Made in Spain

33. Part 2: Trinidad Carnival Survival Guide

• Made in Spain • Season 6

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Crossing the stage at dawn. Dancing for 12+ hours. Costumes you choose months ahead. Trinidad Carnival sounds like a party, but the lived reality is a full-body, full-logistics adventure, and we’re telling you what we wish we’d known before we landed in Port of Spain.

We start with the journey from Spain, including the messy parts: route planning, time zone tactics, and the moment a train strike and an electric Uber nearly made us miss our flight. From there, we get into how Trinidad Carnival actually works on the ground, from picking a band and section to understanding what “playing mas” means. We played with Hearts (Bacchanal In Bloom, Wild Bloom) and talk through costume timing, deposits, delivery, and why hotels and packages need to be booked shockingly early.

Then we break down the two-day rhythm: Monday wear vs Tuesday wear, why stockings are basically non-negotiable, and how professional Carnival makeup becomes part of the production. We also share the real survival checklist: shoes, hydration, sunscreen, sleep, safety, and how the parade flow works with music trucks, moving drinks carts, lunch stops, and crowd management. If you’ve ever wondered whether you could do it, we answer honestly and we even debate how we’d do Carnival differently next time.

We also share a special giveaway with a boutique “museum hotel” in Pátzcuaro, Mexico, plus our take on Road March controversy, soca culture, and where Carnival lives outside Trinidad. If you enjoy this peek into living Carnival, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review so more travellers find it.

Why Trinidad Carnival Feels Different

SPEAKER_00

This episode of the Maiden Spain podcast is powered by Goco Energy, clean natural energy for life at the speed of Go. Welcome back, everyone. Season six, episode three. Today we're talking about playing mass, crossing the stage, and living carnival. So living carnival. Last episode, we talked a little bit about where does carnival come from, um, Port of Spain and Trinidad. And today we're actually gonna talk about the carnival experience. The carnival experience. I'm Nalini Sharma. And I am Laura Sr. And together we are your co-host for the Made in Spain podcast. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you very much for you know being part of this journey. And I would say for the last episode and this episode, I mean, we had to put some context into it in that, yes, we know the podcast is called Made in Spain. We went to Port of Spain in Trinidad for Carnival, but we did a little sort of made in Spain goes on the road. So this is our the second part to our little, you know, short series on Carnival in Trinidad. Carnival is celebrated in here in Spain. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So maybe that maybe next year we'll do carnival in Spain because actually Cádiz and General and a bunch of different places have very spectacular carnivals. But very different as well. Extremely different. Yeah. Excuse me. Extremely different carnivals, but very, very spectacular still.

Getting To Port Of Spain

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So should we detail our journey getting there?

SPEAKER_00

What that experience was like, or I think it's a I think it's definitely worth exploring. Yeah. Because it is not easy to get to Port of Spain from Spain.

SPEAKER_01

No, it is actually not. You can fly from Europe. So you can fly uh KLM, Amsterdam, and directly to Port of Spain if you so choose that. We apparently that flight only happens once a week. Ah, okay. Uh that I did not know. That was not the route we took. We flew from uh Madrid to Toronto, and then we had a couple of days in Toronto to climatize ourselves and you know try to get on the same time zone, and then we went Toronto directly to um Port of Spain.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So we took a slightly longer route. And I have to say, I mean, if you can square it with a one direct flight from uh uh Europe to Trinidad, I would say that would be much better. Ideal. Uh for example that Amsterdam, Port of Spain, but we actually went, well, we were supposed to go Alicante, Madrid on the train. Right. Then Madrid, Munich, Munich, Toronto, Toronto, Port of Spain. Right. It's a lot. Yeah. But it got even worse than that because when we got to the Alicante train station, there was a massive strike. Yeah. So we ended up having to get an Uber to Madrid Airport. Uh by the way, I I love Uber, but I do not recommend for really long trips, be very careful about getting an electric Uber. Because you guys almost missed your flight. We almost missed our flight because we had to stop three times a long time to charge the vehicle for between here and Madrid. And, you know, because there were different kinds of charge stations, it took us up to like almost half an hour. So if you get an Uber and you're on the road and you are on a very serious timeline, I would check that it's not an electric. And if it is an electric, that it has the autonomy to reach your final destination on time.

Picking A Band And Costume

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, good. That is good travel advice. Because it's a big trip. I mean, we've spent a year getting ready for it and then just didn't miss your flight at the last minute. Because the Uber has to stop and recharge. Yeah, that's actually kind of scary. Yeah. Okay, so um what okay, we eventually made it. I went a couple of days uh two days before live. Yeah. Uh, and then you arrived the Friday. So let's first of all detail um how you have to prepare because what we have right now on the table are it's parts of the costume, yes, of our carnival costume. Um, we played in the band uh Hearts. And that was your goody cup. H-A-R-T-S- And each carnival band has its own um, you know, design identity, and you have within the carnival band, you have sections. Yes. So you can choose which type of costume. So you have the overall carnival band, which again the one we participated in, or what they say played, played play mass, um, hearts, and under that hearts, their theme from 2025 or well, 2026 carnival was uh Bacchanal in Bloom and our section was wild bloom.

SPEAKER_00

Right. And uh you can see here if you're looking at some of the socials or on YouTube, we actually have our crowns here from our costumes. And I'm gonna attempt to sort of put this on now. Let's see. Yeah, because it's kind of hard right there. Yeah, yeah, it looks good. That looks good, yeah. So, you know, we'll we'll show some of the images and the videos, but our costumes and thank you very much to Heart were absolutely gorgeous. They were beautiful.

