Precautions at the River

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 ,negatively impacting on all life therein.
  • Kids must always be in the company of adults in the water.
  •  Parents and caretakers although engrossed in having a good time(cooking, drinking, bathing) must always keep a watchful eye on the whereabouts of kids.
  • For over indulgence, exhaustion and other matters for needing assistance a head count must be done  every hour by a designated  member, this member can change watch as the day goes by.
  • Person under the influence should always bathe in the company of others for support or not bathe at all.
  • Heavy meals should only be eaten after bathing.
  • Gas and other cooking devices must be properly secured so as to prevent cooking accidents.
  • All vehicles should be parked at least 30 ft. from cooking area.
  • Families must also show respect and appreciation for all other families on the river for after all we are Trini's and this is our lime.
  • Ensure all fires are extinguished before leaving the river to prevent a natural disaster from occurring.  




Comments

  1. Unknown19 July 2017 at 06:41

    People take these safety precautions for granted and yet many people fall victim to careless behaviour and being unaware of their surroundings.I'm more of a beach person but the same rules apply.I also find it strange that ,we live on a island surrounded by water and most of the population don't know how to swim.Maybe on a national level,there should be some sort of mandatory swimming and safety classes as part of the school curriculum. Just a thought, great post though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown20 July 2017 at 12:55

      That is so true Mr Hall, we have to continue making the public aware that safety precautions especially around the water is a must. Thank you

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Death ritual at the River "Shaving"

Image
Hinduism was introduced in Trinidad by the indentured Indian Laborers in 1845 , the religion continued today despite the many obstacles, misunderstandings and misrepresentation from persons within and out of the religion. One of the practices involve is the "Tonsure" ,the act of cutting the hair or shaving the head after the death   of a member   is a age-old Hindu custom.   The underlying concept is that hair is a symbolic offering to the gods, representing a real sacrifice of beauty of the persons doing it, hence shaving your head shows your grief for the departed soul. Another similar belief is the hair on the head is treated as an adornment and as a symbol of vanity. On the occasion of death   the Hindus consider the children of the family not to be egoistic in nature but   humble, devoted and submitted to nature. So they need them to give up their adornment and vanity in humiliation. Whatever the belief the practice is performed in different variations, depe
Read more

"The cracker" and "Traditional stone fireside"

Image
The outdoors and aroma from the burning wood adds flavor to the pots and excitement to the lime. It encourages our taste buds to water, men to show of their cooking skills and culture of improvising by using nature. Families will transport cooking gas, stoves, water and ingredients for cooking. Fire is started on arrival. The three ring cracker is the most popular since it  withstands any weather condition and enables quick cooking results because of the ability to create high heat. Some people use  innovative ways to capture the aroma of burning wood in the food being cook, they place dry burning wood on the side of the pot being cooked by the gas, so that the smoke from the wood seasons the pot giving a unique flavor. Wood such as "Padu", "Guava" and Cherry are mostly used. Their is also cooking on  three stones or any structure that can hold the pot securely while maintaining six inches from the ground to enable easy access of placing firewood. The wood is 
Read more

River lime and The Economy

Image
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 lots of fishes t
Read more