Short-term Assignment to Trinidad

Mary wrote:  "Sept. 1968.  Beginning a trip to Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies.  Just ready to leave for Dulles Airport."

As I [Kenneth] neared the mandatory retirement age at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), I was requested by the bank to take a short-term assignment to help reorganize the Agricultural Development Bank in Trinidad. I persuaded my long time associate in FCA, James Pius, an experienced accountant, to join me and later we called other specialists as needed.  The contract with IDB was with Checchi company, a large consulting firm by whom I was actually employed. We arranged with a friend of ours from San Salvador who had a year’s contract to work in Washington at the World Bank to live in our home and look after things.

Mary:  "Just before boarding plane for Trinidad...11 Sept. 1968."

We lived at the English Hotel where we had a nice suite on the second floor with a balcony over looking the large ... which included numerous athletic fields and a race track. The campus was surrounded by many magnificent homes. We often took walks in the evenings admiring the many beautiful tropical trees and plantings. Our hotel was a nice “homey” place with friendly employees. We had a regular table assigned with very attentive waiters. Unfortunately there was not a branch of our church on the Island--nor any members.

We took along a fine shortwave radio so we could hear the church programs from the States. We had been given permission by our Bishop to administer the Sacrament to Mary and myself each Sunday, which I did by virtue of the Melchizedek Priesthood which I hold.

Mary soon became well acquainted with the downtown area and regularly walked to and from it most everyday, a distance of about two miles. She acquired a heavy tan that she said made her look nearly as dark as the native ladies of Pakistani origin. We were in Trinidad during the annual festival. This was a most interesting affair with very beautiful costumes for the lady participants, extensive parades and steel band contests and other concerts and performances.  [To watch a brief video of typical steel band music of the era, click HERE.]

Renegades Steelband, on 28 january 2009, during La Folle Journée in Nantes.  By Pymouss via Wikimedia Commons.

Earthquake
Shortly after we arrived in Trinidad, we were awakened during the night by the bed lamp tipping over on Mary, a little plaster falling on us, and trembling which indicated we were experiencing an earthquake. There was no serious damage to our hotel but there was considerable damage to certain other buildings on the Island.

Business and Pleasure On the Island of Tobago
My work took me to the adjoining island of Tobago occasionally and Mary would accompany me. The staff of the Agricultural Bank there were always very considerate and as I needed to become familiar with the types of agriculture they were financing and with the practices of the bank staff including their field officer, I traveled extensively throughout both islands.

Kenneth and Mary on ship deck.

Occasionally there would be a field trip when it would be entirely appropriate for Mary to go along. Then too, occasionally we took vacation trips of a few days. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the tropical settings and the beautiful beaches.

Parlatuvier Bay in Trinidad and Tobago,  February 2009.  By cheesy42 via Wikimedia Commons.

Once we spent a few days on the small island of Grenada described as “sugar and spice and everything nice” which was no exaggeration. All the shores were very clean with powdery white sand, lined with coconut trees, deep blue water, and white- crested breakers.

Crown Point Beach, Tobago.  By Dominic Sayers via Wikimedia Commons.

The dinning rooms and lobbies of the hotels on the island had no window panes but just overhanging roof as the frequent rains, though usually heavy, came straight down without wind and lasted only a few minutes. Then the sun would come out bright (and hot) again.

Mary wrote:  "Grenada, "Spice Island," West Indies.  Mary E. Scott.  Nov. 1968."

On the islands of Tobago and...they have many little canary birds called “sugar birds” because they stay in the trees near the dinning rooms of the hotels when meals are being served. Occasionally one will come sailing through the dinning room and on through the extensive lobby. Should they see a table in the dinning room where the guests had left, they would fly there looking for the sugar bowl even with guests at adjoining tables. Everyone enjoyed these friendly little birds and the hotels provided sugar in special feeders along the outside windows so the guests could enjoy them. Also there were beautiful flowering trees and bushes everywhere.

Birds of Trinidad and Tobago.  By contributors to Wikimedia Commons.  (I couldn't find a photos of a "sugar birds.")

There is a very interesting section of the ocean behind some “breakers” a mile or so from shore at Tobago. The water is very clear and only about waist deep with fine sandy bottom. There are small boats that take visitors to that area and provide tight fitting goggles so you can put your face into the water and see the great many tropical fish of various sizes and shapes and bright colors all around you but so quick it isn’t possible to catch one.

[Mary wrote a note on the back of a photo of small boats anchored in a bay that reads: "People parked waiting to see the scarlet ibis in the bird sanctuary.  Jan. 1969, Port of Spain, Trinidad.  They come at 5:30 each evening.  I have included the photo below so we could get an idea of the spectacular birds they likely saw.  Maybe we should do a bird-watching reunion in Trinidad some day!]

Eudocimus ruber, Marajó, Brazil;  Scarlet Ibises in Brazil.  By Frank Krämer via Wikimedia Commons.

Need to Learn About Trinidad’s Seafood and Agricultural Industries
Trinidad is located in what are described as the “greatest shrimp beds in the world.” So in addition to enjoying their fine sea food, it was my responsibility to become familiar with how their Development Bank was financing those engaged in catching and marketing sea food. I also needed to become familiar with the production of coconuts, bananas, pineapple, coffee, sugar cane and many vegetable crops.

Kenneth, with camera, touring in Trinidad.

The bank had sponsored a large number of famous cooperatives that I spent considerable time becoming familiar with. The government official responsible for the financing and supervision of these cooperatives was...a shining black fellow who had been educated at Oxford in England and spoke with a distinct English brogue. We became good friends and I helped him formulate a plan to rather completely reorganize those agricultural cooperatives into a much fewer number with stronger management and improved policies. Mary and I were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. ... to attend some nice performances.

Missing Family at Christmas
The Christmas season was the most difficult for us as we had always had our family together then. The hot tropical weather didn’t provide much Christmas atmosphere even though the stores and streets down town were colorfully decorated. A Pakistani couple (the husband being an official in charge of fish marketing that I worked with) invited us to join them in attending a sunrise service in their church. Afterwards we went to their home for a Christmas breakfast. Wayne had sent us a tape which we appreciated very much even though the tears appeared when we heard grand children saying, “We miss you, Grandma and Grandpa.”

After about ten months, our finished report of findings and recommendations was ready to be presented to the bank directors and certain government officials. Mary and I had scheduled passage on the cruise ship ... and on... we bid good-bye to several of the natives who had been most friendly with us and sailed away from that interesting area.

Sunset over Five Islands, Carrera Island, and Point Gourde, Trinidad.  By Jean-Marc /Jo BeLo/Jhon-John via Wikimedia Commons.