SPEAKER_01

So actually, all the costumes are beautiful, they're all beautiful. It's just your color preference of what you know you like, and in within each costume as well, you have the ability to choose the variation. So they call it the backpack, which in is the the wings, the big feathers that some women choose to wear. But when there are, I mean, when you see them, they are so stunningly beautiful.

Booking Early And Avoiding Stress

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So I would say, again, we're going to share from our own experience. There's a lot of advice out there on socials, etc., but preparation before going to Carnival starts way in advance. Way in advance. One of the main things you need to be looking at is obviously where you're staying. Uh, we will uh mention or link in the episode. I want to say it was like Haven or something like that. We didn't use the service, but multiple people that we know use the service where they will organize everything from which band you're playing in, okay, which fets you go to, uh, where you're staying, depending on your budget, they kind of you know build a whole carnival experience for you. Because if not, if you don't know anyone there, it can be quite hard or complicated to actually set yourself up. And it's overwhelming. Yes, because there's a lot of different pieces. So basically, mm if carnival, I think next year is going to be like, I believe earlier. Early February. February 5th or 6, I can't remember, somewhere around there. Uh, you have to be looking at your hotels and everything July. So if let's say, for example, now we're in 2026, you want to play Carnival uh 2027 in February, you have to be looking at your reservations, your package, and everything by maximum July.

SPEAKER_01

I yeah, and and if you want to stay at the, you know, for example, the Hyatt, you would have to look even prior to that because upon checking out, they said the 27th, I think, of February or a certain just towards the end of February, that they were releasing rooms for next year carnival already. So, and people, you know, people who go every single year.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, at a slightly at the beginning as well, they you may bet get a little bit of a better rate. Right. There's also the Airbnb options, and like I said, we we will put in the description of the episode the name of this company because they were advertising them as well at the airport. Okay, and then I heard of them being used, and I think that's a great option to kind of go in and organize everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Now, the costumes they get released sometime in July-ish. Uh, and you have time. I mean, you don't have to like the second they get released, you have to go on. However, um, there is a point and it happens quite quickly. It's not as if you can wait until, I don't know, October or November to pick your costume. You have maybe a couple of weeks where you can decide, but you have to register and pick your costume and then put a deposit for it because they do, there's a limited amount of people that they allow in the band. Yes. And they do sell out.

Inclusivity Plus The Stamina Reality

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and they are handmade, yes, custom made. Uh so we have here this is what we wore on our top, which is a wired bra. Yeah. Did not include the bottom here. Uh, this is for Tuesday, and we'll talk in a minute the difference between Monday and Tuesday. And Nalini's gonna tell us about, you know, what it means to play mask. But going back to the preparation, I just want to kind of say one thing. When you're preparing for this and you haven't been yet, and maybe that's the best way for us to share about this, is really for people who have never been, is don't be afraid when you look at the costumes and you go, oh my goodness, you know, that is so revealing, or I'm gonna be showing a lot of skin, or I'm not fit enough, or you know, blah, blah, blah. Carnival is extremely inclusive. Are there a lot of extremely fit-looking people? Yes. Yes, 100%. It is very body positive, though. No one is looking at, you know, is your what do you call it? Batti. Yeah. Bigger or smaller or whatever it is. Like, it is for everyone. It really is. You can stand for that long.

SPEAKER_01

Because that is like I think that's the biggest thing. You should, I mean, listen, get in shape, do as you please. Um, we spent this this was a good motivating thing for us as well. We spent pretty much the good part of the whole year planning and just working out, eating. I mean, really watching our diet. Yeah. Really, I mean, it's not to say that we didn't indulge or have a good year, but you know, coming closer to it, even during Christmas, yeah, we were careful. Yeah, we were really careful. We, you know, spent the extra time working out and just being super cognizant of the fact that you want to feel your best in the costume. So that was a really And on the road. And on the road, and just like the motivating side of it. But then the reality sets in where great, your costume fits, you're happy with how it fits. But now you need to have the stamina to last 12 plus hours.

SPEAKER_00

And guess what? If you've been to a bunch of fets the days before, yeah, because that's the one thing that I am as an outside person who doesn't have any Trinidadian roots, obviously, you know, having relationships there through yourself and your family, I am amazed at the fact that, you know, everybody just seems to champion or power through it, where it's like party this, party that, carnival. I mean, the fact that you have Monday and then the following day, Tuesday, and that some people have done Jouvet on Monday morning. Yes, you know, it's like so basically you're running on fumes. Because the other thing as well is that at the Hyatt, yes, you can sleep, and I'm sure at some of the Airbnbs, etc., if you are not careful about where you stay, right, and I have to say this and I have to give people a warning. I don't know if this is gonna be the same thing next year, but we stayed at the Mario Courtyard in front of the Sokodrome, which is where all the bands cross the stage. Right. And it was like nothing I've ever experienced before. This hotel was right across. Imagine you are at a concert and your bed is in the middle of the audience.

