Trinidad Carnival 2018


Back to Trinidad carnival after taking 2017 off.  I tried to get my brother Paco to go to Panama with me immediately following Trinidad, Ash Wednesday thru the following Monday (President’s Day) since I didn’t really want to go to Tobago on Ash Wednesday like we usually did in the past. He said that we would be too tired to head to Panama after a week in Trinidad so I convinced him to go to Panama BEFORE Trinidad instead.  Muahahaha Left Atlanta on Tuesday night, had a quick yet amazing time in the Motherland with a few of our cousins that we convinced to come to the capital to party with us.  I know this is a Trinidad blog, but I gotta hit ya with a couple pix from my homeland.

Headed to Trinidad on Thursday evening and as the song says, “Di Bouncin Start!”  Trinidad now has Uber so we figured we would give that a try from the airport to the hotel instead of the usual $40 taxi fare.  That was a No Go, 1st it said No Cars available, then it said 30min wait.  Uber in Trinidad still needs a little more time to get to 100%.  Usually no matter what wait time the Uber app gives you, it takes about 3x longer for the driver to arrive.  Several drivers called me to ask my destination because they didn’t want to leave downtown POS (Port of Spain). It’s a good thing that we didn’t plan on using Uber to get to/from fetes in the boonies. 

Decided to just lime on “di Ave” Thursday night and as in Carnival Thursday’s past, caught the amazing Individual costumes competition.  The craftsmanship put into those individual costumes is just mind blowing.  We then headed over to our favorite bar on di Ave “La Habana” and drank insanely cheap drinks for a few hours and people watched, then grabbed some eats at our favorite Chinese restaurant across the street “Good Luck”. A lot of people crave the Trini dish “Doubles” when they are in Trinidad, but Ima tell you a likkle secret… Paco and I Don’t Like Doubles, which I call a Trini bean burrito.  I was in Trinidad thinking, dayym I want a corn empanada!
Friday morning is usually spent picking up costumes, but we utilized a concierge service this year and had our costumes delivered to us, it was beautiful having all that time back to do with as we wished.  Paco and I wandered around POS in search of a grocery store for food to sustain us for the week.  We stumbled across a little bakery called Bread Basket that had delicious quick eats, then we were lured in Ever Green Grocery store by the nicest old man who entertained me with his crab. We bought a ton of fresh fruit from him then headed over to Massy Grocery for the necessities.  Caught an Uber back to the hotel and took a juicy nap because walking around in the heat is draining.
I really wanted to do a boat ride Friday afternoon, but others voted to do the Scorch _uck Work fete at our hotel instead.  I’m a team player, so _uck Work we went.  When checking into the Hilton I requested a room with a pool view so I could chillax on the patio and enjoy a view of the fete for a while.  Be careful what you wish for, they gave me a room with a half ass view of the pool, but I also didn’t realize that there was a Sunday night fete that would clash with our need to get sleep before J’ouvert. 
I’ll admit that it was nice not having to worry about transportation to/from Scorch and being able to leave/arrive whenever you wanted and not having to wait on the homies.  Had a good time at Scorch,  I was able to step out of the fete and head to the room to get my life together for a bit and then head back to keep party'n. 
3am Saturday morning it was Caesar’s Army – Ambush.  I’m not going to lie to you, the entry into Ambush was a logistical nightmare this year, I think it was more so a lack of communication between the staff that ended up making it hard for attendees to actually get to the starting point of the fete.  Once you made it over that hurdle, it was ALL GOOD IN THE WOODS! They added more music and drink trucks so you had plenty room to spread out and have “Ah Time”  My newbie homies thoroughly enjoyed their 1st Ambush and Paco didn’t get lost so it was all good.  The promoter issued a statement/apology after the fete that all issues would be addressed and fixed for future events, so you guys should be stKRaight for 2019. 




After Ambush we took a powernap then headed to Private Ryan’s Soca Brainwash.  Oh how I just adore Private Ryan, such a nice young man that throws such splendid partyz.  In previous years I took it easy on the vast selection of food, but this year I kinda let myself go in the carnival body department, I didn’t give a *BEEP* and ate ERRRTHANG!!! There were liquor tents everywhere at Brainwash, so you never have to wait long for drinks, then tents dedicated to just one liquor: Patron, Moet, CĂ®roc, etc. It is a liquor paradise where you can drink your life away, it’s a dayym good fete, actually more so an experience.  As I’ve said in the past, Brainwash is the fete where I see the most familiar faces, always great seeing my long lost carnival friends.  I remember ending up on di Ave after Brainwash, I can’t tell you if we walked there or took an Uber.  I can tell you that we didn’t last long and took our drunk & tired azzes to bed. 

