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'BOOK CLUB BUS RIDE SATURDAY BOOKMARKED'

Linking today to Six Word Saturday And Scenic Weekends

Last Saturday, June 15th, The Nalis St James book club ventured out on a PTSC cross-country bus ride. We boarded the bus at the city gate terminus. Before leaving the compound, we were introduced to both our driver and to our guide, who assured us that our safety and satisfaction were their main concerns. We were each given a copy of a map to follow our cross-country progress.

Our guide shared with us several historical tidbits concerning PTSC compound and its environs.
This PTSC compound, housed the city railway station of 1842 where the trains ran from 1846 -1968; it still carries the country's oldest steps, and still carries its emblem TGR outside its Victorian styled edifice. Our journey started along the 'Bus Route'

The Bus Route or Priority Bus Route as it is known today was constructed from its terminus to San Juan 1977, extended to Curepe in 1979 then to Tunapuna in 1983.

Leaving the terminus: spotted ...the repairs area of the PTSC compound; ...the corner of Charlotte and South Quay (there a slave torture chamber used to be); ...Tamarind Square was an old slave market; ...flow of the Dry River built in 1786 using slave labour; ...Broadway (formerly Almond Drive used to be a lover's lane); ...The Port of Spain Lighthouse......a purple heart wood post dated 1842 associated with telegram lines; ...Angostura Building where our world renown bitters is manufactured; ...Fernandes manufacturer of rum and by products and largest warehouse in the country; ...The Picton area in the hills where two large WASA tanks carry a painting of our national birds; ...The Laventille Hills (formerly Laventilla-place of strong winds) hometown of the founder of the steel band Winston Spree Simon; ...former areas of Shanty town and Donkey City and a marker where a watering hole for donkeys used to be...

The path outline in red on the map, is my noted indication of the route and not a part of the map as given to us.

Our route: Port of Spain - San Fernando - Princes Town - Rio Claro - Mayaro - Manzanilla (Beach) - Port of Spain (through Sangre Grande).


serpentine road...
all the bird of paradise
swooned in a huddle
-- gillena cox
#bird of paradise plant - Strelitzia reginae