SPEAKER_01

No, no, it's unbelievable. I I I heard the sound uh, I think when we were heading back one night, and it is I don't think I've ever heard anything anywhere that loud. And we were in the car, still a distance away, but we're I mean, we're in the car. It's the base, and so we're in the car. Now your hotel was across the street from that, and then yeah, I don't know. I mean, thank goodness you were able you were able to get some sleep, and you know, because you guys were jet-legged and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00

So to be resolved, yeah. But yes, Mary Courtyard, uh, watch out if you're gonna say if you're thinking about staying there. I mean, if you're gonna be part of the party and you don't care, it's well, if you're gonna be part of the party at the Sokodrome and then you're like in sync, yeah, if you're going to different things, then you're in a bind.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you are in a bind. So I mean, that is uh, I think a great warning. And the other thing I would say is that be prepared for traffic.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, there's massive amount of traffic. So let's go to let's start getting into the topic of so we talked about the costumes, we talked about the fact you have to prepare in advance for the travel. Uh, you may want to plan around your nutrition, your exercise, etc. Uh, in terms of now we're getting closer to the carnival, you've done the fets. Well, first of all, Nalini, you arrived a little earlier. Can you describe the process of picking up the costumes?

SPEAKER_01

Um, actually, okay, uh the hotel, we I stayed at the Hyatt, and um Hearts did not have uh collection point at the Hyatt, they had it somewhere else, but we opted for delivery. So when you actually fill out your entire registration package, you can choose delivery, which we did. But there was um tribe, I believe, that they had their costumes being delivered at the Hyatt, and that was insane.

SPEAKER_00

So hundreds of people lining up, I would say thousands. Yeah, it's just unbelievable. And the vibe, because everybody's getting excited, they're getting their and one thing I need to thank Nalini for is obviously this being my first carnival, I was so kind of like taken aback by the feathers and the backpacks, and I kept saying, But I want a backpack, I want a backpack. And then the moment we got there and I saw how uncomfortable it would have been to carry those, plus dance around, plus you know, you're kind of shoving the feathers in people's faces as you move around. I was very grateful I didn't have one, and for the most part, again, it's not something you can carry home. But if you want to do the feather thing, great, it looks gorgeous, but just be aware that after like an hour, you may be ready to get rid of that thing. And it's in some cases cost you like a thousand dollars.

SPEAKER_01

They're very expensive, and also um the transport of it, people had to come with uh like flatbeds, yes, like pickup trucks because you have to put it in the back of the truck. It's unbelievable. Yeah, it's it's totally crazy.

Monday Wear Vs Tuesday Costume

SPEAKER_00

So let's start with you know, you are part of a band, uh which is and the bands have different names, like uh Nelane said there's Hearts, there's Tribe, there's Bliss, there's Lost Tribe. Yes, there's a bunch of different ones.

SPEAKER_01

What is playing Mass? Okay, Mass is short for masquerade, so it's basically, I mean, the evolution of, I mean, we touched on this in the last episode, uh, you know, a masquerade ball. Yes, right? So to celebrate um, you know, the end of the season leading up to Lent, uh, you know, the French nobility would have these masquerade balls. And so carnival evolved from that. So playing mass means basically to dress up in a type of costume. And here in Spain or maybe in other places, when they when you do carnival, they do dress up, but they do what they call fancy dress.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, or some kind of like uh, you know, for example, you have a whole group of people in Catith is very satirical, right? And you know, it can be really funny, some of it is really out there. So for Trinidad specifically, you play MAS, you have the band, you have the sections, you have a ton of different designers who are revered. You know, you have your Soka uh artists, etc., and you have this incredible kind of costume engineering. What is the difference? And can you talk to us, Nalini, about like the difference between the Monday and Tuesday? Like Monday wear, Tuesday wear, what's the vibe difference?

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think I mean, cause I was asking about, you know, how did Monday wear sort of come about? So I think in the you know, years, years past, Monday wear was just something, you know, that you would have, like a uh, you know, like an elevated bathing suit, let's say that, you know, that you could kind of put together something. Maybe even people use their old carnival costumes, possibly. Oh, uh actually my sister told me this. She said in years past, people would wear sometimes um the costume and then wear it again on the Tuesday. Right. But then it started to evolve from that. So you would wear maybe let's say you would wear the top and then a different bottom, like a pair of, you know, like shorts or something. Yeah. Um, but you know, things evolve, and then anywhere there's money to be made, people will find a way. So now they're Monday wear designers that have their own kind of style. So again, the best way to describe it is an elevated um monochini, a one piece. You don't like nobody wears two pieces on the Monday, it's a one piece. Yes. Uh typically a lot of them seem to have sleeves, some kind of sleeve situation and you know, high cut, and then you have your um stockings. So stockings are a huge thing.

SPEAKER_00

Non-negotiable because I didn't really understand this before we went, and I am so grateful that I had like six pairs of stockings with me, and we still ended up going to a mall to get the uh fishnet stockings, the small fishnets, and it is necessary. I don't know how or why it elevates the whole look.

SPEAKER_01

It somehow takes you, anybody, not you, but just any person wearing a you know sparkly one piece bathing suit in the middle of a Monday morning from looking kind of trashy to somehow looking elegant.

SPEAKER_00

Like it's it finishes the outfit. Now the men donate to wear stockings. Let me just put that out there. But the men costumes, the male costumes are also very cool. Some of them are only shorts, but some of them are like intricate kind of jewels and stuff. Again, a lot of that stuff I get the feeling that for the men also don't last very long. Like sometimes they'll just take it off. So, you know, again, I think all of us with a goodwill in the world, you know, our vanity kicks in and you want to kind of love almost like a turkey, you know, like almost like uh what do you call it? Like um, not a turkey. Um peacock, peacock, you know, you're kind of like dressing up with the feathers and stuff, and eventually you're like, oh my god, you know, I want to dance, it's a lot, and you start like, you know, giving it away.

