Spice Mas Essentials

Carnival can look like pure chaos from the outside, but once you know the story, everything snaps into focus. We’re talking Spice Mas, Grenada Carnival, with a real Grenadian and Trinidadian lens and all the details people skip when they treat mas like “just a party.” From the first minutes, we get into why this season pulls so many travelers back home and why 2024 feels especially significant with Grenada celebrating 50 years of independence. 

We unpack the traditions that make Spice Mas unmistakable, including Jab Jab and why the black oil, horns, and chains are meant to provoke a reaction while pointing back to slavery, emancipation, and resilience. We also talk J’ouvert, the paint-covered early morning culture where homemade costumes can carry sharp political and social messages. Along the way, we compare the road in Grenada and Trinidad to places like Toronto, where the vibe can be big but the historical context and the respect for masqueraders doesn’t always translate the same way. 

Then we get practical: when Grenada Carnival happens (August, second Monday), why Trinidad’s lands in February, and what planning really looks like if you’re playing mas. We talk costume prices in the $400 to $1,000 range, travel costs rising during Carnival season, and why J’ouvert can be a more affordable way to get the full experience. We also break down Carnival music keywords like calypso vs soca, Road March, and Panorama, plus quick must-haves like water and a phone pouch, and we end on the best parts: snow cones, roti, doubles, and beach talk from Grand Anse to Tobago. 

If you’re planning a Grenada trip, a Trinidad trip, or you just want to understand Caribbean carnival culture beyond the highlight reels, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a Carnival primer, and leave a review. What tradition are you most curious to experience on the road?

Transcript

Welcome And Spring Weather Talk

Carlene 0:01

Hi, I'm Carleen and this is Nut Magnation. Thank you for tuning in. I have a colleague, friend, and also fellow Grenadian, Caron. How's it going?

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, I'm good. How are you?

Carlene 0:15

I'm doing well. How are you adjusting to the, you know, the spring forward, as they call it?

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Spring forward? I I don't know, because that's sort of like an up or down question here in Toronto, because of the spring forward, weather goes backwards, then jumps back forward and backwards. So it's like, you know.

Carlene 0:31

I know we've had quite a winter. I don't know what this is because the transition between hot and cold, like it's just a little crazy, but I don't know. I think

Why Spice Mas Draws Travelers

Carlene 0:42

we're gonna do a little interesting thing that I like to call, like, you know, sort of like a cultural moment for Grenada. I think that, you know, this year, 2024, it's gonna be more exciting. I think a lot of people like to dress up for Spice Mass, choose their costume, and you know, just go down to Grenada. I mean, and visit. It's a very popular time to visit Grenada during carnival seasons.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Okay, so what do you know about Spice Mask? What can you tell me about it?

Carlene 1:14

Well, you know what? What I know is that Spice Mass started about a hundred years ago, and it's basically a celebration of, you know, slavery. Like stemming back from history, slaves were living a hard life. And as a way to celebrate cultural significance, they decided to create this event, and it just hit the ground running pretty much. So it's come a long way.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Okay, okay. So it started about a hundred years ago. Is it? I guess this is this it would be similar to other carnivals in the Caribbean, like Trinidad and St. Vincent and and whatnot, right? I'm guessing, right?

Carlene 1:51

Yeah, well, you know what? I think Trinidad, they are notorious for Carnival, like it's a big deal, like they go all out. I don't know. You have you been to Carnival and Trinidad?

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Yeah, yeah, I've been to both. Yeah.

Carlene 2:04

And so what is your opinion? What do you think in terms of events, parties?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Well, yeah, I mean, Trinidad is on another level when it comes to that stuff, because that's where the whole Calypso Soka and our style of Mass or Carnival started, right? Theirs is it it is definitely grander, it's it's it's bigger, it's also a bigger country, so you don't get more stuff happening. And it and it's also older than Spice Mass, right? So I think between the two, you get a beautiful variation of Carnival. Because as you know, Carnival basically reflects the history, the origins of it from our side is based from slavery. Slaves used to use the beating of the drums and whatnot to communicate with each other in times of slavery, and that developed into the mass. And whereas something like juve and stuff developed from slaves to making fun of the colonial masters, so they make their own costumes and parade that in the streets.

