ST LUCIA TO TRINIDAD, JANUARY TO MARCH 2008
 

Mas camp
   
The first Mas camp we visited was at the lower end of the price scale. The costumes (headdresses in particular) are relatively small.
 

Mas camp
   
Larger headdress with feathers, more expensive. It doesn't look bad in the picture and in real life it was strikingly pretty.
 

Mas camp
   
Part of a Mas display area. On the wall at the back are some of the trophies they have won at previous carnivals.
 

Mas camp
   
Here I am in shoulder feathers, I rather liked these!
 

Mas camp
   
Even bigger, even more expensive, even more impressive.

Mas camp
   
Another headdress but totally different, the choice available was amazing.
 

Mas camp
   
The ladies in one of the Mas workshops making the costumes.
 

Mas camp
   
The beauty of pan is that it is totally inclusive. Pans are relatively cheap and easy to learn to a basic level so everyone can play. Here, at a pan yard, we have a local Chinese teenager and the small boy (he is standing up and she is not very tall) with the flying hands.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Kiddies carnival costume judging. Under three years category, a hibiscus, really sweet.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Under three years category.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Under three years category.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Kids three to five. As you can seee the little girl was very shy and was trying to hide from the camera while keeping an eye on it. If you could see her full face she is very pretty.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Three to five female.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Three to five male.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Three to five female. You're probably getting the idea of just how big the range of costumes was, keep going it gets even better.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Kids six to eight. One amazing thing is that the costumes were generally as impressive from the side or back as they were from the front. This is a side/back angle.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Kids six to eight. We began to wonder if we could believe what we were seeing.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Kids six to eight, the backs of some costumes as they waited for further contestants. By now it was getting surreal.
 

Kids' carnival
   
I said it was getting surreal.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Still kids six to eight.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Totally different costumes kept appearing. What the picture doesn't show is the movement of the costumes as the kids danced. The kid in the centre would spin round and the costume would move up and down, quite amazing.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Just when you think you've seen it all this comes along. The costume was themed on life in a goldfish pond (presumably how you see it if you bin smokin da ganja). Again the picture doesn't do it justice, in the sunlight the costume sparkled and wobbled. We definitely needed a large drink at this point. Spot the feet.
 

Kids' carnival
   
In this one spot the face. The number is his competitor's number.
 

Kids' carnival
   
The costume above in it's full glory.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Variation on the mythical African warriors theme from the same Mas camp.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Yet again something totally different.
 

Kids' carnival
   
Portrayal of a (Spotted Eagle) Ray. Another 'find the head' one.
 

Kids' carnival
   
The Ray taken from the side/back. Incredible.
 

Kids' carnival
   
And so it went on. A visual overload that stunning doesn't do justice to. As I mentioned in the text, if you get a chance you have to see it - with the movement, the music and the party atmosphere it's one of the best things we've ever done.

Note: if you do go to the Trini carnival photography is strictly controlled. We got these pictures by paying a small fee for a photographer's pass for the Kiddies day that gave us access to the edge of the stage. At the time of writing a full pass for the whole carnival costs USD150.
 

You can't cheat with a mouseover
   
Yachts generally fly three types of flag: country of registration ensign; signal flags (particularly Q for pratique); and crew flags. We keep an eye open for flags we haven't seen before - a recent first siting was an Icelandic registered yacht (do they really sail in Iceland?). This flag was being flown as a crew flag, very pretty but what on earth is it and why the Union Jack? In fact it's the flag of...answers on the 'Contact us' page please.
 

Playing Mas
   
Playing Mas - the carnival parade begins. I did see my shoulder feathers early on but we didn't manage to get a picture.
 

Playing Mas
   
Most people in the parade were wearing the smaller costumes that you saw earlier in the Mas camp pictures but there were some spectacular large costumes also.
 

Playing Mas
   
Moko Jumbies whose characteristic is they walk on stilts, total height twelve to fifteen feet. A Jumbie is a spirit and a Moko in the Congo language was a diviner. Moko Jumbies are supposed to be able to see evil coming from further away than normal mortals.
 

Playing mas
   
Some of the beautiful smaller costumes with incredible headdresses that we saw at the Mas camps on models. As the Mas bands went past us they were all dancing.
 

Playing Mas
   
We weren't allowed to take pictures at the Mas kings and queens competition but here is one of the Mas camp queens. These are the huge costumes on wheels. The only limit to size seems to be the width of the street and even then some of the costumes were taking out the photographers on the side of the street.
 

Playing mas
   
The same costume pictured from behind, amazing.
 

Playing mas
   
A king and a queen.
 

Playing mas
   
A king.
 

Playing mas
   
These gentlemen (who appear to have huge flies on their head) are carrying sticks. Some were of an age that they needed them but were still dancing. Ages of the players ranged from seven to over seventy.
 

Playing mas
   
Different yet again, we never knew what surprises were ahead they just kept coming.
 

Playing mas
   
Another Mas camp king.
 

Playing mas
   
This is what the carnival is really about, the smaller costumes and getting out on the street to dance. We've shown a lot of large costumes because they were often spectacular but they were also a one-off visual hit. The real spectacle was over a hundred people wearing what looked to be the same costume but on close inspection there were subtle variations in design.
 

Playing mas
   
Different group but they are still dancing.
 

Playing mas
   
Err...some of them got a bit carried away though, there was quite a bit of hip grinding going on. Well I'll call it hip grinding.
 

Playing mas
   
And you don't need to be slim to join in.
 

Playing mas
   
Men too.
 

Playing mas
   
Typical down the street shot, packed.
 

Playing mas
   
More Moko Jumbies.
 

Playing mas
   
And the party goes on.
 

Playing mas
   
And on. It was incredible. If we had taken a picture every thirty seconds we would have taken seven hundred and twenty pictures and every one would have been different. We hope you've enjoyed all the carnival pictures we've shown, and do try to get to the carnival if you can. You won't believe your eyes but if you are of a sensitive nature you might need earplugs.
 

Jesse and Sharon
   
Jesse James and his wife Sharon at the church before the wedding.
 

Sharon and Ronald
   
Sharon with Ronald the bridegroom. If you think Ronald might have a great sense of humour you would be right - he is an exceptionally nice young man.
 

Ronald and Simone
   
Ronald and Simone in the middle of the ceremony.
 

Bridesmaids
   
The bridesmaids.
 

Reception
   
The top table at the huge reception - quite amazing. We were expecting the bride, groom, respective parents, best man and maid of honour to sit at the top table. In fact the bride, groom,bridesmaids and groomsmen sat there.
 

Mike and Jane
   
And here we are at the reception. Normally we plan for every eventuality but we got it wrong this time. There was no alcohol and we didn't take any (others did). It didn't spoil the fun though.