Tobago continues to make its name as a top ecotourism destination across the Caribbean, offering much more than white-sand beaches, eats and drinks and thriving nightlife.
The smaller of the islands of the twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago was named as the top Caribbean destination in a reader-submitted list of travel tips in the UK’s Guardian - owing to its amazing bioluminescence tours.
The tours, which involve stand up paddling (standing on a surf-style board and propelling with a long paddle) and kayaking are run by brothers Duane and Brett Kenny of Stand Up Paddle Tobago.
The winning tip was sent in by Julia Burdge:
“My friend and I went on the bioluminescent tour in Tobago run by Stand Up Paddle Tobago, leaving Pigeon Point after sundown. We paddled our kayak in the dark to the lagoon where the luminescent plankton thrive. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. When you disturb the plankton it glows like watery fireflies. Part of the tour is to swim in the (warm) lagoon and watch the streams of light in your wake… it was stunning. It cost $60 but was worth it.”
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism.
The delightfully breathtaking phenomenon is caused by dinoflagellates, a type of marine plankton which emits a bright blueish glow when agitated. The light produced by these microscopic organisms is a defence mechanism meant to ward off predators.
The two hour long tour from Stand Up Paddle Tobago is available year-round at a cost of $60 USD and welcomes all ages.
The darker the better as this enhances the experience, but be sure to take a high-end camera with waterproof housing to capture the best shots of the bioluminescence.
Jamaica’s seafood and jerk chicken, Barbados’ fish fry, Dominica’s rainforest tour, Belize’s coral island Caye Caulker, Havana’s food tour and Puerto Rico’s hot springs also made the list. Source: The Loop TT, January 2019

​Prof Emeritus E Julian Duncan
In 1844, the Polish botanist Jozef Warszewicz was sent to Guatemala to join a Belgian company established there. He became an independent collector and supplier of plants to gardens in Europe. He travelled extensively in Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica, where he discovered a wealth of new plant species. Among these was Warszewiczia coccinea (Vahl) Kl, a member of the Rubiaceae (the family to which plants such as Coffea arabica (coffee) and Mussaenda (ornamentals) belong).
The plant is a native of the New World and is found in a vertical band straddling the equator, from Costa Rica in the north to equatorial Peru and Brazil in the south. This strip includes Trinidad.
In their 1928 publication of Part I Flora of Trinidad and Tobago, Williams and Cheesman, treated the Rubiaceae and recorded the presence of the plant in Trinidad. In addition to a botanical description of the plant, they recorded the names by which it is known locally. These are Trinidad Pride, wild poinsettia and Chaconier. They described the plant as being "a gorgeous plant, forming one of the
The plant produces a long bloom that is a panicle, a long arching axis, along which are paired cymes–groups of flowers with a common stalk (peduncle). Each cyme consists of 15-20 flowers. The flowers all have five green sepals, five yellow petals which are fused at the base to form a short tube topped by five free lobes, five anthers and centrally, the pistil. In one of the flowers, of each cyme, one of the sepals is transformed into a red, long-stalked petal-like structure, which gives the bloom its attractiveness. Since the cymes are paired along the axis, there are twice as many of these transformed sepals as there are pairs of cymes along the axis.
It is often reported that "it is the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago because it blooms on August 31, which coincides with the day that Trinidad and Tobago became independent from the United Kingdom." This statement can be easily misunderstood. In reality it blooms from February to November, peaking in July. Independence Day thus falls during the period in which it is in full bloom.
most attractive features of the flora of Trinidad." (Williams and Cheesman, 1928).
There are two legends associated with the more commonly used of the local names, one of which states: "The title is in honour of the last Spanish Governor of Trinidad and Tobago Don Jose Maria Chacon." This appears to be based on the mispronounced Chaconia, and hence misspelled, local name originally given.
The second is based on the recorded name–Chaconier, (Williams and Cheesman, 1928), the name given by the early French settlers. Many of the local names given by them, end in "ier", such as balisier (now pronounced differently) to the Heliconia, and Cocotier (now called cocoyea), to the coconut among others. It is recorded that the red, transformed sepals reminded them of the ribbons of silk or cotton attached to the garments of dancers of the chacone (sometimes rendered chaconne or chacona), a peasant dance popular in Spain and France in the 18th century. In Spain these decorations were called chaconadas.
In 1957, Grace Mulloon (nee Atteck) travelling along the Arima/Blanchisseuse road, in the company of David Auyong, spotted a rather spectacular bloom at the top of a group of Chaconiers.
Realising the importance of their find, Auyong parked the car and at risk to both limb and life, clambered down the steep slope to obtain cuttings which he hoped to use as propagating material.
His attempts were unsuccessful; he therefore solicited the help of Roy Nichols, who worked at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA). When success was achieved, they returned to the site from which the material had been collected, only to discover that the plant had been cut down in a road widening exercise (Nichols 1963).
A plant was sent to Kew gardens in England where it was confirmed to be a mutant of W coccinea.
Had Auyong not persisted in his attempts to propagate their find, we would never have known the plant. It is recognised to be a mutant of W coccinea and has been given the cultivar name, David Auyong.
The main difference between the wild type and the mutant is that in the former, one sepal of one flower in the group of 20 is transformed, whereas in the latter all the sepals of all the flowers of any cyme are enlarged to some extent and red; in many, the transformation is as extreme as that in the wild type sepal.
The wild type is commonly referred to as the single and the mutant as the double Chaconier. These terms are unfortunate and have led to an incorrect statement recorded in Margaret Barwick’s Tropical and Subtropical Trees: An Encyclopedia.
Referring to Warszewiczia coccinea she states, "The double flowered form lacks a functional pistil and does not produce fruit." (Barwick, 2004). This statement is no doubt brought about by the use of the term double to describe the flower, for in strict botanical terms, a double flower is one in which there is an increase in the number of petals or petal-like structures in place of stamens and/or carpels. Such flowers are thus sterile.
The increase in the number of petal-like structures in W coccinea cv David Auyong is brought about by the transformation of sepals. The stamens are present and functional, as is the pistil. There is no record of the mutant origination elsewhere. Although plants can now be found growing in other countries, these are all clones of the plant spotted by Mulloon.
The inflorescence of the mutant form, which was recently named the national flower, replacing that of the wild type, is truly Trinidad pride.
References
* Barwick, Margaret (2004) Tropical & Subtropical Trees: An encyclopedia. Timber Press, Oregon 484pp.
* Nichols, Roy (1963) ‘A new Cultivar of Warszewiczia coccinea’ Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society Vol. 88 (9), 406-408.