6am Sunday morning we headed to Shades breakfast party.  Now I’ve been going to Shades since 2011, a lot of people rant and rave about how crazy other breakfast partyz get, but I feel like the vybz at Shades suits me fine.  I don’t want to be in an insane madhouse and by Sunday I am tired, but need to get my life together for the BIG DAYS Monday & Tuesday.  Shades is held at an estate that is surrounded by a majestic mountain scenery, each year I find myself just sitting on a chair and enjoying the beautiful mountains for a while, of course with a STRONG drink in my hand . We were at Shades for about 5 hours, what the h*ll does one do in a fete for 5 hours?  iDunno!!!  If I had to guess how the morning went, I would say that we had breakfast, drank and danced for a while; had lunch, drank and danced for a while; had some corn soup, drank and danced for a while.
Took a nap after Shades and woke up just in time to hear a new fete getting started at the Hilton pool.  Feel sorry for those that opted not to nap after Shades aka Paco.  I headed to the Savannah with the homie Jermaine to take a pic with the famous Carnival Countdown clock.  *GRASP* the clock was not there this year *dry cry* oh well, wandered around the Savannah for a bit then off to di Ave we went to drink and be merry!!!  I did however find a vendor with the cutest little bottles of Puncheon for my liquor collection.  For those that don’t know, Puncheon is Trini over proof rum.  To know me is to know that over proof rum is LIFE!!!  So when in Rome (or Trinidad) Puncheon is the liquor of choice…
Ariapita Ave = di Ave
Headed back to the hotel around 8pm to get our lives together for J’ouvert morning.  The stupid hotel fete was still going strong and I regretted requesting a pool view.  We did have a view of the stage and could see Kes, Problem Child, Shal Marshal & other performing.  While I love all those artists, I was tempted to throw a chancla at them, we were 5 hours away from the 3am fete-a-than and I needed Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Woke up around 2:30am Carnival Monday ready for The Big Day!!! Met the other homies at the Dirty Dozen mas camp for the pre J’ouvert fete, around 4:30am the J’ouvert morning road march started and we drunkenly danced around POS while getting DUTTY x2 !!! (1) Dirty & (2) Getting on bad bad bad!!!  I told the newbies that it is a J’ouvert tradition to climb a wall & like crazy maniacs they obliged.  Also during J’ouvert there is always a few people that spend the morning dancing with a bush/tree/twig… that would be me!  Around 8am we called it quits and headed back to hotel to power nap before Part 2 of Carnival Monday. 


Carnival Monday & Tuesday 2016 was #FAIL, we were in “Don’t Give a BEEP* mode & stayed in the room a good portion of both days cause it was like 1 million degrees outside. This year I was determine to do better and dedicate more of the day to being with the carnival band, it didn’t hurt that the temp was only 87 degrees this year. 


Slept for a few hours after J’ouvert and by 12:30pm we were on our way to link up with our band Tribe.  A couple of the other homies were playing mas with Paparazzi so we didn’t get to fete with them on di road.  We drove around in an Uber for like 30 min trying to find Tribe and sadly just missed crossing the Savannah stage with them.  *dry cry*  Any who we once again drunkenly danced around POS till the music trucks shut down for the night around 8pm, we stumbled over to our favorite Chinese spot on di Ave and got some grub and headed back to the hotel around 9pm to get ready for  Carnival Tuesday aka Pretty Mas. 
Tuesday morning we headed out around 9am (keep in mind the trucks get started at 7:30am) and we linked up with Tribe just in time to cross the Socadrome stage.  YES YES and YES because I was highly disappointed in myself for not getting to cross the Savannah stage on Monday.  The crazy part is I remember linking with Tribe and drinking and partying with the random homies that I came across as each section waited to cross the stage, but I have no memory of stepping foot on the stage.  Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!  Tuesday mas was amazing,  I was determined to give it my all, not leave the band, No Surrender, Soca or Die.  That lunchtime nap was everything, can you image how exhausted you have to be to be to sleep on the grass, surrounded by 5,000 ppl and with music trucks blasting chunes?  I slept like baby Monday & Tuesday afternoon, honestly the best naps I’ve gotten in my life!!!  Lunch is usually 2 hours, but Tuesday’s lunch was only 1 ½ and believe me ppl could tell. There were so many people that just lingered around the lunch area and didn’t leave when the band left, us included! 
Paco’s foot was bothering him and he decided to call it a day after lunch (4pm). Being that there was still another 8 hours left in the day with Tribe, he decided not to let his costume go to waste.  He gave his shorts, wrist band, and cup to a homie that was just chillin/storming bands.  I had to capture a pix of Paco walking away in his boxers like a vagabond. 

