Tourists arriving for the Mother of All Carnivals on Friday expressed concern over security and whether or not the festivities will be organised and well-executed.
Trinidadian Valerie High and her American husband Trae High arrived at Piarco International Airport on Friday morning.
Speaking with the Guardian Media on arrival, both expressed excitement at being able to make it to this year’s festivities.
“I have been playing mas since 17 and I’m playing this year. Before Trae and I got married, he wanted to come and see what Carnival is all about and he got hooked. He feels he’s more Trini than I am,” Valerie said.
“I am excited but I feel cautious because I feel like 10,000 people are going to descend on the island. I think it’s good that we’re getting back to Carnival and some type or normalcy, so we’re happy to be here. But I think it is a good year to be here since everyone’s coming back just to be here, post-pandemic,” she added.
However, Valerie said she had some concerns.
“I think they labelled it the Mother of all Carnivals because of the scale and how big it is going to be but with that large amount of people coming to Trinidad. I hope that they are organised. I hope that security is on point. I hope that everyone is safe,” she said.
“But I expect some hiccups. I expect a lot of hiccups actually, because there’s so many people and I don’t think that Trinidad is prepared for the amount of people that is coming in.”
Valerie’s husband, who was visibly tired after his trip, could only say, “D stage is we own.”
American visitor Lyndon Spencer, from Atlanta, Georgia, who flew in with his Trinidadian wife Cordelia, said it’s his first time playing mas.
“It’s the Mother of all Carnivals and I am playing with Lost Tribe and once I leave here (Piarco) it’s straight to the mas camp to pick up costumes, so once we leave here with the rental ‘D ting go start’.”
Asked if he was concerned about COVID-19, he said, “I think the pandemic is a liveable thing like any other disease. At least we can survive it. We learn how to live with it. Vaccinate and control.”
Asked if he was disappointed about the cancellation of International Soca Monarch show this year, Spencer said, “I’ve been looking at the International Soca Monarch for a while, from the Arima Velodrome come down. It’s been going down steady because the level of artistes wasn’t there. Those who got a breakthrough, they went on and no one to fill the gap. So, you always find that there is this lag and if you look at the crowd participation, it just wasn’t there. So I’m not surprised.
“I didn’t think the demise would have happened so quickly, but I know it would have ended up like that at some point.”
Cordelia said: “I love my country and I’m going to enjoy this Carnival to the max.”