* Williams, R O and Cheesman, E D (1928) Flora of Trinidad and Tobago–Rubiales. Vol 2 Part 1. Department of Agriculture. The Government Printery, Port of Spain 1-48

This beautiful song celebrating the 50th anniversary of Barbados in 2016.  A couple of years old but still very nice.

In an unusually very high voter-turnout in midterm elections in the United States that observers say illustrates strong opposition to President Donald J. Trump, several Caribbean Democratic candidates in New York romped to victory Tuesday night with overwhelming majorities.
Uninterrupted rain throughout Tuesday and problems with the voting machines did not prevent voters from casting ballots in an era of Trumpism.
According to New York State Board of Elections results, popular Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, won in a landslide, garnering 167,199 votes, or 87.59 percent, to her Republican Haitian-born challenger, Lutch Gayot, who received 10,336 votes, or 10.13 percent.
Clarke, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, noted that her victory came on the 50th anniversary of the first Caribbean American woman, Shirley Chisholm, to run for the United States Congress.
The late Chisholm, whose mother was Barbadian and father Guyanese, was also the first Black woman to run for the US Congress. She had represented the then 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn.
“I’ve demonstrated to the people of this district (9th Congressional) that I am committed to them,” Clarke told Caribbean Life Tuesday night.
“But I still have more work to do in the era of Trump — that this district has opportunities to sustain itself, that we use voter-strength to push for the goals of my community,” she added.
With the Democratic Party regaining the US House of Representatives, Clarke, a senior member of the House Energy Committee, said she will be in a better position to help her constituents.
“The victory will help to invest in infrastructure, health care, among a host of other things,” she said.
In the New York State Senate, Democratic Senator Roxanne Persaud, a Guyanese-born immigrant, regained her seat in a landslide in the 19th Senatorial District in Brooklyn.
Persaud received 64,940 votes, or 86,90 percent, to her Republican challenger, Jeffrey Ferretti, who received 7, 419 votes, or 9.93 percent.
“By winning the seat, we can continue doing what we’re doing,” Persaud told Caribbean Life Tuesday night at the Democratic Party Club headquarters in the Canarsie, Brooklyn. “I’m not focusing on one group of people. When you do that, you’re polarizing people.
“I do a lot of social issues in my community — foster care, senior care, etc.,” Persaud added.
For just the third time in 50 years, the Democratic Party gained control of the New York State Senate Tuesday night in what pundits said was a clear repudiation of Trump’s policies.