SPEAKER_01

Should we talk about our Monday wear?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So we had a very different budget approach for our Monday wear and our Tuesday wear. I think our total for our Monday wear, not counting shoes, because we already kind of maybe had the shoes, just like the outfit and our headpiece was under$30.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. It wasn't, yeah, these were not. So this was our I don't know what I did with my headpiece. This is yours. I love it. Um, the headpiece uh we'll put a picture out on socials with it, but it's really nice and uh it kind of makes you feel like Cleopatra when you're wearing it. It really does. And you know, we went into this blind. Totally. I mean, really, like we could have also when you arrive in Trinidad, there are many stores that sell Monday wear.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

We did not know. We just kind of and also you kind of because my sister kept saying, she's like, Don't worry, you can buy Monday wear here if you want. But then there's always that feeling that first of all, maybe I don't have the time to you. Maybe I don't find something I like. Right. You want to have something. So we ordered uh from an expensive website. We won't say, but you can probably guess where it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And fast fashion at its best.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, fast fashion. And again, did not spend a lot. Just try to come up creatively with something. A we had a one-piece, one-shoulder.

SPEAKER_00

And it was we we were the only ones wearing a headpiece. I will say that.

SPEAKER_01

We were the only ones actually wearing a headpiece, so it looked super cute. However, when we were participating in Carnival Monday, we counted probably at least 10 other women with the same one piece on that.

SPEAKER_00

To the point where your husband asked me at one point, was this like an option? Like, you know, like in Tuesday, you have like the I was like, Yeah, no, it wasn't.

SPEAKER_01

We were not the only ones with this idea. No, but the thing is, I actually at first I was like, oh my god, there's other people wearing what we're wearing. But then I thought actually it's pretty good because we were on the right, I mean, at least we're complete outsiders. Didn't know anything and managed to choose something that obviously had the right aesthetic, the right appeal, because the other people that were wearing it, they were from there.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and they look really nice as well. So if you go, you may see some images from our Monday wear, but we loved it. I think if again, I'm I'm not gonna say if I were to do it again. I think I will do it again at some point if I when I do this again, I may actually, because it is just Monday, Tuesday. I actually think I may just do one of the days. Yeah. And then do the fet because it is kind of, you know, like, whoa, I'm getting ready on Monday, getting ready on Tuesday. And we'll talk a little bit more about this, but really so okay, Monday. Monday, you are with your band, yes, but you're just not wearing your costume. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

So Monday is like a warm up for Tuesday, right? It's that's basically it. Oh. And the other thing that you have to budget for is makeup. Yes. Makeup. Because I didn't, I'm not a person like, we don't really get professional makeup done or anything. But that is the thing there. All the women, pretty much all the women have professional makeup done. And they are booked out a year in advance.

SPEAKER_00

So let's put it this way if you've bought the costume, if you're playing with one of the bags, if you've spent the money, all of a sudden you may show up there and go, like, uh, why didn't I book professional makeup? Because it is a whole production.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And that's part of the production.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's part of the production. And it does give you a really nice, I don't know, it just finishes everything to have your makeup really done nicely and you know, just a little bit more professional. It doesn't really sweat off. Mine didn't really sweat off. It was okay. And um I would say I'm glad that we got it done. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

100%. And yeah, like even I will say that both of us got the eyelash extensions before going.

SPEAKER_01

That's another thing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but I honestly think that you because if you get professional makeup done, they are very likely going to put on eyelashes on top of it.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. So you have eyelashes on eyelashes, so you don't actually need it.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so that's a little bit about Monday. Again, you're with your band. Uh, it can go for a long time. Yes. And you're dancing and you're enjoying it. And is there a part I'm trying to remember because it's Monday and Tuesday kind of a bit blurry? Yeah. Uh, is there a part where you're crossing the stage on Monday as well? So crossing the stage is a big part of Monday as well as Tuesday. But I'm just trying to recall. Did we cross the big stage on Monday too, or just Tuesday?

SPEAKER_01

Oh no, just Monday. Just Monday. We just crossed on Monday. So Monday on the parade route, there was like a little baby stage. So that you kind of go across the stage. And then there's the big stage, which we were in, we were in the savannah, no? We were in the savannah Monday.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So I think Tuesday is when they went to the Sokod Row.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and we didn't end up crossing the stage on Tuesday. Uh well, uh, there's a reason for it. We didn't make it there. Yeah. No, but I'll tell you why though. But we um the crossing the stage is where they judge the bands, right? So Monday, I don't think there's any judging, it's just a thing that you do. Yeah. So they make it into kind of like a whole production where you it every band gets their opportunity to be on the stage and where you would be judged, you perform, you dance, you know, you show off your costume. So Monday's a little bit more, I think, organic. There's no rhyme or reason to it because you're just in your random costume. But when you officially do it as part of your band, you then get into your section. And then you would have your section leaders, which would be the probably, I'm guessing, the women and men who have the most elaborate costumes. Which are pre-selected. Right. So let's say, okay, we were we were in wild bloom. If we had crossed the stage with our band on Tuesday, we would have been in the wild bloom section and probably in the section at the back because we had on one of the more simpler costumes. Yeah. Right. And then when you go across, that's when the judges, it's this when you have, you know, you're dancing and you're whining and you're, you know, celebrating. And that's when the judges will then judge to see if you will, you know, your band will win band of the year, which ours didn't, but that's not to be uh I don't think that was a surprise. No. Uh um, but on Tuesday, they actually crossed the stage at 6 30 in the morning. Jeez, Louise. That's why we didn't do it because the it ended at Sokodrome, but there was no crossing of the stage at Sokodrome. They actually crossed in the morning at 6 30. So what time did it end on Tuesday? Uh I think it went till 10 or 11.

