Located at the southern tip of the Caribbean island chain, just seven miles off the coast of South America, this tiny country of 1.4 million people packs a giant punch on the world stage – from Carnival, which is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, to natural wonders that boggle the mind. In 2018, Outpost Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) was established. Today it is a vibrant network of approximately 70 members who are discovering that work and adventure go together in this unique twin island nation.

In South Trinidad, there is the Pitch Lake – the world’s largest natural deposit of Asphalt, and one of only three in known existence. It holds approximately 10 million tonnes of asphalt and the amazing thing about it, is that it continues to replenish itself. Often labelled the eighth wonder of the world, this lake is one of the country’s more popular attractions. Outpost Trinidad and Tobago visited the Pitch Lake in March 2020 and members got their own guided tour. Visitors can even bathe in its sulphur pools that are said to have amazing healing properties!

If you’re lucky enough to be in the country between March and August, then head East to Grande Riviere – home to the second largest leatherback turtle nesting site in the world. In July 2019, twenty-two members of Outpost Trinidad and Tobago took the two-hour drive to the East coast to experience turtle watching. Every year some 10,000 ancient, giant Leatherback Turtles make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to nest. It is the sight of a lifetime.

Possibly the single biggest attraction on the island of Tobago, is the Nylon Pool – a natural, shallow, crystal clear swimming pool in the middle of the sea. Nylon Pool is the result of the presence of a sandbar under the water in the area. It may well be one of the most fun swims you’ll ever have.

Nature lovers can certainly have it all in Trinidad and Tobago. Waterfalls and hiking trails, beaches and natural pools, birds, butterflies and leatherbacks. And to top it all there is the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve – 14,000 acres of the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere! Outpost families are often found enjoying these and other outdoor activities on their own. As one family said: “We love the beautiful nature of the island. The waterfall hikes, going DDI (down the islands) and short holidays to Tobago.”

Then there’s Carnival. If you’re new to Trinidad Carnival, then you should be forewarned: everything you’ve heard about it is true. The radio and television airwaves become dominated by the latest soca, calypso and steel pan tunes, while true Carnival lovers embark on gruelling fitness regimens to build up their stamina and physiques for the ‘wining’ season. People dance and party night after night for weeks before the actual event, and then the party goes on the road for two days straight. It is the world’s greatest street party.

Outpost Trinidad and Tobago members have taken part in many Carnival events. They have seen (and learnt about) the steel pan, experienced J’ouvert, jumped in the streets with a Carnival band, and even given the children the experience of Kiddies Carnival.  In the words of one member: “I’m a big fan.  It’s such a unique event; can’t be found anywhere else in the world.”

Carnival parties (called fetes) are integral to the celebration and most Carnival lovers would put out thousands of dollars to attend at least five or more fetes.  Carnival competitions? They keep the frenzy going. There is a competition for everything – Soca, Chutney, Calypso, King and Queen of Carnival, Kiddies Carnival and Panorama for the steel pan. (On a side note, did you know that Trinidad is the birthplace of the steel pan – the only acoustic musical instrument to be invented in the 20th Century?)

Carnival Monday opens with J’Ouvert at 4am, when revellers parade through the streets immersed in paint, grease and mud until sunrise. Later in the day on Monday and all day on Carnival Tuesday, masqueraders flood the streets in bold, colourful costumes, dancing through the parade routes to the exhilarating sounds of soca, calypso and steel pan music. This is one of those times when seeing really is believing.

Trinidad and Tobago is no ordinary Caribbean destination. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people of many ethnicities, all living, working and celebrating together. It is world-class in many ways and yet it remains a secret that no one gets… until they get here.

For more information on Outpost Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) go to: https://portofspain.globaloutpostservices.com/

Takys Sultan-Micoo is the Focal Point for Outpost Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago).  Born in Trinidad, Takys holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a passion for “tasting the world” whilst proudly representing her country.  A true “Trini to de bone”… Takys is a living example of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nature of Trinidad and Tobago and sees her role as an opportunity to help others see the beautiful side of this unique twin island nation.

I often wonder, what is it that makes a person feel at home in another country? It has been almost 6 years since my partner and I moved from New Delhi, India to Dubai, UAE – a place we have called ‘home’ all these years.

With local Emirati people constituting only around 11 percent of the population, most of the residents in the United Arab Emirates originate from other countries. In fact, Indians constitute the majority of the expat population, so it does not come as a surprise that we feel at home in the UAE. Yet, there is also a large population of Pakistanis, Filipinos and Egyptians. As someone who speaks Hindi, I can hail a taxi and start talking to the driver in Hindi or its more refined cousin, Urdu. I can easily find most Indian food products, produce and spices in the local supermarket, just as most Arabs and Filipinos can. The expat culture, whether it be the food, language or music, is so ingrained in the culture of the United Arab Emirates that one is never really made to feel as an outsider.

So, what makes a person feel at home in a country? Perhaps it is the familiarity of food and language. Many times, an Indian you meet in the UAE may not speak the same language, but a Pakistani would. As a Punjabi-North Indian expat from New Delhi, I find more in common with Punjabi Pakistanis than I do with, say, someone from Kerala on the Southern tip of India. Even though politically our countries may not see eye to eye, a meeting with brethren from across the border always reminds me how similar we are as people.

As an expat in the UAE, I am now a Punjabi Indian who loves eating Hummus, Kunafa and dates, and exploring and discovering food from Kerala and many other places. I have spoken with neighbours, colleagues and friends from different nationalities about what they like to eat: do they cook every day like us South Asians? What do they miss eating? Just like me, they too have found where in the UAE they can find the most authentic ingredients or dishes that they miss from back home. A few years ago, I found a place in Dubai that sells the best Jalebis or fried saffron flavoured sweet meat – better than what I ever had in the by-lanes of Old Delhi. Their authenticity was attested by many other Indians around me here. I wondered how many other expats like me have found things that remind them of home in the UAE.

A few years ago, during the holiday break for Eid-ul Fitr, the festival celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, our apartment bell rang when we weren’t expecting it. It was a couple in their mid-twenties, dressed in the familiar Salwar Kameez. They lived in the apartment across ours and had brought some homemade Sheer Khurma for us. Sheer Khurma is a sweet milk and rice pudding loaded with nuts, raisins and flavours of cardamom, saffron and rose. In the week that followed, I was invited by the woman for tea one afternoon at her apartment. Since I was visiting her for the first time, I carried some homemade Sooji Halwa, a semolina flour-based pudding, one of the Punjabi puddings that I thought I made best. I was welcomed with a high tea-like spread with Karak Chai (strong sweet tea with milk, sometimes spiced with ginger and cardamom) and we connected over several things besides our love for food. And thus began a friendship with my neighbour who hailed from the capital city of Islamabad in Pakistan. We would meet each other every other day over some sort of Chai to exchange stories from back home and discover how we were so very similar. In the months to come, we would share home cooked food with each other and learn more about our sameness.

The UAE is one of, if not, the most culturally diverse place that I know, and I am proud of being a part of such a diverse group of people. The UAE, I learnt, really is the heart of the world with its microcosm of cultures from around 190 countries. While I had until now, only found sameness in my neighbour, I wonder how much there still is to be discovered from people of so many different nations here.

Sakshi Kapoor is the Focal Point for Outpost UAE-Iraq and a blogger on food and expatriate lives. She lives in Dubai with her husband and loves to write about migration and Indian and South Asian cuisine. You can read more about these topics on her blog: https://www.kitchenpostcards.com/