I always love going up to Paramin, that peaceful and unique community perched on top of the Paramin Hills between the Diego Martin and Maraval valleys, while towering over the Caribbean Sea on its north side.
Last Sunday I got an intriguing invitation to have lunch up there with a group of travelling friends. This turned out to be a tour, complete with a tour guide and drivers for two jeeps. We parked at a designated spot at the bottom of the hill, and after warm greetings were exchanged as many of us had not seen each other for a while, we piled into the jeeps and up we went. If you’ve been to Paramin then you know how steep and winding that road can be! Happily, the road was in excellent condition with grooves for tyres to retain traction. It was one of those lovely, tropical days featuring a bright blue sky and fluffy clouds, with the December breeze managing to cool off the blaze of the hot sun.
We stopped a few times along the way to admire the incredible vistas of the rolling hillsides,planted with all manner of crops. Paramin is particularly known for herbs and seasonings.
From up here we could see all the surrounding valleys, sweeping down to Port of Spain and its western suburbs, and make out tall buildings fringing the Gulf of Paria in the distance. Our driver often stopped to greet people passing along the roadway. This is a close-knit community where everyone knows one another. Our guide told us that if any criminal activity took place in Paramin, then by that evening, they would know who did it and the situation would be dealt with. If not, they would know that the perpetrator was an outsider.
We did a tour of the large Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This was built by a visionary priest early this century using stones from the area, and is very modern and practical. For example, it features a sound-proof room with a glass panel for families with babies. Apparently, there are fish swimming in the baptismal pond.
From the entrance of the church, the rock floor slopes down to the altar and the open rafters and wide open windows (now tastefully burglar-proofed) ensure that the building is always cool inside. The stain glass windows are truly works of art!
In the playing field next door and below the church, we could see tents and other preparations for the very popular parang festival which was being held the next evening. Although the residents here are mainly descended from French settlers mixed with Africans, and Patois phrases are still commonly spoken, Paramin is famous for its parang at Christmas-time! This Spanish style of music arrived here with some Venezuelan settlers a while back and has become immensely popular with Trinidadians at this time of year. We were advised to avoid the crush of this event and come to the less well-attended and free parang session later on in the week.
We continued on our journey, visiting a house where we bought local seasonings, and marveling at the poster of the Paramin man who lived healthily for 112 years. I could understand why he did so. The air smells so clean and the pace of life is so much slower and more peaceful than the rat-race of our cities. We did encounter traffic jams,but these were caused by each driver greeting each other and chatting for a minute as they passed on the narrow road. No one minded waiting. Everyone was friendly and welcoming.
Eventually, we stopped at TG’s Liquor Mart for a drink or two. Here we were presented with a freshly-cooked meal of stewed chicken, beef pastelles, pigeon peas, Spanish rice and salad. Delicious! If you’re passing this way then you can pre-order your meal by calling Vanessa at 366-0367.
We were still heading upwards, and the road became almost vertical (though I closed my eyes at this point and prayed that we did not stall). We were eventually rewarded by reaching the look-out at the top of the mountain, one of the highest points on the island. The air was noticeably cooler than we’re accustomed. Despite the haziness on the seaward horizon which prevented us from seeing Tobago, the high mountains of Venezuela still loomed majestically on the western side. Apparently, there is a long and very steep hike to the beach below us, but that will have to wait for another day, right? On the land side, we could see as far as the central plains of Caroni beyond the peaks of the Northern Range and even El Tucuche, our second highest mountain, was clearly visible. The views up here are just stunning. I gather there are Airbnbs to rent if you ever want to come and chill out in this beautiful place. Here’s a delightful video to give you an idea of what Paramin is like.
Our driver, Junior, lives nearby so we went back to his place for delicious coffee and relaxed while enjoying the peace of the place. Too soon, we had to head back down the mountain, stopping to greet whoever was passing along the way, as before. Before going our separate ways, we had one last drink at a rum shop near where we parked our cars at the bottom of the mountain. I felt like I’d just been on a holiday though I was only a few miles away from home. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!
If you want to do a similar tour, I am happy to recommend our tour guide, Podesta Constantine. You can contact her via email at Podestac987@gmail.com or call her at 754-6668.
