, firmly believe that we produce the best rum - and that we also have a huge variety.

Barbados and their Mount Gay and Cockspur - are better than Trinidad. But really there is a great range in flavours around the West Indies. Martinique's rum is unlike those of the English speaking islands, because they (I understand) make theirs straight from sugar cane - and not from molasses. Molasses is the by-product of sugar - making rum a by-(by?) product of sugar - even though it now makes far more money than sugar.

Guyana has a very good rum called El Dorado. Cuba's 12 year old Havana Club is good - smells great. Haiti has a great rum too - the name slips me at the moment. But Jamaican rum stands in a class by itself - particuarly aged rums - there is an Appleton 21 year old, which should be drunk like a brandy. There is also Edwin Charley Black Label - which I think is kind of whiskey like. Younger Appletons. Gold Label Trelawny Rum - which used to be very popular in the 1970s and 80s, but lost out to Appleton special in the 90s. We have a new rum brand called Port Royal.

On top of this we have darker rums which are mainly for export (all the ones I have listed here are gold rums). The dark rums include the ones that the English are probably most familiar with - which are no longer for the Jamaican palate - Captain Morgan, Lambs Navy Rum, Myers. Coruba is dark and sweet and is the most popular rum in New Zealand.

We also make a white rum which is very popular with the masses - called J. Wray and Nephew Overproof. It is akin to lighter fluid - but smells worse. I am embarrassed to admit that many of my own friends have switched from Appleton Special or Appleton V/X to white rum - many mixing it with cranberry juice or coconut water.

You will note that I haven't mentioned Bacardi, which no self-respecting Jamaican would ever consider to be even remotely related to rum - and would place it further down the ratings than I place our white rum.

Holy to Unholy Fun

Christmas is over - it seemed to go buy a little more pleasantly this year. Its a great time to be in Jamaica - especially if you have the bucks for all the big parties - Boom, Utopia, Frenchmen and more. But even if you don't there's plenty more going on - Maiden Cay if you are off work and can get a ride to the sandbank. Maiden Cay is a pretty good name for it, given the fine lassies that pack the little spit like sardines in a can.

But now that the holy season is over in Jamaica, its time to think about the unholy one in Trinidad - namely that sin-packed bachanal known as Carnival

Well - I presume its sin-packed. In sun tan oil. Don't know for sure. I'll be heading to T&T at the end of this month to find out for sure.

With all the jumping and dancing and walking and standing and what not - I hope that Port of Spain doesn't become a Port of Pain.