29. Like the steel bands, as the Mas Bands make their way to the Savannah, the intensity of their party spirit rises, until they erupt on the grandstand stage in a flurry of movement. Here, a pair of women gyrate to the music from a nearby DJ truck as they wait their turn on the drag.
30-31. Carnival costumes vary in coverage; some are skimpy, others can be fairly modest. Some revelers create their own variation on their band's theme by adding (or omitting) parts of the costume.
32. This was a band of young stilts dancers playing Mas.
33. A group of masqueraders take a break from the hot sun.
34. Just prior to their turn on stage, the masqueraders line up. Once on stage, they prance, dance, and "wine" (a suggestive dance involving couples with good pelvic muscles).
35. Tucked into the Northern Range rainforest, on the narrow, winding road that connects the eastern town of Arima with the north coast town of Blanchisseuse, is one of Trinidad's most popular eco-tourism destinations, the Asa Wright Nature Centre. Formerly a coffee and cocoa plantation, bird watchers and plant enthusiasts from around the world come here to catch glimpses of rare species of flora and fauna. I am neither a bird watcher nor a plant enthusiast, but I enjoyed being here in the quiet of the forest after the noise and excitement of the previous day, Carnival Tuesday.
36. This is a Tiger Lizard, the largest species of lizard in Trinidad. This one is about two feet long, and isn't shy.
