Queen’s Park Savannah in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, is a vast green open space often described as the largest roundabout in the world as traffic circles it for 3km in a clockwise direction. Until the early 20th century it was used as an airstrip, and then a horse racing track until the early 1990s. Now it is known for being the largest outdoor gymnasium, as many locals use it for jogging.
It was a short walk from the Kapok Hotel where we were staying, and we visited several times.
Overlooking the park’s western side is what is known as the Magnificent Seven, historic homes known for their beautiful architecture including Hayes Court, Mille Fleurs, Ambard’s House, Archbishop’s Palace and Whitehall. My favourite was Stollmeyer’s Castle whose structure was designed on a wing at Balmoral Castle due to its Scottish architect. Unfortunately, none of the places could be visited inside and we had to be content with photographing the exteriors, often through railings.
On the northern edge, was the Emperor Valley Zoo, which we didn’t visit, and Botanic Gardens. The latter were established in 1818 by Governor Woodford and the botanist, David Lockhart, and are said to be the oldest gardens in the western hemisphere. They are open between 6am to 6pm, and we visited early in the morning before temperatures rose. The security guard told us there were no maps or information which appeared unhelpful, but when we realised the scale of the gardens, it made sense. Paved paths looped around several named lawns which according to our guidebook has over 799 trees. Many were labelled with their botanical and common name and country of origin, with my favourite being the hymenaea courbaril, with its brown sausage-like pods called stinking toe fruit. Botanic gardens is probably an overstatement, as the only flowers were an area of bougainvillea near the entrance and a Monarch Waystation, designed to provide nectar sources and shelter to sustain butterflies migrating through North America. Also at the entrance was a small plot with graves of several prominent people such as the island’s former Governors, including Solomon Hochoy. Whilst there was nothing to indicate the reason for its location, it may be because the Presidential House is next door. There were reasonable loos near the entrance but no other facilities. It was obviously a popular spot for morning runs and constitutionals and as we sat on a bench soaking up the sun, everyone passed the time of day with us.
On the eastern side of the Savannah, our guide Andrew quipped that the statue in the middle of a roundabout was of the biggest bird in Trinidad. It was in fact of Slinger Francisco, better known as the Mighty Sparrow, who was regarded as the ‘Calypso King of the World’. After being told that many calypso songs are lewd stories camouflaged in innocent lyrics, Andrew gave a rendition of a Mighty Sparrow song, from 1982. Called ‘Philip My Dear’, it was about Michael Fagan breaking into Buckingham Palace and the Queen’s bedroom. The chorus went as follows:
He big just like you but younger
He thick just like you but stronger
He lingay like you but harder
He lay, lay like you but badder
There was a man in my bedroom
He came on the bed, doudou
And I took him for you.
The savannah’s southern edge bordered downtown, and here the National Academy for the Performing Arts, known locally as NAPA, resembled the Sydney Opera House with lots of arches and glass. It was built by the Chinese-based Shanghai Construction Co., and we were told that there had been little consultation during the building phase, and when it opened, they discovered the ballet bar was too low for a ballerina, but the ideal height for a Chinese labourer.
Adjacent to NAPA was the Knowsley Building, again designed and built by a Scot for a fellow countryman William Gordon, which today houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Queen’s Park Savannah is most noted for being the home of Trinidad’s annual carnival, and although this was a few weeks away, temporary structures for food and drink outlets were being built.
See also:
Port of Spain – Sightseeing in Belmont
Port of Spain – Sightseeing Downtown
Port of Spain – Sightseeing in Woodbrook
The Prince of Port of Spain – Brian Lara
Port of Spain – Sightseeing After Dark
Port of Spain – Fort George