SPEAKER_00

And it starts at 6.30 in the morning. In the morning. So again, going back to how do you set yourself up for carnival? It is resilience, it is stamina, it is you better know what shoes you're wearing.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, that's a huge thing. Because you um imagine now you're on the road, you're you're dancing, most likely having drinks for most of the day on 10 to 12 hours. On Monday, and then on the Tuesday now, you're in your uh group chat, it's like, oh, we're meeting here and we're crossing the stage at 6 30. It's like 6 30. Are you being serious? Makeup artists start at midnight. Yes. So they start at midnight. And by the time I think I had just e woken up on Tuesday morning, women were already fully like head to toe in the I we didn't have our costumes on. We were just we were going for makeup at 6 30. Yes. But women in our in the Hyatt, they were fully dressed, like backpack on, wings, feathers, full face of makeup. Like they're already done. They they probably had their makeup done at 3 a.m. So I would say not for the faint hearted. It's not for the faint hearted. But the other interesting thing about Carnival, both the Monday and the Tuesday, is that in true Trini style, they break for lunch.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

They break for lunch for like a couple hours. Yeah, so like you actually take a break and they serve you. We had lunch, uh, we had catered lunch, but as part of your ticket package and joining the band and the costume price that you pay, you it includes lunch.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

So they have a place that they stop and then you can partake in a lovely lunch. Yes. And you take a little rest. And they also have like a makeup touch-up area.

SPEAKER_00

They'll have and you have like some VIP experiences that even include like, you know, uh uh, let's say champagne bar, etc.

SPEAKER_01

So they do it really, really well. And um do you want to talk about how the actual like the procession?

SPEAKER_00

So this is interesting to visualize because you basically have these trucks and the trucks play very loud, so can music. Yes, and you're dancing around, and some people are basically on the outskirts of the procession and they're watching the procession and you're with your band, you're with your section, and you are as Nalina said, dancing, then at some point some of the artists will come up to promote and to sing their song that is being considered. Yes, and again, it's very, very key that if you want to enjoy this experience, because we did obviously see some people who had not survived the thing, is you know, you have to have some sleep in between Monday and Tuesday. Yeah, a lot of hydration, yes, and again, I cannot say it enough. The shoes because I even saw some people, I think we saw one person that their boot had kind of ripped apart, and they had put like you know, masking tape on it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, her boot fell apart, and some I don't know where she found tape from on the road, but she had her one boot completely taped up, and I thought, you know what? Good for you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, like I have a picture of a pair of boots with a bottle of beer in it that someone must have just said, I can't walk in these anymore. I'm like going so shoes, sleep, hydration, sunscreen. I was totally sunburned on day two, even though I didn't think I was getting sunburned, and you know, I look like a little chipmunk, you know, with like super red. And then also the fact that the pacing yourself, I know it sounds kind of typical, but by the time you have been walking for 10 hours under the sun with little sleep, and if you're drinking alcohol at all, and if you're not drinking copious amounts of water and you're sweating, it's very likely that you're not gonna make it to the end. And the energy does start kind of getting a bit frenetic from my perspective. At the end, it's like this climax of energy. Yeah. Uh, everybody's dancing, and it's like, you know, the music's getting louder, there's like an excitement building up. So yeah, you really do have to pace yourself if you want to make it to the end.

SPEAKER_01

I I mean it's not for the uh faint. So would you do it again? Um, I I would do carnival again, but I would do it in a different way. What would you do different? I think if anything, I would do um probably only the Tuesday because I would want the nice costume. Yeah. Like I wouldn't, I don't need to do Monday because I can like it's not necessary to me.

SPEAKER_00

Wait, we can go to bed at order and dress up like that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, like it's not, you know, it's not necessary, but if I were to do it, I would only do the Tuesday and I would probably not stay as long.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah, because it it does, it does come to a point where you know, basically the music's playing everywhere, the parties are happening everywhere, and unless unless you are a die hard party animal. Yes, it it gets to be much.

SPEAKER_01

Like it's a lot, and then I would say I would probably because if I let's say I were to do it again, um I didn't think you were gonna do it again. And the band started uh that early at 6 30. I would say, you know what? I would go for the start. Yeah. And I would actually enjoy the morning, yeah, do lunch, and then just be like, okay, you know what? I'm going to the hotel now. Yeah. And it and then and for me, like that would probably have been six or seven hours, which is plenty worth it for the experience and the vibe. And then I mean, if I wanted to stay, I would stay, but right, but you know what?

SPEAKER_00

I could just leave pressuring yourself. Because I think that's sort of a little bit, you know, both of us didn't know what we were getting into.

SPEAKER_01

And it's like this pressure of like, we're gonna make it to the end, and then yeah, and then you realize you don't really and also it's very fluid, like you can leave the parade anytime you want, and join as well. Exactly. You just need to find where your band is. They have an app that gives you the location, yeah. So you can join later if you want, or you can also just walk out.

SPEAKER_00

And also for the ladies, like if you have one of those uh phone chains, etc., yeah, that's really all you need. Uh you know, is your phone, and usually if you have a cart that's got the drinks, you can leave like your sunscreen and stuff on there. Yeah. So you're not carrying a lot of stuff, so you need to make sure your phone is charged and that you don't get lost because we didn't talk a lot about it, but there are some real safety considerations to keep in mind.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you do have to be careful. You can't just, I mean, wander off. You can you have to have your wits about you at the same time. I mean, we saw people walking around. It's not as if I think they do a very good job of keeping people safe during Carnival. That being said, if you're not from the area or you don't know anyone there, probably not the best thing to just decide, you know, I'm gonna show up in carnival.

