Trinidad: Port of Spain

My last day in Trinidad and Tobago, the official name of the country, was delightful.  I hired a taxi to take me to the area known as the Savannah.  It is a beautiful green space.  On the edge of the Savannah, there are wonderful old buildings that capture the old and the new of Port of Spain, Trnidad's capital.

Trinidad was a Spanish colony from 1498 to 1802 when it was ceded to the British.  It became independent in 1962 and a republic in 1976.  Trinidad is member of the British Commonwealth. It's official language is Englsih.  Unlike other Carribean countries, it main industry is industrial , with petroleum its main product.  BP has a large presence here.

The name Trinidad and Tobago reflects the two islands that make up this country.  Trinidad has 96% of the 1.1 million population.



Now a school anyone can attend. Queen's College, established 1903, was once only for the elite. Students graduated from here and then went to London to study law, medicine, religion or politics.

In the hopes they could come back to :



White Hall  - The Prime Minister's Office

T

  The Archbishop's Residence

The RoyalMuseum

Not part of old Trinidad , but of the new, is the  National Carnival Commission that oversees the number one tourist event : CARNIVAL. The most number of tourists to come to Trinidad do so in March.  Hotels rooms are booked a year in advance and local families substantially increase their income by renting out a room for the festival at prices from $250 and up.  Did this nation perfect Carnival and make it the best in the world as they say ?  I will  listen but not join the debate.    

And finally let me share some of the sayings that made the walk here a little nicer, a little more meaningful.