Trinidad Update

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Trinidad Update

Postby Darcy » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:49 pm

Almost 2 years down there now, with locals telling me not to go here nor there as the colour of my skin will get me kidnapped or worse, but quite seriously, there isn't a nook or cranny of this island I haven't explored, at all hours of the day or night. Kidnappings are rampant but no one has messed with me, not yet anyway. I'm particular to the seedy local bars and haven't really avoided anywhere. Apparently all the expats are "supposed to" live in secure compounds in the Western end of the island, but I have a ground level apartment right in town mid-island with zero security. I don't think it's nearly as dangerous as everyone tells me. I may just be dense but I have been around some. Feels fine to me.

We STILL aren't flying (apart from I flew one down there from Louisiana and some demo flights for the CAA). I've been writing operation manuals and training procedures and search and rescue courses and meetings with the Civil Aviation Administration, keeping my licence valid with simulator sessions in Jersey every six month. We could be flying soon though. All my buddies are heading to Yemen for not nearly what I'm making so I figure I'm doing all right. Book sales are decent too, well over 300 copies and great literary reviews all over Goodreader and Amazon.

With all my free time, I've met some local lads, either fishermen on the North Coast or guys with a spare kayak in the East, so fishing keeps me sane....

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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Kurt » Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:43 pm

I did not know about Trinidad and kidnapping.

That fishing looks awesome though. Learning some local cooking skills?
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Darcy » Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:50 pm

https://nyarisk.com/2017/09/19/trinidad-tobago-rise-kidnapping-incidents-recorded-2017/ and apparently they are much higher again this year. But it doesn't "feel" like a dangerous place at all.

I cook my fish but normally just throw a fillet in a casserole with spaghetti sauce and salsa, some frozen vegetables on the side, and bake the works for twenty minutes. I eat local, but haven't learnt how to cook it. They are heavy on the pepper sauce, which I love! Lots of curries.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Kurt » Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:30 pm

Birthplace of the Scorpion pepper, which is like the Jamaican Scotch Bonnet but mutated to be a bit dangerous. Tabasco sauce makes a somewhat painful way to taste one without dying.

And it covers up the nastiness of Tilapia really well.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Darcy » Tue Dec 18, 2018 10:01 pm

I've already ruined my tastebuds with Da Bomb, Mad Dog 357, Dave's Insanity, Puckerbutt Reaper Venom, and numerous others. The local available pepper sauces are the perfect amount of heat without causing your tongue to swell. I've not pursued the scorpion pepper locally. I think my butt appreciates it.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Kurt » Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:43 pm

Yep,

Really hot pepper sauces is a stupid hobby. I participate in this stupid hobby.

Being married to a Nigerian means food always has Scotch Bonnet in it. ..and 1/2 teaspoon of Dave's Insanity Sauce makes the quart sized Texas Pete hot sauce bottle quite a bit better with more heat that does not destroy the low GI tract.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby ROB » Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:07 am

Superb.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby snaark » Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:23 pm

What sort of chopper is that? Looks pretty neat.
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Re: Trinidad Update

Postby Darcy » Tue Dec 25, 2018 3:02 pm

Agusta Westland AW139. The Trinidad & Tobago government bought 4 of them a few years back but the foreign company running the show (maintenance/pilots/etc) let things go to pot and the T&T civil aviation administration shut em down (they ran it as a military operation (less regs) but the aircraft are civilian registered). I was flying SAR in East Africa (and Suriname, and Gabon, etc) with the type for years and met the T&T head guy at the simulator and they brought me in to get things up and running again. Long process but we hopefully should be flying soon. The National carrier also has one for offshore oil support and I'm flying that too.

Very sexy bird!

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Civilian one on the left, cool paint scheme! (Prior to re-registering it to T&T). The S76 on the right paint scheme is the T&T flag.

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My office;

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Over the Turks & Caicos;

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One more with the boss somewhere over the Caribbean. Unfortunately he's moved on to another company. Very cool guy.

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