Trini River lime

The Black river conch in has provided food for man through many generations and still continues to provide food for those willing to accept it. It is used as food for man and other carnivores’ e.g the ocelot and birds such as the “Crow”. Agricultural use of pesticide, infrastructural development, drain clearing to prevent flooding,   the harvesting of oil and gas, over catching among others have impacted on their numbers. In the dry season, they breed as the water level goes down, then burrows into the mud. The females would then lay it’s eggs and they will keep it in the shell. The eggs will hatch while they are there but they will remain at a very dormant phase in a sort of hibernation. In the rainy season when the soil becomes water logged and water flows into many streams, the conchs would then enter the water. The flood waters distribute the young conchs far and wide, it is not uncommon to see these conchs in roadside drains. The adult as well as the adults grows ...

The river attracts many persons who love the outdoors, they are attracted for the food it produces, the spirit of freedom or the comradry and the moments of happiness they enjoy with friends. The river gives the appearance of moving along its merry way, undisturbed. It pushes as long as “it's strength” the water velocity is available. In the rainy season at times the rivers overflows its banks and the surrounding areas resulting in lots of damage. This causes short term human distress which appears to subside as the water level decreases. It may repeat this behavior time and again in the rainy season, but generally it flows slowly but surely until it is fuelled again by excess water or it further diminishes in the dry season. The river is part of the Trinidad & Tobago landscape, hated and loved by the people who surrounds it. To some it is a place to meet with family and friends, cook and have a good time , to others it is a quiet place which is enjoyable, a place to m...

In 1498 , the time which was reported as the discovery of Trinidad & Tobago by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage. The inhabitants of Trinidad & Tobago were the   Caribs and Arawaks. They were mainly hunters and gatherers. Sweetwater fishing was however practiced by both groups, the use of canoes, spears, bows and arrows and hand crafted nets were used , they captured most of the fish type we capture including the Guabine and Cascadoux.    The fish which live in sweet and salt water like the river Catfish and sea fishes like King fish and shark. These fishes were captured by individuals fishing alone or in groups . One method of fishing that involved a group of people was “Balbarking”. Small or even large groups of natives collected the Balbark vine from the forest and grounded it into very small pieces so that the toxins from the vines would be easily released. The grounded vines would be introduced into the water which was usually stagnant, to g...

A thrilling river adventure consists of a hike or walk to new untouched beauty of our natural environment. One may wonder, where can one find such a place or river in Trinidad? The answer to this may introduce quite a dilemma, as their are a number of these natural wonders tucked away in our picturesque setting of our mountainous areas. One is just a twenty-minute walk up the Marianne River in Blanchisseuse that brings you to 3 Pools, this river destination features 3 deep basins that were formed as the river plunged across a plateau over a steep rock shelf. The hike to the pools is rated 2 (out of 5, 5 being the hardest) so it is suitable for all ages. The first pool features shallower waters and is ideal for wading and non-swimmers. Between the first and second pools one finds a naturally formed water-slide that adds a great fun element. The 3rd pool is where the adventurous finds the greatest enjoyment. One can climb the nearby rocks and jump 15 feet in the pool below. ...

The river lime is a known activity in Trinidad where family and friends get together to enjoy the outdoors, they get together on “untamed” or “wild” rivers in the country and cook, fish, play games, socialize and generally have a good time. This lime usually occurs when the population finds free time away from the normal obligations and commitments of life.   The river lime is a traditional activity and is now incorporated in our economic land scape by our many business entrepreneurs who see the river lime not only as  relaxing but  as a means of attracting people to their organizations. They provide safety instead of the wild outdoors, Carat sheds with seating, tables, running water and electricity for late limes, secured parking, live performances and DJ music for entertainment, food on sale and lots of activities for kids like paddle boat rides, kayaking, horse back riding and fishing where they provide bait and hooks and a section of the river that has lo...

Ganga Dhaaraa Teerath (also spelt tirath ) also known as pilgrimage  to the river represents an ancient tradition in Hinduism. Man, God and Nature are not separate. Water is life and human life has depended upon this element since the beginning of time. Villages, towns and even cities have been birthed at the river's edge, dependent on the water's flow. The teerath is about the leap in the journey of life from physical to spiritual and it is natural that such worship should occur in the river which is the provider of all life. In Trinidad this festival happens every year in June by at Marianne river, Blanchisseuse, North coast. Families congregate at the entrance of the river, down makeshift stairs built with bamboo lathes, mud and in some places covered with planks of wood, waiting to pay respects to the water before going on. A mantra is said which calls the Goddess to the head of the river and offerings of flowers and small coins are also made before entering the wate...

"Upar Gaar" is a traditional spicy choka that has been part of Trinidad culture for many years, it was thought up by the first East Indian settlers that came to Trinidad. One of the main dishes in a river lime is none other than "Upar Gaar" locally known as         " Murtani." This spicy choka is a mixture of roasted Bhaigan, Tomatoes and Ochro blended together with seasonings and of course the main ingredient hot peppers. How is it prepared? All veges are roasted until its starts to char on the outside, they need to be soft on the inside so it will be easy to mash together. In a bowl/basin combine all roasted ingredients and start mashing them together, you can mash them with a small pestle, rum bottle or any other kitchen tool of your choice that is easiest to mash this.  When all ingredients is mashed finely and combined nicely cut lime in half and squeeze juice in the veges. In a Kalchul or Lade...

In preparing for a river lime health and safety has always been a concern of the adult population , these measures have been learnt from tradition and experience and  handed down to generations of river limers. The river lime which appears to be non structured and scattered along the many river banks in the rural communities are in fact a well structured and possess many do's and don'ts, some are taught in schools but are not directly related to river liming. DO's & DON'Ts No diving in shallow waters No bathing if the river displays high velocity and high water levels as in the case of floods.  Bathing must be done in groups, isolated bathing is discouraged because of the location of most rivers. River limers must always be prepared with a rope and floating device which can be thrown to any individual facing difficulty in the water. No littering because it is not aesthetically pleasing and it pollutes the terrestrial and aquatic environments ,negati...

A holiday be it a day granted by the State in honor of an achievement, Tradition, Culture or Saturdays and Sundays when folks have no pressing commitments and the time to mingle. People choose different forms of entertainment including the river lime. The lime starts with people getting together either private single families, families and close friends. They collect the “fire cracker” three stones, four pieces of iron and fire wood, based on their desire. They purchase and put together the things they would be cooking, water, rice, flour, provisions yam, Cassava. Meat, the type depends on the composition of the party. They also put drinks together which range from nonalcoholic to alcoholic. They then journey to the river. These “river lime spaces” are located in clear spaces on the banks of river and tributaries. These spaces are situated on private lands, where there is an established “ pay per use”. Spaces on river banks which is owned by the State and maintained by the Sta...

Historically the people of Trinidad and Tobago can be traced to originate from the Caribs and Arawaks the Europeans, Africans, French, Dutch, Spanish Chinese and Indians to name a few, these occupations were related to specific times in its history, but despite the time and reason for the introduction of the different people, today the country bear the influences of the different peoples, in attempting to develop their future. The influence is in song, dance, food, recreation, among others. The river lime is one such activity which originated with the Caribs and Arawak’s. The river was used as a source of food where the fresh water fishes, that is, those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 0.05% e.g. the Cacadu and Cuscurub. These and others were  trapped using different methods of trapping which were know at the point in time.   The Carib and Arawak river lime started   as a...