Jab Jab Roots And J’ouvert Energy

SPEAKER_00 2:57

So all of that is sort of stems from that era, and Grenada has taken it to other heights, for example, with Jabjab. Everybody loves jabjad, right? Yeah, Jabja is a reflection of slavery itself because they're sort of um portraying what slaves went through being bound in chains and whatnot. I don't know. But I know Grenada does it very well. It's a wonderful variation between the two, if you ever have a chance. I I know you've been for Grenada, but you should definitely go for Trendad and try both. Maybe try both in a year. Who knows if you have the opportunity to?

Carlene 3:27

Yeah, it's also the funds, right? But yeah, you're you're right. I mean, jab jab is a celebration scene at Spice Mask where participants dance and parade through the city to a sound called jab jab rhythm. The jab jab is iconically represented by masqueraders covered in black oil, horns, and chains. And you know what? I find the jab jab kind of scary. Like, I don't you know what I mean. Like, whenever you see them, they're covered in black oil, and some of them are carrying uh, I don't know they if it's like meat or whatever they have in their mouth, like it's not very meat.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

When I was growing up, and when I was living in Grenada, they used to have snakes around them.

Carlene 4:08

Yeah, yeah. So that's what the jab jab still is, then yeah, you have the right to be scared, but yeah, no, but I mean, obviously they're doing what they're supposed to do because you're saying you're talking about the history of jab jab, right? You know what I mean? So, as I'm quoting from you know, the lovely internet here, it's talking about, like, in fact, like you said, the emancipation of African slaves were not allowed to participate in carnival, but this never stopped their celebrations. They were covered themselves in the whole jab jab outfit. And so that was probably like in recognition of we're no longer in slavery, we can celebrate our culture now, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, like we're talking about like, you know, carnival. So, what events do you like to go to when you go to carnival?

SPEAKER_00 4:57

When I go to carnival, I like I have not experienced Grenada's juve recently. Yeah, but as of recently, when I've been down to Trinidad's Juve, I love I love doing that. So I'm definitely gonna try and go to Juve in Grenada, the spice mass, when I've got the opportunity to do that.

Carlene 5:14

Yeah. Uh yeah. So I I went years ago. It's you know, it's been a while, but they yeah, there's no rule with the music because the music starts at three, four o'clock in the morning. I'm already hearing the truck going. I'm like, wow, so yeah, that's yeah, that's juve, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

That's juve because people make you make their own costumes, right? Uh do you I guess can you touch on stuff about Juvet? Do you do you know much about Juvet?

Carlene 5:38

I don't know a lot about Juvet, but from what it says here, it's like a disguise, right? Like you're covered in paint, and you know, it's more or less a colorful celebration really early in the morning. But what do you know about Juvet?

SPEAKER_00 5:55

Yeah, it's basically that's the gist of it. It's it goes back to the whole back in the day stuff where they make their own costumes again to reflect political times and whatnot. So that's what people used to do. I don't know how it is, well, at least now in Grenada itself, but I know yeah, because you would make your own costume to send your own message to like politicians or whatever it may, whether it be political or uh or or whatever is going on in society.

Carlene 6:20

You know what? Um, the last time I went to Juve morning, other than the people that were in their, you know, homemade costume and color and whatever they can find around the house, there is a political message. I remember seeing a lot of signs, a lot of like statements that were there. So it definitely to get catches your attention. I'm not gonna say some of the stuff that I saw, but I was like, wow, it's pretty out there with how far they will go politically to make a point of view. You know what I mean? So you are right about that. Yeah, definitely. What about Monday Night Mass? Does Trinidad have Monday Night Mass?

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah, yeah. Trinidad has a Monday night, everything. I think they're all the both islands are pretty similar in what they have and what they sort of represent for for Carnival.

Carlene 7:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

I've never, I've never I've not done the Grenada Monday night or the Monday Mass in uh in Grenada.

