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CHECK LIST FOR TRINIDAD

(Feb 15, 2004)

En route to the most fun Trinidad can offer, these are the items the traveler is to bring with him; call them the essentials for carnival.

First and foremost, take your passport and ticket with you. You will be granted an exit visa at the airport in Trinidad. Keep the document safely; you need it to exit the country.

Shorts, T-shirts, bathing suits, sneakers, toilet accessories are the most important. A cheap Wall Mart watch will preclude the necessity to carry your expensive one to the jump-up.

Good shoes along with a pair of city pants or jeans, with polo shirts will be in order to attend the fetes, like Brian Lara?s, along with the rich and famous of Trinidad?s who?s who. Long sleeves, ties, gowns, jackets are however not indicated at carnival time.

Medications for your chronic diseases (such as asthma), for emergency, for abrasions and for minor illnesses are also to be packed. No one wants to be in an emergency room during carnival.

A belt pouch will be useful to carry around money, change, digital cameras, etc. For your camera, remember to take with you plenty of films (400 ASA better), extra batteries, extra memory cards, and a plastic bag to protect it against the rain.

Bring a video camera if you can. The shots will look great from the stand.

The flight from the American Northeast to Port of Spain lasts six hours. Add three hours of airport wait. It makes eighteen hours to kill on the round trip. Bring books and magazines.

At all times, carry with you a pen, scrap paper, your business cards along with your email address. You will need them to take notes and stay in touch with your new friends. Keep them in your belt pouch.

For your notebook computer, bring an adapter. The voltage is often different in the Caribbean.

American Express is the official credit card of the Caribbean, don?t leave home without it. You will also need plenty of 5-dollar bills for tips, and one-dollar bills for drinks. Pocket money is estimated at $100 a day. Nota bene: there is no much shopping to be done in Port of Spain that can?t be done in the U.S. Even carnival CDs are less expensive in New York.

Once at the hotel, keep all documents and your cash in a safe. Carry the key with you.

Be at the airport three hours early. Every other Trinidadian is traveling back home during this period. All flights are overbooked. If you miss your flight, you miss your trip.

Anything else?

Four more days, four more days, four more days?

(The Traveller, Sunday, February 15, 2004)