Beach, bake & shark cools down Ash Wednesday

By 1 o’clock this afternoon, the traffic heading up to Maracas Bay will be almost unbearable. It’s Ash Wednesday and the cool down is on. Feet, sore from weeks of jumping and trampling, now yearn for the cool, salty water. But still, even amid the talk of a Carnival cool down, revelers, dissatisfied that the season has come to an end, will drink, wine and lime along the shore, watching as scantily clad females in colourful bikinis bring back memories of those two blissful days that have only just passed.

The beach lime
Today, while some gather at Catholic and Anglican churches for the traditional Ash Wednesday services, others maintain their traditions of heading to many of the nation’s beaches. Whether it be Maracas Bay, Las Cuevas, Carenage, Vessigney, Macaripe or Manzanilla, the crowds will gather. While some prefer the early morning dip, others head to the coastline for the lime. Beers packed in coolers complete with ice, cups, and the required bottle of Johnny Walker Black almost guarantees that the Carnival lime will continue for yet another day. The tourists too have been informed of this tradition, and for many Trini’s who reside abroad, one more day in the sun affords them the opportunity to take in the Ash Wednesday vibe.

Trini delicacies a must
Bikinis are a must. The women of Carnival know just how to wear them, and adorned with sarong wraps or shorts, the bikinis worn on Ash Wednesday provide the eye candy for the men who stare.
This is Ash Wednesday, a day that is just as important to Trini’s as Carnival Monday and Tuesday. It is quite possibly the day that has made bake and shark become a staple of T&T’s cultural cuisine. The long lines at Richard’s Bake & Shark at the Maracas Bay car park, is proof of this. Over the years, the meal has grown in popularity and now, by and large, everyone who visits Maracas Bay on Ash Wednesday will have a taste of it. Good marketing has certainly paid off for Richard’s Bake and Shark, but surrounding huts also sell the delicacy, with Richard’s sister, Natalie, offering a tasty experience for those who become deterred by long lines across the way. And for those who prefer a simpler Trini delicacy, one hut in Maracas has been tested and approved for providing the best pholouri, Olive’s along the western end of the Maracas Bay car park.

The memories recounted
With food taken care of, the only thing left to do is chill out. Icy, cold beverage in hand, sunglasses to protect the eyes, and the sound of Carnival beats and rhythms still ringing out at Sam’s Bar across the road. Ash Wednesday at Maracas Bay becomes the perfect way to wind down after Carnival. Chatter of the fetes your crew enjoyed, and talk of the masqueraded revelry on the streets of Port-of-Spain is still fresh, and so it will continue as memories have been made and will never be forgotten. No one ever forgets a good Carnival experience. Little things stand out, like the smell of the steamy pitch as you chip in the hot sun, the smell of alcohol on the breaths of fellow masqueraders, and the silly things like two women falling to the ground atop a man they may have tried to hold down in the heat of the action. Each year, masqueraders’ minds are flooded by these memories as they sit along the sandy beaches in T&T, where for one day after the season has passed, they reflect, laugh and cool down as one Carnival people, loving their cultural tradition.