In Trinidad we were pleased to find some of the best veterinary care available anywhere. This, despite the fact that pets are not generally allowed to get off the boat on this island, so the vet must come to the boat to treat the animal.

Dr. Wade Seukeran from Tenderheart Veterinary Services has an amazing way with animals. At this point we still had 4 cats and the German Shepherd, and he spent at least 10 minutes with each animal getting to know it before examining it. Even Sadie, a feline refugee from the South Bronx in New York, responded well to Dr. Wade's attention. Also we were now hauled out of the water in Peake's boatyard to make needed repairs to the bottom of the boat, so Wade had to climb up a ladder to get to the animals.

He picked up 2 of the cats for operations to remove growths. He returned them the same day in good condition, but I isolated them from the other 2 cats so they could have some peace while they recuperated.

The next day, January 15, we went on a fascinating tour of the mas camps. In Trinidad Carnival is a very big deal. People save all year long so they can buy the expensive costumes that they wear in the Carnival Parade. The costumes are sewn in little factories called mas camps. Each camp has a completely new line of costumes each year, which are judged at Carnival. The competition is fierce with the designers at each camp trying to outdo the others. Some of the costumes are very brief indeed, but some are quite beautiful. A few of the cruisers buy costumes and participate in Carnival. We would be content to observe, an experience in itself.

This tour also stopped at a few of the panyards where the 100-member steel bands practice. There is a competition for them as well. These bands don't sound anything like the small groups that play in some of the tourist spots on the various Caribbean islands. Instead they sound like full-fledged orchestras. Indeed, the sections of the band are named for orchestral instruments: violins, horns, etc. rather than percussion.

We stopped for a wonderful dinner at Fort George, overlooking Port-of-Spain. Also had some excellent rum punch made by the owners of this tour company, Trump Tours. It was so good we ordered a case of it.

There didn't seem to be a guide on this tour, but then we discovered that the guide was actually the husband of one of the cruisers on the tour.

We went back in the water the following day and docked once again at Crews Inn. Went to an event called "A Taste of Carnival" which presented a sampling of all the different kinds of entertainment that we'd find at Carnival. It was especially interesting for us since this would be our first time at Carnival.

To be continued.