In the 20th Senatorial District in Brooklyn, Zellnor Myrie, a young lawyer of Costa Rican parentage and Jamaican-born grandmother, defeated the incumbent Jesse Hamilton, who ran for the Independent Party. Democrat Myrie had trounced Hamilton in the Democratic Primary.
In Tuesday’s midterm, elections, Myrie received 67, 803 votes, or 88.06 percent, to Hamilton’s 5, 327 votes, or 6.92 percent.
In New York State Assembly, Caribbean Democratic candidates were also triumphant.
Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, handsomely beat two challengers.
Bichotte garnered 26, 817 votes, or 87.66 percent; Republican Matthew Williams received 2,173 votes, or 7.10 percent; and Jamaican Anthony Beckford, of the Green Party, received 631 votes, or 2.00 percent.
“I feel good!” Bichotte exclaimed on Election Night. “I think, throughout the whole year, I’ve been working hard to fill all corners of my constituen­cy.”
Bichotte’s Assembly Democratic colleague, Diana Richardson, the daughter of St. Martin and Aruban immigrants, was unchallenged in the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn. Richardson received 33,345 votes, or 92.94 percent.
In her first bid for elective office, Haitian Dr. Mathylde Frontas, a Columbia University professor, was victorious in the 46th Assembly District in Brooklyn.
In a four-way race, Democrat Frontas received 14, 750 votes, or 51.84 percent; Republican Steven Saperstein received 11, 823 votes, or 41.55 percent; Ethan Lustig-Elgrably, of the Working Families Party, received 421 votes, or 1.48 percent; and Patrick Dwyer, of the Green Party, received 284 votes, or 1.00 percent.
Trinidadian Jaime Williams was overwhelmingly re-elected in the 59th Assembly District in Brooklyn. Democrat Williams received 26, 229 votes, or 77.69 percent, to Republican Brandon Washington’s 6,306 votes, or 18.67 percent.
Source:  Caribbean Life, Nov. 2018

Bernadette's father was born in Trinidad, and her mother is French Canadian.  
Clement is the first woman to be elected mayor of Cornwall as well as being the first visible minority to hold the office, and she said she is “very proud of that.” It’s a significant milestone for the community and it’s one that she hopes will inspire children in Cornwall.
“(I want) children – boys and girls — everywhere to see that running for office is just something that women do,” she said. “I am also proud to be the Francophone black mayor of Cornwall. But I want to remind people that Cornwall elected its first Jewish mayor (Aaron Horovitz) decades ago, so this is nothing that necessarily unusual for Cornwall to do.
“Now we’re just going to continue to build on the history of diversity that we’ve had here for the past 235 years.”
Bernadette has been a city councillor for the past 12 years, and  won the position with nearly 54% of the vote, handily defeating the incumbent Mayor Leslie  O'Shaughnessy.
We at the TTAO wish you the very best in your new position of Mayor.  Congratulations.

Source: Portions taken from the Standard Freeholder, Oct 2018

Here are some interesting cleaning hacks.  Click on the link here

​The Word "Laventille" is actually French. Its derived from "La Ventaille", which means The Vent..Its named so because of the winds that passes through..Here's an exotic painting of the hills.

​Trinidad and Tobago has been known to experience tremors and earthquakes due to its location along the southern border of the Caribbean Plate. 
On August 21, 2018, a 6.9 earthquake caused massive panic, terror and confusion as citizens reported houses shaking, items falling off supermarket shelves and cracks forming in walls and along the ground. 
The earthquake measured an earth-shaking 6.9 and was felt in both Trinidad and Tobago, as far north as Grenada and as far south as Guyana.
The epicentre of the 'quake, which was recorded in Venezuela, registered a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter Scale.
The US Geological Survey said this was the largest historic event within 250 kilometres of this location in the 20th and 21st centuries. 
Here’s a look at some of the worst earthquakes to hit T&T:
1. 1766 – San Jose 
The catastrophic earthquake of 1766 destroyed Trinidad's original capital of San Jose, now known as St Joseph, by a 7.9 earthquake, which may have been a factor in relocating the capital to Port-of-Spain.