Carlene 7:07

Yeah, you know what? It's more casual, not as expensive as getting a costume. What I like is it's like a really nice light show. So there's lots of lights, different bands parading around, and it's more casual. Like a lot of the bands are like in shorts and t-shirt from when I went. Mind you, it might have changed, like you said, over the years, they always like spice it up a little bit, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Spice mass, yeah.

Respect, Context, And Toronto Comparisons

Carlene 7:34

You know what? The one thing I do have to say that culturally is different is how people respect the people in costume. When you go to the parade again, what is it? The Monday, Monday Mass. Yeah, I remember going and being quite shocked because no one is jumping on the truck, no one's getting in the way of people in costume or anything like that. People respect uh the performers and everyone that's paid their money and they stand to the side. Like, you know what I mean? Like here, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

You mean the difference between Toronto? Yeah, yeah. Because well, part of that is because there is no historical context to it. Like we in the Caribbean have our celebrations and we know the history, we for the most part know the history behind it. And you know, and you're taught what is what's the purpose of this, what's the purpose of that. Over here, it's just a party. Yeah, so no one knows, right? And there are other people who sort of just jump in and say, Hey, I want to be a part of this, but they have no history, they have no context, so nothing is taught to them, so they don't value what we have, right?

Carlene 8:36

Yeah, so you're saying it's a matter of respect where it's more of a party than just a historical event.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Yeah, like because we there's a purpose to the party, there's a purpose to carnival, right? Like traditionally, as far as I remember, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, Grenada's carnival was just similar to Trinidad, where it was before Lent, right?

Carlene 8:55

Mm-hmm. Yes, it was, yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Right. So yeah, so they've got that, it's all part of the heart, like you celebrate, it's like you like celebrating the harvest, basically. You you're celebrating um what what's produced and and then Lent comes around and sort of just everything just goes away and you it's time to give yourself a God, basically. It's um but yeah, but but there is a context to it, right? There's a reason why we do this and we do that. Whereas here it's or in North America, or I don't I can't speak for any other city, so I should just say Toronto. Yeah. But in Toronto, it's just let's just have a party and we just you know get together and you and do whatever you want, basically, right? Or or try anything you can. It's it's not there's no education on on what the meaning of this is or what the meaning of that is, right?

Carlene 9:38

I don't know. I I guess with time, but yeah, it's it's always seen as a tourist event here in Toronto. I mean, it's still the same in Caribbean culture, but I think the meaning is a little bit different because of its significance. Because I guess if we're gonna get into the history, like Carnival and Grenada started just as other carnivals in the Caribbean. Much of the island population in Grenada arrived there against their own will, brought over from Africa as slaves. And a true testament to the very strength of these people, they were all they were able to maintain some of the cultures that they knew from their native islands, despite the fact that they were forced to stifle their own traditions by their owners. So, like you said, because of the history and the fact that, you know, Grenada has only been independent now for 50 years, maybe it's more prolific as a celebration than here in Canada, where we're more of a multicultural society and it's a party. Like, let's get drunk, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Yeah, well, Canada also didn't really go through an independence from slavery and all of that as well, right? So there is no connection to that, right? Because that's more of a, again, like you said, an African sort of culture thing where the slaves and carnival combined. Because like carnival itself is not something that's originated from the Caribbean, right? But but the style of it with Soka, Calypsos, Steelban, and all of that stuff, that style originates from the Caribbean. So that's that's a context with it because we know why we celebrate.

Carlene 11:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yeah.

