Where the old economy meets the new: Central Trinidad

The landscape of central Trinidad is marked by rivers, rolling plains, swamps and cane fields. Cocoa, sugar cane and rice plantations were once the main economic earners of the area. Vegetable and rice farmers still use the central plains to earn a living, but today, the oil and petrochemical industries at Pointe-à-Pierre and Point Lisas are more important than agriculture. Dominated by the Indian community, the area is rich in religious and cultural festivals. It is a region where village and community living are important.

Getting around

In the west are the commercial towns of Couva, Chaguanas and Pointe-à-Pierre and the industrial development at Point Lisas; community developments, seperated by agricultural lands, are spread over the largely flat region. As a result, getting around central Trinidad can be a daunting task unless you drive yourself or are accompanied by someone who knows the area. Public transport on the west coast is reliable and accessible, but the further inland you go, the more difficult moving around becomes. Transport is not centralised and getting to remote parts usually involves changing taxis in different towns or villages, or even switching modes of transport. Renting a car is the best way to see central Trinidad. The area is very scenic and driving through the rolling fields of sugar cane can be very relaxing.

Where to go, what to see

The Divali Nagar Centre

A 12-metre statue of Swami Vivekananda keeps a watchful eye over the Divali Nagar site just outside Chaguanas. Although events like lectures, Indian trade fairs and cultural shows take place at the site from time to time during the year, at Divali time the place becomes a beehive of activity, with an exposition of Indian culture amid lavish lights and decorations. For nine days and nights in October, locals and visitors flock to the site and find themselves immersed in Indian culture. Local and invited cultural groups give regular performances, and there are displays of beautiful Indian art and statues of Hindu gods. Traditional Indian classical music, Bollywood film songs and chutney help provide a festive atmosphere and stalls offer items influenced by Indian culture. Swami Vivekananda, is a 19th century Indian thinker held in high regard in Trinidad for his insistence that Indians should find freedom through education, technology and physical fitness.

Chaguanas

For most people, when you say “central”, Chaguanas is the first place that comes to mind, and rightly so. Chagaunas is the first major town on your journey from Port of Spain to south Trinidad, and it is the capital of central Trinidad in terms of development and economic and social activity. But it is also a place where traditional community living is significant. One of the major events in Chaguanas is the Kendra Phagwa Festival, held in an open park area off Longdenville Old Road. A riot of colour and music, it imarks the Hindu Holi festival and is held around the first full moon in March, the end of the Hindu calendar’s twelfth month. The Chaguanas Main Road is a good place to look for bargain textiles, silk flowers and assorted household items.

Pottery makers

Central Trinidad is famous for pottery, the best known site being Ajoupa Pottery. Ajoupa is the producer of distinctive ceramics and tea is served in the garden. Well worth a visit. But there are also more community-based potteries; you will find a collection of pottery shops in Chase Village, and other small family-run potteries in outlying areas. A visit to any of these will produce displays of clay pots, ornaments, deyas, wind chimes, and wall plaques of varying designs. You might even get the opportunity to watch a potter at work. Longdenville is known as the source of the highest quality clay on the island, which is currently used to manufacture clay blocks.

The Caroni Swamp & Bird Sanctuary

The Caroni Bird Sanctuary is Trinidad’s most promoted and most popular eco attraction. It is the home and roosting ground of flocks of Scarlet Ibis, a vision in flaming red. The Scarlet Ibis is Trinidad’s national bird. The sanctuary is also home to more than a hundred species of birds, anteaters, raccoons, caimans, snakes and opossums. The area is roughly 60 square kilometres of tidal lagoons, marshland and mangrove forest bordering the Gulf of Paria between the mouth of the Caroni and Madame Espagnole rivers. It is a protected wildlife area. Boats trips to the swamp include guided tours and commentary by the boat operators. An evening boat tour is especially enjoyable as that is the time to see flocks of the stunning Ibis on their way back to their nesting areas in the swamp.

The Tortuga RC Church

The Tortuga RC Church in Gran Couva is one of the country’s oldest ecclesiastical structures. It is located in the Montserrat Hills, Gran Couva. French priest and architect Father Marie Jules Dupoux built it at the end of the 19th century. Housed in a separate shrine is the Black Virgin statue, also called the Lady of Montserrat. It is one of the main attractions of the village, with people coming from all over Trinidad to witness the procession of the statue through the streets during Corpus Christi observances. A recent restoration project undertaken by the Friends of Tortuga RC saw 20 stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes returned to their former glory. They were made in France between 1880 and 1890. Ten of 14 original French paintings and 19 statues donated by wealthy cocoa plantation owners are also being restored in this beautiful 125-year-old building.

The Hanuman Murti (statue) & Dattatreya Yoga Centre

In Trinidad, where different faiths and cultures practise their religious beliefs without fear of persecution, religious architecture is of special significance. Churches, temples, kingdom halls, mandirs, faith centres and mosques stand side by side in the Trinidad landscape. One of the most impressive structures is the 85-foot statue of the Hindu god Hanuman, which is reputed to be the tallest of its kind outside India. Towering above the Dattatreya Yoga Centre and Mandir at Orange Field Road, Carapachaima, it has become a landmark in Carapachaima.

The Tamana Bat Caves

The Tamana caves are a series of lengthy cave systems that are home to huge colonies of bats. The flat-topped Mount Tamana, the highest of the Montserrat Hills, was formed thousands of years ago when geological shifts in the earth pushed a coral reef out of the sea. Over the centuries, underground water eroded Tamana’s porous limestone core, creating the caverns. With the aid of an experienced guide, you can weave through long-abandoned cocoa plantations and mora groves, stopping now and then to marvel at the ancient, giant silk cotton trees that dot the forest. But the real attraction here is the bats, which leave the caverns en masse at dusk to feed. A spectacular sight, their grand exit is best seen around 4 pm. This way you can take a peek at the bats roosting in the caves and then exit before the sun goes down and the show begins. It is not advisable to visit these caves alone or without an experienced guide. Contact a tour operator to arrange a visit.

The Nariva Swamp & Bush-Bush Sanctuary

The Nariva Swamp is an internationally recognised wetland and one of Trinidad’s most significant wildlife areas. The 1996 Ramsar Convention, to which Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory, declared the area a wetland of international importance. This placed a legal obligation on the government to ensure the area is protected and maintained. Nariva is the only place in Trinidad to see the endangered manatee or sea cow, which lives in freshwater ponds and can grow up to three metres in length, weighing about 900 kilogram. The swamp is also a good place to catch sight of red howler monkeys, anteaters, porcupines, capuchin monkeys, caiman and birds like the orange-winged parrot, yellow-capped Amazon parrot and savannah hawk. The swamp is home to anaconda, the snake that can grow up to nine metres long. It is the heaviest reptile in the world and the largest in the Americas. Permits (and kayaks) are required: contact the Forestry Division or a reputable tour operator.

The Waterloo Temple in the Sea

Waterloo, located west of Carapachaima, was once prime sugar land. The cluster of neat bungalows was built in the 1920s for estate managers, and the post office used to be a railway station in the days when the village was a stop on the Port of Spain to San Fernando train line. Now, Waterloo’s main attraction is the Waterloo Temple. Labourer Siewdass Sadhu spent 25 years building it in the sea after he was not allowed to construct it on sugar land. The effect of sea erosion prevented Sadhu from ever completing the structure, but in 1994, the government finished the temple in time to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Indian Arrival Day. At low tide, the mudflats around the temple are excellent for bird watching.