2. 1888 
Records show a 7.5 earthquake occurred within the Caribbean region, causing damage from Trinidad to St. Vincent.


3. 1954 - Trinidad
Another strong earthquake was reported in 1954, with a magnitude of 6.5.
A newspaper clipping titled ‘Earthquake in Trinidad’ in Australia’s Cairns Post was more concerned, however, that it spoiled the impending visit of Princess Margaret:
“Trinidad, correspondent says that the earthquake yesterday seriously damaged the room in Government House which Princess Margaret is to use on her visit early next year.”
The report added that “Heavy slabs of fallen masonry were piled high in the passage between the Princess' living room suite and the bathroom. The rooms were recently re-decorated in readiness for her arrival and will now have to be repaired.”
“Glass lampshades were shattered and hardly a room in Government House does not show cracks, caused by the tremor, which was the worst in living memory,” the report said.


4. 1968
In 1968 a 7.0 earthquake was reported to have occurred near Trinidad, causing significant damage to neighbouring Venezuela with some damage to Port of Spain.


5. 1982, Tobago
A 5.2 earthquake struck Tobago, which was the largest earthquake to occur up to that time.


6. 1996 – Trinidad, New Year’s Day
A 5.2 was recorded as occurring just north of Trinidad on New Year’s Day. Luckily, there were no reported injuries.


7. 1997 – Tobago
The 6.1 earthquake which occurred in 1997 caused major damage with an estimated US$25 million in damages occurring in Tobago, causing two persons to be injured and leaving 15 people homeless.


8. 2006 – Trinidad
The country was rocked by a 5.8 earthquake in 2006, according to a Newsday report. No lives were lost, however some damage was reported and there were some injuries reported.


9. 2007 - Martinique, felt in T&T
According to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) a massive 7.3 earthquake occurred near Martinique but it was felt throughout the Eastern Caribbean from Puerto Rico to Guyana, including T&T, with damage reported in Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Barbados.


10. 2013 - Trinidad
A massive 6.4 earthquake reportedly occurred just 74 kilometres north-west of Port-of-Spain on October 11, 2013, the strongest to occur since the ‘quake of 1997.


Here are some helpful earthquake terms:

• Seismic wave: Seismic waves pass through the Earth and ware most often the result of an earthquake, sometimes from an explosion. Seismic waves are also continually excited by the pounding of ocean waves and the wind.
• Intensity: Describes the level of shaking during an earthquake.
• Magnitude: This is a measure of the strength of an earthquake and is related to the amount of energy released.
• Hypocentre/Focus: This is the area within the crust where rocks ruptured and released their stored energy in an earthquake.
• Epicentre: This is the point on the earth’s surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus. The epicenter is usually the location of greatest damage.

Here are 5 safety tips if an earthquake occurs:

1. Before an earthquake even occurs, keep an emergency storage kit of medicine, food, drinking water and basic tools.
2. Identify safe places to retreat to during an earthquake – this can be a sturdy desk, strong doorway or other strongly supported area.
3. When the earthquake occurs, don’t move around as falling items may injure you. If you are near a sturdy desk or table you can go under it for cover. Tuck your head down and between your arms.
4. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as light fixtures or furniture.
5. If you are in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly and safely as possible and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires. Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. 

Stay safe!

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has recommended 'A House for Mr Biswas' by the late Trinidad and Tobago-born writer, Sir VS Naipaul, as one of five books for reading over the summer period.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Obama wrote: "One of my favorite parts of summer is deciding what to read when things slow down just a bit, whether it's on a vacation with family or just a quiet afternoon. This summer I've been absorbed by new novels, revisited an old classic, and reaffirmed my faith in our ability to move forward together when we seek the truth."
During his eight years in the White House, Obama turned to books to find balance, "slow down and get perspective."
With regards to Naipaul's book, he wrote: "With the recent passing of V.S. Naipaul, I reread 'A House for Mr Biswas,' the Nobel Prize winner's first great novel about growing up in Trinidad and the challenge of post-colonial identity."
The book was one of many in which Naipaul explored the cultural elements he felt tied to as a man of Indian ancestry, born in Trinidad and raised in England.
The other four books on Obama's list are "Warlight" by Michael Ondaatje, "Educated" by Tara Westover, "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones and "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling.
Source:  CNC3