Carlene 11:14

Oh, definitely. It's actually this year, last I mean, February 7th, 1974 was when Grenada gained its independence. And this year, Grenada is celebrating 50 years. And so it's a big, it's a big deal for Grenada, obviously. Uh, it's come a long way as a country in terms of its history and where we stand now as an island. And because you're kind of like from both world, like your background is Grenadian and Trinidadian, you kind of have the best of both worlds. Because I mean, we're both they're neighbors when you think about it, like you know what I mean, but not necessarily really close in that way. Do you feel like Grenadians and Trinidadians kind of get along, or they're like, you know, yeah, I feel like they're the same, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Um, if you meet most people in Trinidad, you're like most of them have some sort of Grenadian connection. Oh, okay. Yeah, they're they're basically the same, in my opinion. But yeah, obviously, you got your I have my opinion. Yeah, you know, I mean, like, but each per like each country had their individuality, basically. Yeah, trying to say, right? But yeah, you know, I I think they're pretty much they're pretty much the same. Most if you speak to any most most people in Trinidad, they'll have some sort of connection, either like their parents were from Grenada or their their their relatives or some, you know, somebody, someone there, they've got some sort of connection to Grenada.

Carlene 12:30

Yeah, well, I mean, it's a it's a great island, very friendly connection, very friendly people altogether. You know, whenever I go back, I always find that there's nothing really to complain about because the people are friendly, the food is good, and you're there to have a good time. And I think if you want to go to Carnival, this is a great year to go.

Planning, Dates, And Costume Costs

Carlene 12:51

But I feel like there's a lot of preparation involved with Carnival, don't you think? Like you don't just do carnival last minute, like wouldn't you've already chosen your costume already?

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Absolutely. Yeah, you would have to make your pre-orders or get get your stuff together. Yeah, you'd have to it's not a last minute thing. You could do that with Juve, but not with not with playing mass, actual, actual masquerading, right?

Carlene 13:11

Yeah, and we were talking about the prices. Like, I don't know. I was looking at the prices of the costumes and you know, inflation. I don't even know if this is up to date, but some of the costumes are like ranging from what did we see, 400 to 1,000 to a thousand, yeah, 400 to a thousand, which is crazy. Yeah, that's that's a lot of money for.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Which is crazy, yeah. I mean, again, that's part partly why I just played Juve, but yeah, yeah. In Juve in Trinidad, you can do free, or I'm pretty sure it's the same for Grenada, you can do it free, or you you can pay like maybe like a hundred, I want to say a hundred dollars, and then you that gives you the ability to just get a t-shirt, you're a part of a band, you get paint, you get you know, some snacks and beverages or whatever the case is, or breakfast, I should say, and then yeah, you're good to go. So I'd rather do that, and that's a lot more fun, my opinion. But hey, that's just me.

Carlene 14:02

Yeah, I've actually never participated in Juve Morning. I I was a spectator when I went a few years back. It's been a minute, right? And so it always seems to be one of the events that a lot of people miss work for. I don't know. My aunt tells me that people call in sick, you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Hey, that's that's carnival any, yeah, that's carnival in any Kirby country, man. If you're working, then you know in Trinidad, Carnival is not a holiday officially. Yeah, because unofficially, everybody's off. So it it it might as well be a holiday, but it's not. So I mean, I can if that's a case for Trinidad, I'm sure it's and I'm sure I know it's a case for Grenada as well. Nobody's going into work on Carnival. So you'll be hard pressed to find anyone working who's not like a civil servant, like a police officer or something like that, right?

Carlene 14:51

So every you know, so yeah, no, I hear that. And you know what? The one thing that I have to remind people is that Grenada's Carnival is the second Monday in August. We do it a little bit later. I guess it's kind of like tied around close to Carnival in Toronto, because it's usually falls in August, July, and end of July and beginning of August, but the second Monday. If you're planning or if you already got your ticket for Carnival this year, you're gonna have a great time, obviously. But like we're talking about two countries here. So in Trinidad, it's in February. Why do they have it in February? Do you even know?

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Yeah, that's just like Grenadas was in February, right? Uh it ends with Ash Wednesday, right? So yeah, that's traditionally how it was. Because Carnival was like to celebrate the harvest, celebrate, celebrate the year, the new year, and everything.

Carlene 15:39

So it's more of like a religious thing when you think about it, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:43

It's not yeah, it's it's sort of yeah, it sort of went around the religious because the religious calendar a little bit. Yeah.

Carlene 15:48

I'm Carleen, and this is not Magnation. We are talking about Carnival.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Yes, yeah.

