Jouvert Mike

If you are a Carnival Junky then you look at each Carnival much like parents look at their children...... you appreciate & value them for their unique traits and yet you also appreciate their commonalities too.  You may not ever verbalize it to their face that you may have different expectations for them or acknowledge one as “smarter/better/etc” than another --- you know there’s a difference but you love them all.

We can all acknowledge Trinidad’s Carnival as the Mecca of all Carnivals, and there are others throughout the islands that are d*#@ good ...... some would say they are creeping up on overtaking it – maybe not for “overall experience” yet, but definitely “bang for your buck” (ummm we see you Jamaica making gains faster than Bolt/Blake/Powell on a 4x100) – and then there’s the Carnivals where the Caribbean Massive have spread across the globe.

Calendar wise –  following TT, JA, SXM , a hop a cross to Berlin we've now got the U.S. cities getting in the mix with Atlanta and Orlando both Memorial Day Weekend (different road march days but seriously – couldn’t we figure out a way not to have them on the same weekend?)

Au Revoir was originally going to be a group of about 30 friends headed to DDI on a catamaran looking to avoid the hustle of flights at Piarco on Ash Wednesday.  Instead ........

Carnival Monday is quite possibly my favorite day of the year combining the 2 greatest things – J’Ouvert & Road March.  With the expansion of J’Ouvert in so many locations and fetes around the world we have the opportunity to get covered in paint, powda, & mud ..... which is why this year I went for Cocoa.  Yes, I’m in love with the Cocoa.

Years ago Vale Breakfast fete was my 1st true breakfast fete – I entered in complete awe ..... as much food and alcohol as I could ever desire, music pumping as the sun came up, beautiful/happy people welcoming everyone for a little wine, and as the fete pumped hard under the blazing sun a hose to wet everyone down (it both cools you off & energizes you to go wild in euphoric bliss) ............... but this year ...

Saturday afternoon now stands alone as the time slot dominated by DJ Private Ryan’s Soca Brainwash – F.U.N.  The most versatile DJ in the world has now fully solidified himself as far more than the powerful man who seamlessly handles musical flow & transitions behind the turntables, he has one of the most sought after fetes in all of Trinidad Carnival season.

Coming from years of fete after fete around the world, Ryan is now combining that background with his artistic skills & business acumen to create a very special fete experience.

The impact on the experience can be felt before you ever enter the fete.  In an era where many find it next to impossible to get access to tickets and attempt to find what back channels could possibly lead to getting a unicorn ticket from a committee member, Ryan made it as fair as possible for any Soca lover to be in attendance.  He literally.......

SUPER Saturday .... that’s the only way I can ever say it because Carnival Saturday has a STACKED line-up of fetes – involving what some would consider the “Unicorn” Fete Tickets because there truly is INSANE demand to attend/experience these fetes.

Whether you choose to start your morning off with.......

Each and every day leading up to the Greatest Show On Earth is so jam packed with fete options that you are bound to be torn on where to go/what to do & will have groups of friends split between, Carnival Friday is definitely one of those days ......

Thursday afternoon is yet another day of staple jam-packed lineup of premium all-inclusive fetes.

Many are ardent fans/defenders of their selected all-inclusive while others flip flop year to year for variety/spice of life or in years like this with a recession in mind they make a decision based on pricing.  The big two going head to head are C’est La Vie (CLV) and Beach House (BH).

I attended Beach House, which had a new venue on a plantation specifically cleared and built out for this event. When it comes to all-inclusives, Beach House takes it to a whole other stratosphere of .......

So, the original plan after landing, collecting packages & unleashing at Trini Jungle Juice’s Mental was to head home for a quick shower, change & head out for Caesar’s Army AMBeach.  Last year this was like a storybook fairy tale having barely been able to leave the US beating as an impending snow storm threatened to close the airport I was grateful for literally going from freezing weather & snow to putting my feet in the sand, wining in the water & watching as Bunji, Fay Ann, Sean Paul & Machel came out to perform for the crowd .... It was a Euphoric experience – being grateful for technology to whisk you away in mere hours & watch the sunrise in paradise as Soca pumped through my veins, so I was looking forward to attempting to re-capture that feeling.

Well....sometimes even us veterans pull a rookie move & ignore the advice we preach to all of you in our articles.......

MENTAL was MAADDD

The plane ride headed into Port of Spain is similar to that of joyous gamblers headed to Las Vegas, except the conversations revolve around Fete line ups, what band you’re playing mas with, costume design, favorite songs for the season & possibly who you hope to take a wine with.  Even flight attendants and pilots exude joy about delivering you safely to The Greatest Show On Earth.

What better way than to start with a fete from the company that has seen it all and literally covers anything/everything in the world of Carnival?  Who else is gonna have fire-breathing performers blasting away in the middle of a pool, the most sought after ...