SPEAKER_00

But yeah, I would at least you always go with people, yeah, you stick with your people, and you always have you know enough charge to make sure that you know you can call someone if you need to. And you can get out.

SPEAKER_01

And the other thing, so you have the the first truck is the music truck. Yeah. And then you have um, I guess the drinks carts. You know, you have some drinks carts, which again, if you buy the VIP package, um, it includes all your drinks. So you have all that. And even the drinks carts, that's a whole microcosm in itself, how that operates. Because the trucks are moving. I mean, they're moving at a slow pace, but the drinks carts are moving too. So they're like pushing it. It's not some motorized thing, they're pushing the cart full of drinks and ice and people's backpacks and stuff on the top. And then if you want to drink, you gotta like hop on the cart sometimes and like fling yourself over to like get the guy to open the and like everything's moving at the same time.

SPEAKER_00

I saw a post on socials that I thought was hilarious, and it was like a donkey, you know, like with its head stuck in the in a cart, like uh, you know, and it's like the donkey's running next to the cart, and it and it said me trying to get a drink during carnival, like you know, from my it's like you know, like it's it's such a weird situation where you're like, you know, you're like, and there's a safety consideration because all of a sudden they're like, okay, everybody move to the left because the trucks are turning left. You have to have your wits about you.

SPEAKER_01

But it's so cute how they do it because, and I have to say, people really are they're super kind of chill and accommodating, and you know, like everybody's in a really good mood because when it ha if they have to have a security vehicle, let's say, or an ambulance come down, they'll kind of like slow the tempo, the music down a little bit, they'll turn the music down, and the DJ will be like, you know, uh, all right, people, we got an ambulance coming through, you know, to the left, to the left. And everybody's kind of like moving to the left.

SPEAKER_00

Everybody moves to the left, moving from the ambulance, but still dancing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, everybody follows the instruction. And then, you know, you kind of wait, the ambulance passes, and then cranks up the music again. Everybody's like back into the uh room of it. But there was no pushing and shoving and like get out of my way.

SPEAKER_00

And no, none of that is very friendly, very friendly. So I would say body positive because it is, yes, and age positive as well. Because after the carnival, I I actually saw one of the um bands had one of the what did you say they were called? It just left me like not the representative frontliners or the um section leaders, the section leaders, and the section leader was like almost like late 70s. Oh wow, and she looked gorgeous, you know, with her feathers and everything, and you could see that that is someone that has lived carnival their whole life, and I was like, that is so cool. So, yes, you will show up, you will see a lot of very young people. I did say to Nalini that a couple of times our band felt a little bit like spring break, you know, and we were like, eh. Our band was very young. Yeah, yeah. Our band was very young, you know, and it was like, okay, but you know what, you can just get into it. But there's a lot of diversity throughout a lot. You don't honestly, I would not say you go to carnival and you worry, you know, it is not like what Nalina mentioned about the Hyatt Lime, it's not the kind of place to be seen or anything. You're just enjoying the experience.

SPEAKER_01

You're you're immersed in it, it's extremely immersive. And the nice thing that they have about the uh I mean just the organization of it is that each band also has a um mobile bathroom. Yes, like it's a mo and it's actually super clean.

Boutique Hotel Giveaway In Mexico

SPEAKER_00

Yes, but try to jump on a moving car. It's move it's moving. That's the other thing. So again, you have to be okay to be able to do all the things. And I did want to mention, as Nalini said, we took a detour uh to Port of Spain to Trinidad for these two episodes. Uh the next episode we're gonna go back more to our usual format, but we really do hope that you have enjoyed peeking into this experience that we had been planning for almost a year, and now we're gonna go to our slice of life.

SPEAKER_01

Laura's super exciting. We have a giveaway. We've got a really interesting partnership with a boutique hotel.

SPEAKER_00

Our first ever giveaway. So we are super committed, as our listeners know, to preserving cultural heritage and also to women-empowered stories, you could say.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. Now, this partnership is with a boutique hotel, and the name of it is Mansion y Turbe.

SPEAKER_00

Mansión y Turbe exactly like Nalini said, and it is in a place in Mexico called Patscuaro. Right.

SPEAKER_01

In the Michoacan area of Mexico, which if you had to do a geographical sort of reference, it would be west of Mexico City. And um, I mean, it seems odd that we have a podcast called Made in Spain, but we have a giveaway for a boutique hotel in Mexico. So the name, we sort of, you know, we do outreach all the time. We do research to, you know, uh of interest. And this hotel stuck out to us because we both thought that they were from the north the hotel was located in the north of Spain because of the name of the hotel.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, Iturbe is uh is a name that you would definitely associate with the vast country. But then when we started digging in and reading more about them, it's like a museum hotel. Yes. And the town is super interesting. So we haven't been yet, but it is definitely on the plans. Yeah. So for the giveaway, yes, you as our listeners get the chance to win three days that you can use anytime during the next three years with a person of your choice. So Pate Cuaro, Mexico may not be in your travel plans yet, but dream big and something that you know to look forward to, and you got some time to plan. So we wanted to make sure that you know there was time to actually enjoy it if you win the giveaway.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, and to do that, you have to, it's very simple, you have to follow two Instagram accounts. One is Mencion Itube, and that is at M-A-N-S-I-O-N-I-T-U-R-B-E.

