Wordless Wednesday

© trinistuff.All rights reserved.

This shot was taken in Cedros,Trinidad.It shows an old wood house on pillars with a porch and a small attic at the top,You can see plants and flowers in pots hanging from the porch.Believe it or not,such houses still exist in T&T and can mostly be found in the deep countryside.This picture was taken not too long ago.It takes you back to a time when life was simple.Hope you enjoyed the pic!

The Turtles Are Here!

Each and every year,there occurs an event in Trinidad and Tobago that’s been going on for millenniums-the arrival of the majestic Leatherback turtles that come to lay their eggs on the sandy shores of our nations beaches

The Leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living turtles and  mature adults can reach lengths of up to seven feet and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.They can dive to depths of 4,200 feet,deeper than many whales and can stay under water without coming up for air up to 85 minutes at a time.Truly remarkable! Their lifespan has been estimated to be between 40-45 years.

Leatherback Turtle Trinidad © All rights reserved

These ancient mariners of the deep seas travel thousands of miles,from as far north as Canada and as far east as Africa,enduring freezing water temperatures and other perils such as floating seaweed and fishing nets that can entangle them and predators such as sharks that want to have them for lunch!

After many months and under the cover of darkness,they arrive in T&T,hauling themselves out of the pounding surf onto mother earth.It can be a frightening experience for a young child to witness one of these massive creatures lumbering up to land.Indeed,it might even be scary for some adults!

The turtles return to the very same beach on which they were born,many moons ago.How they locate Trinidad and Tobago,two small islands in the vast Atlantic ocean is something to ponder and be in awe of.Would you be able to find your way back to T&T? Most likely you would need a GPS!

Our turtle watching season begins in March and extends to August. Over the course of these months,thousands of people comprising both locals and foreigners flock to various venues to witness this spectacular event.There are many beaches on which the turtles make an appearance,but some of the more popular ones which I have been to are Fishing Pond and Manzanilla on Trinidad’s east coast and  Matura and Grand Riviere on the north.Leatherbacks  are on the endangered species list and permits and guides are required during the nesting season to visit these protected areas.

The turtles first dig a shallow depression in the sand with both front and back flippers,then using only their back flippers,dig a much deeper hole to deposit their eggs.The females enter into a trance like state while laying and it is during this time that data may be collected for research purposes.Each female  can lay up to 80-100 eggs at a time.When done,they again use their flippers to fill in the hole with sand.Below is a nice video of a Leatherback laying her eggs at Grand Riviere,Trinidad.

If you are ever lucky enough to observe one of them,go ahead and feel it’s bluish shell.It will have an almost rubbery feel to it(hence it’s name) and you will notice  ridges running along its length which serves to give it a hydrodynamic advantage in the water,much like how modern day cars are streamlined to reduce drag(aerodynamics)

How you may wonder do they survive the ice cold waters of the Atlantic ocean? Well, unlike other turtles that have hard bony shells, a Leatherback’s shell is made up of thick layers of fat and skin which helps to insulate them against the cold.

One of the Leatherbacks favorite foods is jellyfish,which they consume in vast amounts. They also eat sea urchins, squid, fish, algae and floating seaweed-anything soft because they have delicate jaws that could be damaged easily

A fun fact about Leatherbacks-They cannot retract their heads and flippers into their shells like their freshwater cousins can.I am sure as a child growing up,you saw many cartoons on TV where a turtle did this!

Newborn baby turtles crawling to the ocean 

Tips to keep in mind when turtle watching are:

• Don’t shine any lights directly on them.

• No loud noises or talking.

• Give them ample space in which to nest.

• Touching under the permission of a guide is ok,but be very gentle.

Quick Facts

• Female Leatherbacks between the ages of 6-10 mate every 2-3 years

• It takes about 1½-2 hours for the turtles to lay their eggs.Only about half of them will hatch.

• Baby turtles hatch in 60-65 days and are 2-3 inches long

• 1 out of 1,000 of the babies may survive long enough to return to Trinidad and Tobago

• World Turtle Day is celebrated each year throughout the world on May 23rd

Have you ever seen a Leatherback turtle in real life? Let me know if you have! Questions and comments are welcomed as always and remember to follow my blog.Thanks!