Carlene 15:55

Anyways, I gotta Spice Mass. Spice Mass, yes. You know, one of Grenada's very popular events, it's a tourist attraction. I hope you already bought your ticket because if you haven't, it's gonna be super expensive. Like we're talking like 2,000. I was looking up ticket prices, Caron, and it's it's it's high, it's way up there.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Listen, it's always expensive to travel to Grenada, but if you're doing it during something like Spice Mask, then yeah, it's gonna be more for sure.

Carlene 16:22

Yeah. So we were talking about like the history of Spice Mask, but it looks like uh Yeah, no, I think I think we may have flubbed a little bit on the history.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Okay. So from what I remember reading, Spice Mask was first held in Grenada in 1877, almost 100 years after the first carnival event in Trinidad. So that's I think what we got wrong with uh with the time frame, but 1877, that's when it was held.

Carlene 16:49

Okay, well, there we go. We have a historical moment there, 1877. That's a long time ago.

Calypso, Soca, And Road March

Carlene 16:55

And obviously, Spice Mass has changed, they've added more events, and you know, there's one thing that we need to talk about when we talk about Spice Mass and all the events leading up to the big parade is the music. It's all about the music, right? So yeah, for those people that don't know the difference, like calypso, soca, like you know a little bit about both genres of music.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Yeah, so calypso's more of the traditional sense. Calypso is like a little bit similar to kaiso, which is from Africa. I guess we can give an example, like the feeling hot, hot, hot, or like the the scent, five cent ten cent dollar. That's that's calypso, yeah. Where it evolves along the way. Um, or another example, I guess, like from a jamo in Grenada. A jamo on the road again. My middle name is Calypso. Like songs like that, that's Calypso.

Carlene 17:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

So the more Soka's the more fast, fast, faster pace, more upbeat tempo music. You have like more modern iterations. I guess more popular names will probably be like Basha, Montano, Kess, you know, you you've got Bonti Killer, and then you've got other artists like that, Inspector and Grenada as well. People like that, that's more calypso. Sorry, Soka, which is more upbeat, upbeat and faster. Yeah, yeah.

Carlene 18:06

Whereas Calypso's a little bit slower, like in terms of tempo, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Yeah, and Calypso also, like if we go back to like the whole political aspect, calypso, calypsonians, I should say, tend to put more messages in their music, uh, more political messages and whatnot. It's always trying to teach you a lesson or something in their music.

Carlene 18:23

Right. So, in terms of music, I find like, you know, every year there's like a hot song that leads up that's leading the way to the parade. Don't you find like I think like even in Trinidad, there's always the winner of like the most popular, not only the popular band, like there's always the winner with that, but also the very popular song that was played over and over again during carnival, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 18:49

So yeah, yeah. You know what that's called?

Carlene 18:50

No, why don't you tell me? No, Roadmarch. Road march, right? Right. I'm learning, I'm learning my lingo here. I'm brushing up, you know.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Road march songs are usually the ones that get the crowd moving the most. So that's why it's sort of judge it judges like as the crowd mover. That's where that's where Road March.

Carlene 19:08

And what other things do you think that you should know if you're going to carnival for the first time?

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Watch out for um steel band orchestras. Uh, they're usually on trucks or people have them on the side of the roads at different parties and what or is this the um what's it called? Panorama, which is like the competition for steel band, steel band bands, I should say, steel bands. And uh they have their competition as well, similar to like the Calypso Monarch and like the soap monarch stuff, right?

Carlene 19:33

Mm-hmm. There we go.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Which is which is the competition for all of those different genres and stuff. Uh what do you what what else do you have? What else do you think is people should okay?

Carlene 19:42

So there's there's this, you know, we were talking about the jab jab and how the jab jab is known for, you know, their historical costume design when it comes to slavery, but there's also shortney. Did I say that right? Shortney, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Shortney, yeah.

Carlene 19:56

Shotney. Yes. So they're one of the most iconic and recognizable, and they're also known for scaring people. Like I think they're scary because they have the powder and they're walking around, you know, down the street, and you'll see all kinds of colors, textures. You don't see their face because they're wearing a mask. And it's also in terms of tradition, they're African and French, and they've been around a long time, right? I mean, I don't know the historic, I don't know the historical significance there, but it's definitely something you can't miss when you're in Carnival, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

Yeah, that's one as well. Yeah, absolutely.