SPEAKER_00

And the other account is at the Maiden Spain podcast, both of them on Instagram. This one is not going to be available on TikTok, just on Instagram, and you have to comment on the comments who you'd bring for a chance to win. For extra chances to win, you have to repost the post that talks about the giveaway in your stories. Yes, and that will give you an extra chance to win. We will announce the winner on April 22nd. Yeah, and we'll be using one of the very fair tools that they have to be able to uh pick the winner on Instagram. So good luck to everyone. Yeah. And we hope that you love it. And whoever wins, we will be in touch to document your experience at this very unique place.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, unique and you know, uh female-led story, boutique hotel, very um, you know, sustainable food that they have. It's just yeah, really a special place. And we had the pleasure of speaking with the owners. So we're super excited and a little jealous that we won't be able to, you know, visit immediately, but good luck to all.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and thank you to Margarita and her brother for making this happen.

Road March Drama And Soca Culture

SPEAKER_01

All right, slice of life, Laura. We are gonna talk about um uh the Road March. So a big part of Carnival is crowning um the song, basically. The best way to describe it is the song of the season. Um, and it's always a new song from one of the soccer artists. It's a sort of a competition, if you will. The way Road March works, according to what I have read and I've been told. It's very controversial. It's very controversial. So yeah. Um, it is the song that's played the most uh when on the I don't think it's just on the road, but it's when you cross the stage.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So that is what I've been told, or at key points during Carnival, if when that song is played. That's what I've read. So the Road March winner for uh 2026 first place went to Mashelle Montano with Encore, and that was 171 plays on the road and on crossing the stage, etc.

SPEAKER_00

Right, and that is the 12th win.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, something um, yeah, he's now uh he has surpassed the old record, so he is solidified as you know king of Soka.

SPEAKER_00

So it's kind of crazy, but I read this thing that in the cover of Ankor, right, he had made them uh draw a little necklace on his neck that had a number 12 before he won. Because he was so determined that he was gonna win.

SPEAKER_01

Well, yeah, I think he's very determined. I mean, he performs non-stop for months on end. Second place went to voice with uh can't behave, which is translates into cannot behave, 127 plays, and third place was Bungie, uh Bungie Garland Roadman. I'm as if I know Bungie. Yeah, hey, hey Bungie.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, shout out to Wonderful song. Wonderful song. Out of those three, I actually like the bungee song the better. The I'm still a roadman.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and that was uh 97 plays. Now, when they put these results out, it was the talk of the island because people said Mashal shouldn't have won. His song wasn't played that much. But what's actually interesting is that I hardly heard his song on the road. I heard all the other songs except I I heard his. It's not I didn't hear it, but I did not hear it as much as I heard the other songs.

SPEAKER_00

I think it also probably depends on what band you're playing with. Could be yeah, how much the DJ likes the singer. Yeah. I mean, there are so many things that I have questions about regarding how they pick the winner of Rhode Marsh. Because what happens if I'm buddies with like, you know, 20 of the DJs in the band, and you're like, hey, play my song. Like, I don't know. Like, how does that work? I mean, the what I think is because it's not voted by the people.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's voted by well. The DJs. It says here, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians organization announced the results. They announced it. They announced it.

SPEAKER_00

The guess who picks it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So he's yeah. I don't know. I don't want to comment on it because it's quite a controversial topic about who people think that should have won, shouldn't have won, this should have won, that shouldn't. And the songs that I really like, people were laughing at me. They're like, that's not a road march. I'm like, I don't know. I just happen to like it.

SPEAKER_00

Same for me. I yeah, as you know, I the ones that I liked were like a little bit like less, let's say, on the mainstream side, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So Road March is a thing. And um yeah, it's very interesting. I feel like we were really immersed in the whole production of it, the, you know, the controversy around it, that the next day after carnival or two days after, that's what everybody's talking about. You know, a soap opera. It really, it really is a soap opera. Cause I was in the car and um somebody called my sister and there was a whole discussion about, you know, can you believe that he won? No, I can't believe he won. You know, it's a whole thing. I thought it was super funny. In a way, in a way, yeah. And what's super cool about a lot of the soccer artists is that they tend to be um accessible.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Oh, you know, like when we took a picture with Mikhail Teja or you know, some of the others, but okay, definitely I one thing, okay, maybe we won't go to Carnival like next year or anything like that, but I would like to go to one of the soccer concerts here, because I am super curious, not here in Spain, but I know they're going to like Amster, I'm probably where there's a big Trinidadian community. Yeah. I would love to see the vibe in these concerts outside of Trinidad. Like I want to know if that energy is recreative.

SPEAKER_01

Well, okay, I don't know if you know this, but Toronto has its version of Carnival with the Yeah, you mentioned that. So it, I mean, there's a whole different name for it, but everybody who knows Toronto knows it as Carabana. Yeah. And that's been going on for, I don't know, probably the 60s or even 70s. Wow. Um, maybe not the 60s, maybe the 70s, but it's, you know, it's a micro version of what they do in Trinidad. And over the years it has grown and it's only a one-day thing, though. It's typically on the long weekend in August, the Saturday. So it's people in Toronto, you call it Caravana Weekend. That's what it's known as Carabana Weekend. But it attracts people from all over. Uh, people come in for it. All the soca artists perform. Like I've seen Mashal perform in Toronto. That's crazy. Yeah, he goes how long ago? Um, a good number of years. But he goes every year to carnival there, like to do a concert. All the artists typically go and they have, you know, concerts throughout the weekend. They have different types of parties. But there is the same that street festival, however, you they put up barricades. Right. Whereas in Trinidad, there weren't barricades. They were just like, there's nothing. There's like a rope.