Photo Credits:

2nd picture from top:Leviathan by Steve Garvey
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License

Hatchlings crawling to sea U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License

Wordless Wednesday

Together We Aspire Together We Achieve - Trinidad & Tobago Coat Of Arms

If you are a Trini living abroad(Germany lets say) and you saw me walking down the street wearing the t-shirt below, I am sure you would instantly recognize the picture on it as belonging to your country.You might even stop me and ask...'hey!... are you from Trinidad?...I see that you are wearing a Trinidad shirt! ' Of course you would be right on both counts.

The design on the shirt is the unique and strikingly beautiful coat of arms of the republic of T & T.But have you always like most others just given it a passing glance?Not ever taking the time to inspect it ? Are you familiar with all of the parts that make up it's design and do you know what they symbolize? Also,what exactly is a coat of arms in the first place?

After reading this post you will know the answers to these questions.I will list the different elements from the top of the design to the bottom and explain what they represent.I will explain in simple terms, what a coat of arms is.Below is a brief history lesson on coat of arms.If you aren't interested,you can skip ahead and go to T&T coat of arms.Let's get to it!

Coat Of Arms - A Brief World History

In general,a coat of arms is a unique design that's drawn onto a shield.The design may be inherited, passed down from generation to generation Many centuries ago,these designs could be seen on real shields made of metal,but today they are found mostly on paper items such as money,stamps etc.They are utilized not only by the government of different countries,but by families and institutions as well.The University Of The West Indies here in Trinidad have their own special coat of arms.

Their usage began way back with with the ancient Romans in the 1st and 2nd century A.D.to identify their different military divisions on the battlefield.They were simple crosses painted on shields.By the 13th century, they began to be also used as a flag or emblem by the upper class families of Europe.This then spread to churches,villages and institutions. 

Coat Of Arms - Trinidad & Tobago

The T&T coat of arms was created in 1962 upon attaining our independence from Britain.I have a picture of it below that you can follow along to as I describe it's various parts

Tobago had its own coat of arms before being unified with Trinidad.The palm tree you see at the top was taken from their coat of arms and added on.

Below the palm tree is a shield in the same colours as the national flag-red,white and black.

At the top of the shield are two gold hummingbirds.T&T is sometimes referred to as the 'Land Of The Hummingbird' because more than 16 different variations of them have been spotted here on our twin islands.

Below these two birds we find three ships,also golden in colour representing the ships Christopher Columbus used on his voyage from Spain to the 'New World' These ships were called the Santa Maria,La Niña and La Pinta.Columbus arrived and explored Trinidad and Tobago in 1498.

Take a look on both sides of the shield and you will see two more birds,large ones.They are the national birds of T&T.To the left we have the red Scarlet Ibis and to the right is the Cocrico.

Below the Scarlet Ibis are three hills,representing the Trinity hills found in a south-eastern part of Trinidad.Trinity is a Spanish word that means Trinidad in English.Legend has it that Columbus spotted these hills on his approach and thus named the island Holy Trinity or Trinidad.

Look below the Cocrico and you will see an island rising out of the blue waters.This also represents Tobago along with the palm tree at the top.

Finally at the very bottom there is our nations motto: 'Together We Aspire Together We Achieve' This is a short phrase encapsulating the beliefs and ideals of our country.

So there you have it! A quick lesson on T&T's coat of arms.Now you are in the know and can pass on your knowledge to others :) Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

The t-shirt you saw above is available in my store in many different styles,colours and sizes for ladies,gents and kids.I also have the coat of arms design on other products like this key-chain for example.They make nice gifts either for yourself or someone you love.Please have a look! Thanks much.

Wordless Wednesday

Mural outside a bar in Tobago © All rights reserved

Trinidad & Tobago street food:The humble Doubles

There are lots of delicious street foods to be found all over T&T.Some examples that immediately come to my mind are pholourie,corn soup,chicken foot souse and geera pork.None of these compare however to the popularity and taste of the Trini Doubles.They are the number one go to food when you are hungry and/or in a rush.They are also the cheapest street food you can find on the islands and whether having them for breakfast, lunch or even dinner,nothing beats a good doubles or two with slight pepper and a cold red Solo or Apple J to wash them down with.In fact,that's exactly what I had for my breakfast this morning!

