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t’s often overlooked among other Caribbean destinations. After all, 
Trinidad—the larger of the two islands that constitute the nation 
Trinidad and Tobago—is the most southern of all Caribbean islands 

and only 7 miles from Venezuela. Its climate is as much South American 
as Caribbean. 

But what makes Trinidad an outlier among Caribbean islands also 

makes it a delightful place to visit. Trinidad is a rare vacation destination 
that is not tourist-driven. It is rich in diversity, more a melting-pot than 
even the U.S., and it has an abundance of natural attractions. Oddly, 
flights to this island often cost less than flights to islands much closer to 
the United States. Trinidad is an intriguing location for those seeking a 
beach … but something more as well.

Here are some of my favorite scenes from a recent trip to Trinidad.

SCENE ONE: THE PANYARD 
(WITH A SIDE OF DOUBLES) 

I’m walking along a side street in downtown Port of Spain, the capital 

of Trinidad. Storefronts and cement walls line narrow sidewalks, so it is 
hard to see what is ahead. But I’m drawn toward the music that echoes 
across the pavement. The sounds are the compelling beat of a steel pan 
band gathering in the outdoor rehearsal and performance space known as 
a panyard. Usually a cemented-over vacant lot and often partially covered 
by a high tin open-air roof, panyards are scattered across Trinidad and 
gather in the hundred-plus street bands and orchestras. 

As I approach, the music grows louder and more insistent and seems to 

urge me to pick up my pace. I turn a corner and suddenly find myself in the 
panyard. It contains at least 75 people playing various instruments: single 
pans, double pans, groupings of bass drums and some instruments that I do 
not even recognize. Their repertoire is varied and complex: Beethoven to the 
Beatles, a bit of calypso and some jazz. There is no written music. No one 
follows a score. It is all in the musicians’ heads, the result of hundreds of 
hours of practice and open-air jam sessions. The musicians are all standing. 
They move their bodies as well as their hands with the music. Within 
minutes, I’m swaying with them. 

When the musicians take a break, I walk to the corner rum shop 

for an icy-cold Carib and grab a “doubles” from a street vendor. In a few 
short days, I’ve developed an affinity for doubles, an Indo-Trinidadian 
vegan street food of spicy curried chickpeas stuffed between two baras 
(puffy fried rolls). They are both breakfast staples and favorite late-night 
snacks. Wrapped in paper and dripping deliciousness, doubles are eaten 
by hand. They are the reason I carry Handi-Wipes in my purse at all times 
on Trinidad.

“Ah doubles no pepper,” I say, then dare to ask, “extra chutney?” It’s the 

fresh chutneys that give doubles their zing. At least I think so. It is hard to 
separate out the tastes and origins in doubles, as it is with much of Trinidad 
and Tobago, a nation whose people trace their ancestry to India, Africa, France, 
Spain, China and other parts of the world. 

Refreshed, I return to the panyard, where the music feels as if it will 

go on forever. 

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LM

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