SPEAKER_00

Uh and also they're like, you know, jumping on a truck. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Whereas so you still have, you know, you have the same situation. You have the trucks, you have all that kind of stuff. I don't believe you're allowed to drink legally on during caravana. Really? Uh people do it, and I mean I think the police just turn a blind eye to it. Wow. But they don't have um, like they don't have a drinks card, as far as I know. Yeah, I just I don't know because you can't consume alcohol like that there. It's illegal.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, I understand you can absolutely do a carnival without alcohol, but it's hard for me to visualize what that looks like with all the dancing and everything else. I mean, if you know, if you want to think about it as like social lubrication or whatever, yeah, it's like it's hard for it.

SPEAKER_01

No, no, they are drinking. No, uh, they're they are drinking. They have their cups and all that. I I'm pretty sure it's happening. However, I don't know. I haven't I've only ever covered carnival as, you know, uh as when I worked in television. I've never or sorry, Carabana, I've never taken part in it. So I've always been on the parade route, but not really part of the parade.

SPEAKER_00

You're more kind of like a professional.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, like observing, talking to people, that kind of stuff. So um yeah, uh these types of celebrations do exist outside of the carnival in Trinidad. And Mashal, I think he I heard I saw him uh the other day is talking about a concert he's having in um Central Park in the summer. And it's already sold out.

SPEAKER_00

That's amazing. But it has to be that it's already sold out, but is it mostly Trinidadians going? It's yeah, Caribbean.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I mean I'm assuming so, but maybe the music is starting to cross over now. But it's it's already sold. He said, listen, all the VIP tickets and all the special packages, they're gone, sold out. Oh, I'm so interested to follow. Yeah, so I was like, well, you know, good for good for the artists, yeah. So and I don't think they get a lot of industry support. No, for sure. Like it's a movement, it's a momentum that they've had to create for themselves. It's a lot of grit.

Trinidad Beyond Carnival Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00

Yes, yeah, so definitely an eye-opening experience for us. Absolutely. So the other thing as well, uh, that we wanted to share on our slice of live is that we went to a very special place with a much more chilled-out environment after a carnival called UPIC. Yeah. And they had a lot of local Trinidadian products. Uh, we have some of the chocolate here.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, which they actually Trinidad uh um has a uh chocolate um industry. So there's cocoa beans. They have the cocoa beans and they manufacture it there. This is from UPIC. It's a it's sort of a farm to table concept. Not every single thing they have is from the farm that they serve in the restaurant, but a lot of it is. They have a nice market inside. Um, it's just it's kind of that juxtaposition where you have Port of Spain and you have this crazy energy and you have the music and the food and all that stuff, and then you, you know, 20-minute drive, you're in this very lush tropical.

SPEAKER_00

It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01

It's beautiful. And it has, I mean, there's a restaurant, so you can have a lovely breakfast or lunch or dinner. It's a nice place to kind of hang out. I'm glad we went just to have a different perspective.

SPEAKER_00

And that's by the way, for those of you who want to visit, you pick U-P-I-C-K. You pick. Yes. You know, because that's something I until we went there, I didn't realize. And we also bought something that was really cool there. Uh, I guess they also uh make you know their own, let's say um grow their own mushrooms. So we bought these uh Myco Terra, evening Chill, Turkey Tail, and Reishi, and there's a bunch of different ones, you know, all like legal mushrooms, not like funny mushrooms. And they are from Trinidad as well. So very cool to see like all the different industries that are popping up there. This was not from UPEG, but we thought it was definitely worth mentioning hot sauce. Hot sauce. There's pepper sauce in a lot of different places. I thought what was interesting is in a lot of restaurants where we went to when we asked for hot sauce, they give you that one. Yeah, not this brand, but this color. Oh, like the more yellowy, it's like it's a lighter pepper. Yep. And we all really like hot sauce. So I really, really enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_01

That was good. And uh we, I mean, we were able to go out on uh a boat, so that was quite nice to see a different perspective of the island. Um, and I would just say in closing that Trinidad really has a lot to offer. It's not just obviously it's known for a carnival, and that's a huge economic engine for them. That I I don't know the dollar value that it brings in. But it's gotta be a lot. It is massive, and not just the money there, but then people often go to Tobago for four or five days to recuperate so that it brings in money to that island, it's Sister Island. Um, but in the big picture, it has other things to see and do. We just did not have the time to experience it and see it. So you can, you know, go at the pace of carnival, but you can also visit a different time of the year and have a much different experience.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And definitely uh once-in-a-lifetime experience that if you have the chance to do, yeah, I would say go and immerse yourself in it and really just kind of surrender to the experience. That's what it is. You have to. There's no point in fighting. You cannot fight it. So for our sentence of the day today, I'm going with the experiential thing. I wanted to share with you vivir el momento. Okay, so you're living in the moment? Yes. Okay. So living in the moment and trying to make the most out of the experience. And that's one thing that I actually tried to bring myself back to every day that we were there. It's like, because you know, you have so many parties, so many things to go to. It's so easy to say, you know, you're there and you start thinking about tomorrow and what's happening next, and what's happening next time. It's like you just gotta like surrender to it and live in the moment, live in that particular experience. Absolutely. That's gonna last a lifetime. Yeah. So thank you very much, Trinidad, for welcoming us, yeah, and for our hearts uh for doing a great job with the Italians for the band.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, the whole extra notch was fantastic. And yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed our last two episodes. Thank you. Bye. Bye. The Maid in Spain podcast is fueled by Goco Energy, refreshingly real energy that keeps the good vibes going.