Any who, I think Karina called it quits around 7pm (update: she apparently stopped at the Savannah to see bands cross the stage then ran into some friends), I was so proud of her being that this was her first Trinidad carnival.  I hung in there and kept fete’n till the trucks shut down around 8pm and then partied at the Tribe, Bliss, Lost Tribe, & Rogue, Last Lap fete until around 9:30pm.  Then I ran outta steam and took my broken down azz back to the hotel. 
She was hesitant at 1st, but once she saw a pic of herself with her new collar she was All Smiles!
PS:  Waiving a flag all day is exhausting, shout out to all the fellas that took it upon themselves to assist with flag waiving duties *MUAH*

My Fit Bit tells the story of my carnival Monday & Tuesday.  This is why I be on the treadmill with a strong drink in my hand, I am conditioning my body for carnival Monday & Tuesday.   It’s not because I care about things like cholesterol or body mass index. Although I will confess to you guys that my drunk ass fell on the treadmill and crashed into the wall once so I don’t really be on there lit anymore. 


In carnivals past we would hop a flight to Tobago on Ash Wednesday morning, but I just wasn’t up for it this year.  Instead Wednesday was spent eating, drinking, and chilling by the pool tryn to fix the crazy tan lines that comes with wearing fish net stockings all day in the sun for two days.  I had an amazing carnival experience this year, I’ve blown so much $$ on Trinidad Carnival though the years, I hoped that this would be my last trip, but I can’t promise that.  I’m going to skip 2019, but who knows maybe I’ll be back in 2020.    

I leave you with my blog on how-to-attend-trinidad-carnival-on-a-budget and Paco's Carnical Mon & Tue recap video… enjoy!!!

Omg wait! I forgot to shout out my friend Yolanda and this amazing collar she designed and gave away another future carnivalian. *tear tear* the joy in giving your collar away is priceless!

Atlanta Carnival 2018 Fete List








OMG its February, why are we talking about Atlanta carnival fetes right now???  iDunno, but these flyers are dropping and I need somewhere to stash em, so here we go… 

As always I will update the blog with flyers as I see em so stay tuned!

I must include my favoritest fete that is technically the weekend BEFORE carnival.  If you live in or near Atlanta and you miss Cooler Fete you obviously don't care about life and I cannot be associated with you, please click the Exit Browser button!!! 
https://12th-annual-cooler-fete.ticketleap.com/14th-annual-cooler-fete-tier-1-early-ticket-sales/


https://www.socaondadrive.com/



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-atlanta-army-fete-tickets-43423202969?aff=erelexpmlt
https://atlflagorama.ticketbud.com/atlflagorama


https://bliss-patrice.eventbrite.com



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soca-nation-tickets-43859310378?aff=erelexpmlt

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jouvert-kingdom-tickets-43949170151?aff=erelpanelorg

www.wearwhitejouvert.eventbrite.com




https://www.eventbrite.com/e/outa-orda-juovert-tickets-43333639081?aff=erelpanelorg
https://www.socaondadrive.com/

https://stilltipsy.ticketbud.com/stilltipsy or http://www.maddcolorscarnival.com/




http://www.epicdayparty.com/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlanta-caribbean-carnival-jouvert-downtown-atlanta-2018-tickets-40796312870?aff=erelpanelorg
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foam-fete3-tickets-42012943846?aff=erelpanelorg


https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reggae-meets-soca-all-white-atlanta-carnival-2018-edition-tickets-42676559739
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/powder-fete-atlanta-tickets-43538660305?aff=efbeventtix

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlanta-carnival-experience-2018-aceweekend-tickets-41115589836?aff=es2
As always, Atlanta has two (2) carnivals, held on the same day, at the same dayym time, different locations.  The one that you want to be at is below...


PS: The carnival is in a new location this year, here is the parade route: http://atlantacarnivalbc.net/parade-route/

http://atlantacarnivalbc.net/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vis-ta-vie-premium-drinks-inclusive-experience-tickets-43896804524?aff=aff0eventful

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rum-is-boss-tickets-41521952277?aff=erelexpmlt

www.cautionatlanta.com

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vi-all-de-way-tickets-42633200049?aff=erelpanelorg

www.getmycolorgasm.com


https://supatek.ticketbud.com/coolerjam2018



http://easy.etix.com/wearwhite19

www.stinkinpinkatl.eventbrite.com
www.souseandpunch.eventbrite.com

http://www.supasocaatl.com/
https://www.sundaymorningatl.com/
Www.LYFEMG.EVENTBRITE.COM







https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sss-red-jouvert-cooler-fete-tickets-41004022134?aff=eand



www.thefreshstation.com





https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlanta-carnival-experience-2018-aceweekend-tickets-41115589836?aff=es2
Feel free to link the people below if you have questions, plz DON'T link me *wink*