What To Bring And How To Pace

Carlene 20:36

So when you're going to Carnival, what do you think you need before you head down to a parade? Like what's what kind of things should you bring with you when you're attending? What are your must-haves?

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Maybe a pouch for your cell phone. So if it gets wet or anything like that, you know?

Carlene 20:51

Yeah, yeah. Okay. How about some water? Stay hydrated, it's kind of hard.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Yeah, well, yeah. Well, well, you gotta have your water on the road with you. So yeah.

Carlene 20:58

Okay, I guess we could talk about both ways because if you're a spectator, it's one thing, uh, versus being a part of the parade, right? Because when you're a part of the parade, they usually give you, you know, they give you food, they give you water and stuff like that. But if you're just going to watch the parade or if you're doing a little cheap, like Caron and doing, you know, Juve morning, right? It's not cheap. I'm I'm just razzing you there, but it's a more affordable, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:25

It's called maximizing your experience. What I do is I go to all the parties beforehand, or as many as I can go to and then do juve and then just like enjoy the mass watching it. Right.

Carlene 21:36

Okay, so what do you mean you go to as many parties as possible? Because I know in Trinidad, you guys are partying for a month. I they don't party, I mean, they party a lot in Grenada. I think it's the week leading up to Carnival. It's maybe like a two almost a two week celebration, but I don't know. Trinidad's pretty extensive in terms of how much they plan it in advance, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Well, Trinidad, like Trinidad starts partying. As soon as Boxy Day hits up until Carnival. So that's that's that's how it works in Trinidad. So you get a lot more parties, and there's everything is a party. So yeah.

Carlene 22:10

Yeah. What do you think of the costumes though? I think like some of the costumes, like you know, it really is all about the colors and the feathers and the design, but some of the costumes are a little bit revealing, you know what I mean? Like, why do you think like it's so out there? Like it's kind of like, you know, depending on what kind of costume you get, there's some that are I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

I think you take artistic interpretation to a level, and then you know, you say this is how I want to be, this is how I want to be free. Some people like the more revealing ones, and others don't, because there are variations of them, right? You can get different levels of them. You can get like a full bathing suit, you can get a bikini top, you can get like a wire bra or something like that, you know. So there are variations of the costumes. So it's whatever people want to buy. They they they have the choice.

Carlene 22:54

Yeah. You know what?

Food, Beaches, And Trip Must Dos

Carlene 22:55

There's one more thing that I think we have to talk about when we talk about carnival, and that is the food, right? And I think it's it's exciting, you know what I mean? Like I enjoy having a nice, you know, uh, what do you call it? Uh snow cone. It's really nice to have. Yes, yeah, you know, especially during carnival time. You're hot and then you get a nice little snow cone, you know, while you're attending the event. And I don't know, what do you what do you like to eat during carnival?

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Not anything in particular, it depends on, I guess, which country. Both Grenada and Trinidad, snow cones a must.

Carlene 23:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

When I'm in when I'm in Trinidad in general, it's usually all about like any kind of food, basically, because the foods are so flavorful. You've got doubles, roti, bacon shark, any bacon shark. Yeah, there's also different all these different flavors of ice cream that like Guinness ice cream, there's now like doubles ice cream, there's a whole bunch of other stuff that's there. Doubles ice cream. Have you ever tried um what? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Have you ever tried Jack Daniel's snow call?

Carlene 23:52

No, I haven't.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

See, there you go.

Carlene 23:55

Oh there you go.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

They got they got all kinds of stuff down there. Uh so yeah, I I wouldn't even like when I just go, I just have food in general.

