Travel Haiku - Trinidad Carnival Poem by john tiong chunghoo

with or without Carnival
Trinidad! Trinidad!
the drum beat in our bosom

No festival is more anticipated or enthusiastically celebrated in the Caribbean than Carnival. In Trinidad—considered by many to have the best and most extravagant Carnival—preparations start months before, with street parties and virtually nonstop calypso and soca, a type of dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. Visit the mas camps and panyards, where local troupes construct fantastic floats and costumes, and steel drum bands rehearse their acts. Carnival itself lasts just two days—February 23 and 24 this year—but it's a packed and frenetic 48 hours, with even more concerts and tons of themed parades.