Tourists happy with Carnival 2007

Piarco International Airport was crammed full of visitors yesterday who were either returning home or flying to Tobago for some post-Carnival relaxation. At least 11 flights left Piarco during the day. Five of them were Tobago Express flights bound for the sister isle. There was a similar number of flights arriving at Piarco. There were no delayed or cancelled flights.

Among the tourists going to Tobago were Tanya Faye, Greg Switzer and Jill Shelley from New York. Faye said this year was the third time that she had come to TT for Carnival. This was Switzer’s first trip and the second for Shelley. All three had played Mas in Tribe’s 2007 presentation Old Time Something Come Back Again.

Faye said they enjoyed this year’s festival, but were a little disappointed that they did not play Mas in the Queen’s Park Savannah.

The trio was pleased with the levels of safety during Carnival, provided by the police and Tribe’s security personnel. Faye said they would be relaxing in Tobago this week and return home the following weekend.

Ingrid Smart, a TT national originally from St James, but now residing in Miami, thought Carnival 2007 was “pretty scant” without Mas in the Big Yard but she would still be coming back in 2008 for Carnival. Smart said she was not worried about crime at all during Carnival and felt very safe.

Eddie Fong, a high school student from the Dominican Republic, said this was his first TT Carnival. He enjoyed Mas on the road and would come back next year. Fong said he was impressed with the number of police officers and soldiers providing security for masqueraders and spectators.

Michael Balkaran, a TT national living in Ireland, said he played Mas with Sahara this year and could not remember a better Carnival. Balkaran said he liked Mas on the road instead of the Savannah because it freed up the bands to go to other parts of Port-of-Spain, and made the festival better. He praised the security forces for their efforts over Carnival to keep people safe. Hilde Kline from Berlin, said she enjoyed the street party atmosphere which Mas on the road created and would be returning to TT next year.

Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams said Carnival 2008 might be celebrated on the road again if the $450M Carnival and Cultural Entertainment Centre, earmarked for the Queen’s Park Savannah, is not finished in time.