Carlene 24:03

Yeah, no, it is about the food too, right? You know, even like when I'm in Grenada, um, I don't really like rum and raisin, but when I'm down there, like a good rum and raisin ice cream is really good. And I don't know, I like KFC better in Grenada. They add a little bit more spice to it, you know what I mean? And I don't know, people are always waiting in line for KFC. I don't understand it, but it's one of those things. It's not just about the KFC, it's about the authentic food, like you were saying. And for me, when I went to Trinidad, I was only there for a day. And when I did go, like we did go to a restaurant and we had roti. And I'm I'm I don't know if I'm I'm kind of afraid to say this because I'm from the island, but I don't really like mango that much. But I gotta give it to the Trinidadians because they put mango in the roti and it tasted amazing. Yeah, it was so good.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

Yeah, you should try it with pumpkin too.

Carlene 24:54

Yeah, okay, yeah, for sure. Next time, yeah, and you know how you're saying you don't notice much of a difference. So I stayed longer in Tobago, and I find that Tobago reminds me of Grenada because of the one beach that I went to. Yeah, yeah. A lot of nicer beaches I find in Tobago than Trinidad, but to each his own, everybody has a difference of opinion, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

No, yeah, no, for sure. Tobago has way nicer beaches than Trinidad, especially you get that like that white sandy sort of beach style in in Tobago. You don't get that in Trinidad real, because it depends on which beach you go to, but yeah, you get you probably get that more Las Cuevas or something like that in Trinidad. Um, but like Tobago is known to be like the tourist seaside, and Trinidad is more the industrial sort of side too. Yeah. Whereas Grenada, you get nice beaches basically on any one of them, right? Or any part of the island, I should say, right?

Carlene 25:41

Yeah. Well, you know, if we're since we're adding one more thing to this, Grenada has is a three island state. So it's Grenada, Caracou, and Petite Martinique for those of you that don't know. And all the islands are beautiful, from what I've heard. Mind you, I haven't been to Caracou, have you? Nope, I have not. Oh, okay. So that's on your list of places to check out. So tell me, out of all the things to do in Grenada, what is one of the things that you must do when you're visiting? Say you were going this year for a carnival, where would you head to first? Like you're getting off the plane, you land at the airport, where are you going to first?

SPEAKER_00 26:17

I just go visit family. Oh, okay.

Carlene 26:18

All right.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

Family's my main attraction in Grenada. Family. That's that's that's okay, you know. But um, but if I were to visit a particular, I guess, place, I would say that's a good question, actually. I don't really have a specific place. I'll say that. Really?

Carlene 26:35

Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yeah, yeah. Because I don't have a yeah, I don't have like a go-to spot, maybe just any beach, because I just love going to the beaches, so just any beach, yeah. But you don't have a particular beach that you like, like well, Grand Aunt's Beach is the one that's basically most talked about. So I would I guess I can stick with that one.

Carlene 26:51

Well, I'm I'm biased in my opinion because I like Grand Anne's Beach because it's close to where my grandmother lives, so but uh there's a few other beaches I haven't checked out, to be honest, and I feel like I have to see the other beaches. Like obviously, I've been to Bathway Beach in the country, right? But I haven't been to Magazine Beach, and there's a few others that are nice as well. But yes, like you said, the tourist attraction is Grand Anne's Beach, it's right um close to the water, beautiful views, lots of resorts there. Um, and the sand is absolutely gorgeous, right? So, I mean, can't go wrong with Grand Anne's Beach at the end of the day. So well, I think we touched on it a little history on Spice Mask. So if you're going to Carnival this year, I hope you have fun and enjoy the festivities. We're counting down, but I think it's important to know the history of Carnival because it's come a long way from what it was originally. There's more events now, and I think it's good to check out what's going on before you buy tickets or if you already bought the tickets. You know what I mean? It's always good to know in advance before you head out for the festivities, right? And like you said, I agree. Like you, and you also mentioned carrying a pouch for your cell phone. It's handy, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Yeah, so that way it doesn't get wet. Yeah.

Carlene 28:07

Absolutely. All right, sounds good. I'm Carlene, and this is Nut Magnation. I'm with my co host tonight, Hereon. And I hope 2024 is a great year for you. And take care.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

Thank you for listening to Nut Magnation with Carlene Humphrey.