My breakfast:Doubles and a red Solo soft drink © All rights reserved

Doubles with cucumbers and slight pepper © All rights reserved

There are hundreds of doubles vendors spread all over the country and one of the more popular venues which you may have heard of to get your doubles fix is on the Southern Main road at Curepe junction.Here you can find the famous 'Sauce' doubles man.

I used the term 'humble doubles' because this street food consists of basically just two things-Bara and some Channa.For my non-trini readers who may not know,bara is like a fried flat bread and channa is chickpeas which in this case is curried.Channa is slapped onto a bara and another bara is added on top making it into a sandwich of sorts.This is then wrapped in parchment paper and handed to you.

What makes a doubles really mouth watering however are the toppings that are added to it.These can include shadonbeni(culantro),grated cucumbers,chutneys such as mango,coconut or tamarind and probably the most important topping for a Trini...hot pepper sauce! Below you can see two pictures of my friend Jennifer,a doubles vendor who sells close to my home.She's serving two customers.I bought my breakfast doubles from her and must say it was very tasty indeed! Thanks for the pictures Jennifer.

My friend Jennifer hard at work! © All rights reserved

Assembling the doubles and wrapping it  © All rights reserved

If you are interested in learning more about doubles including it's history,you can do so here

So go ahead and enjoy your doubles while in T&T,but make sure and follow these safety tips below when  purchasing them:

• Take a look around and check if the doubles vendor is situated in a clean area free from rubbish,stagnant water and stray animals.They and their carts should also look clean and neat.

• Avoid vendors that handle the bara with their hands.They should use a thongs when assembling your doubles.Handling food and money with the same hands is a big no no

• An official food and safety badge from the Government should be displayed on their person or cart

• Check to see if there is a clean supply of water close by for customers to wash their hands.Some vendors may provide a hand sanitizer which is also good.

• If there are a few doubles vendors together in the same area and some of them have little or no customers while others have a lot,there may be a good reason for this,so take that into consideration.

Keep these tips in mind not only for doubles,but for any other street foods you may purchase in Trinidad as well as in other parts of the world.Can you think of any other tips to add to mine?  Please share them with us if you can :)

I have a couple of food designs I created for products in my store For example this one I call 'Kiss de Cook' which you can see here on a t-shirt and another one I call 'Trini Foods' seen here on an apron.These designs can be found on lots of different products,not just the two I mentioned.Please have a look at them and tell me what you think! If making a purchase,use the coupon codes at checkout to get great savings.The code can be found at the top of every page.

Thanks for taking the time to read my doubles post.Comments and questions are welcome as always.Have a good day and see you again!

Night falls on the Cocal

© All rights reserved

The picture above was taken by my friend.He likes to take lots of pictures wherever he goes...too many if you ask me! I asked him to supply me with some shots he took here at home and he kindly obliged.Click on it for a larger view. 

The picture shows the Cocal at night.So what exactly is the Cocal and where is it located?For those of you who don't know,the Cocal is a strip of land on the east coast of Trinidad.It refers to the miles upon miles of coconut trees that line the road on the drive through Manzanilla beach.You can see the moon rising in the night sky and the white surf pounding the beach at high tide.

Just looking at this shot makes me wish I was there right now! To smell the fresh salty sea air in my nostrils and to feel it blowing against my face and body.To hear the waves pounding the shore and see it churning up the sand in the silvery moonlight.

It's been donkey years(as they say in Trinidad) that I have been to Manzan.I definitely have to plan a trip soon! There are lots of pictures and information about the Cocal on the Internet.I found a fascinating story about it's long and rich history here in the Trinidad Express

I will be posting some more original pictures of T & T in the days to come,so please check back and have a look at them! Also consider  following my blog and let me know if you have one so that I can follow yours.

You can see some of the pictures I got from my friend on various products in my store For example,the picture above is featured on one of my  mouse-pads

I hope you liked my little post about the Cocal.Your comments are most welcome.Take care and see you soon! :)