Friday, December 26, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Real time voice translation for free
This is an amazing technology and it is being offered for free to anyone anywhere. Great job Microsoft.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/15/7393665/skype-translator-features
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/15/7393665/skype-translator-features
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Free educational sources, online and real world
Here is a list of free courses and tutorials for anyone with an internet connection!
http://www.iheartintelligence.com/2014/01/18/beat-the-system-40-free-educational-websites/
Here is a list of courses offered mainly in Europe that are taught in english and have little of no tuition fees!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/
Topic:
Learn things for free online
Free university tuition
No cost degree
European universities
http://www.iheartintelligence.com/2014/01/18/beat-the-system-40-free-educational-websites/
Here is a list of courses offered mainly in Europe that are taught in english and have little of no tuition fees!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/
Topic:
Learn things for free online
Free university tuition
No cost degree
European universities
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Man has landed a craft on a comet
This is an amazing story. We have the know how, apparently. This is a serious milestone.
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/rosetta-philae-comet-landing-success/
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/rosetta-philae-comet-landing-success/
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
'Not butter' seller sues 'Not mayo' seller for profit losses
Wow, totally hypocritical. Everything is about money now.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2014/11/10/big-foods-weird-war-over-the-meaning-of-mayonnaise-americas-top-condiment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2014/11/10/big-foods-weird-war-over-the-meaning-of-mayonnaise-americas-top-condiment
Friday, November 7, 2014
Harshest jail sentence ever?
California man sentenced to 14 years in jail after pointing laser at 2 helicopters
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/california-man-who-lasered-two-helicopters-to-face-14-years-behind-bars/
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/california-man-who-lasered-two-helicopters-to-face-14-years-behind-bars/
Thursday, November 6, 2014
GATE Contact info, problems (Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, TEST)
I recently witnessed the frustrating
experience of having to resolve an issue with the Government Assistance
for Tuition Expenses (GATE) Programme. A friend had her application
cancelled because of an error on GATE's records. As of this year all
applications are made electronically so a sensible person would expect
that an appropriate amount of manpower was allocated to deal with this.
She
made her application via the site on June 13th 2014 and she get an
email saying there was an error on the application on 13th October 2014.
That is 6 months later. Her profile now showed her as having a MBBS
which she never did but the site wanted her to upload a scan and she
could not continue applying for the current course. Repeated calls to
800-Gate (4283) went unanswered and when she did get to talk to someone
on Oct 21st she was told the sole database administrator was out sick.
This was amazing that the tens of thousands! of students in the country
are processed by one person, and when they are not in the office, the
world stops spinning. She was also told to call 663-0244 ext 5312010
instead (yes, 7 digits). The Oct 27th deadline had now passed and calls
to the extension mentioned and the operator were once again not being
answered, they just kept ringing, it did not drop after a set time like 3
minutes. On Oct 28th she got through to find out that the database
administrator was now on leave for the week and that there was still no
one else able to fix the issue.
Ever since
the initial call she had given her contact info and explained the
problem. They could have called at any point after that. More calls to
GATE went unanswered for several more days. On Nov 5th she started
trying different extensions to see if anyone else would answer.
Miraculously the finance department answered one of them and incredibly
was able to pass on the message to the relevant person. She got a call a
few minutes later and started making some progress.
There
is someone else with her name and birthday (same year too) so only the
ID card number was different. There was an error in the database between
the two. The other person had the MBBS and my friend was seeing the
wrong profile. The database administrator was back to work and sorted
out the issue. She now had to reapply for her course and was told she
had to go on her own now to sort out what GATE owes her school. The
person could not say if or how her payments would work for this semester
or further on would be affected. This was the first time she would have
mediate the two.
Lessons learnt:
GATE
contact info: 663-0244 ext 5312010 to 5312015. Expect to spend a very,
very long time waiting for someone. I am not sure if callers hear the
phone ringing even when the GATE person is on the line. While I was
hearing it ringing perhaps it was because they were helping someone else
and not just ignoring me. If this is the case I hope they change this
to be a message to explain this or music playing instead of having
callers feel they are being ignored. I heard complaints on the radio
months ago that other people had a similar experience and the
frustration they felt. This situation is ongoing and sadly so typical of
a government service.
There is only one
person (database administrator) who can resolve issues and if they are
not around you have to wait on them even if it forces you to miss a
deadline. If this happens then it is up to you to fix the mess caused by
not having a secondary administrator. One person she spoke to said it
has been previously suggested that there be more than one administrator
but management does not see it that way.
To make a complaint about GATE itself you can call the Ministry in POS at 623-9922 ext 302 and 303 to get the Minister's secretary. The Communications Unit is ext 207. You can also send complaints to mtestcommunications@gov.tt
One person to handle welfare:
http://www4.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-12-09/robbery-victim-need-70000-surgery
Topics:
Cannot get through to call GATE
GATE office hours Trinidad
Cannot log in to GATE
Profile error GATE
GATE telephone numbers
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Pollution in China
The cheap prices we pay for goods has an environmental cost to the country.
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/pollution-in-china-photographs
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/pollution-in-china-photographs
Great team work for Giants
These athletes are good on their own but wow what a great team. Things are serious when Bill Nye gives you feedback.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/breaking-down-numbers-giants-game-7-double-play
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/breaking-down-numbers-giants-game-7-double-play
Sunday, November 2, 2014
One woman's story of assisted suicide
It is really interesting the way she describes her last moments.
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/30/7101517/brittany-maynard-oregon-death-with-dignity
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/30/7101517/brittany-maynard-oregon-death-with-dignity
Monday, October 27, 2014
Popular sites for 2014
This may not necessarily be the best sites online but it is a great list.
http://time.com/3054279/50-best-websites-2014/
http://time.com/3054279/50-best-websites-2014/
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Ebola Virus Disease and Trinidad and Tobago
I have little faith in our health care system to be able to treat an
outbreak of Ebola. There will not be a solution that appeases everyone
but precautions have to put in place before the virus has a chance to
reach or spread in Trinidad and Tobago.It is deadly and can spread quickly.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/TT-orders-Ebola-travel-ban-279473602.html
Here is a list of sites with info from the rest of the world. They list the symptoms, precautions on how to stay safe and statistics.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ebola-virus/pages/ebola-virus.aspx
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/TT-orders-Ebola-travel-ban-279473602.html
Here is a list of sites with info from the rest of the world. They list the symptoms, precautions on how to stay safe and statistics.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ebola-virus/pages/ebola-virus.aspx
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
Florida Trip Sept 2014
I was fortunate enough to go to Florida recently. The trip was for adventure at theme parks, South Beach and Shopping, every bit of it was amazing. Most of it was new for me.
I went to Kennedy Space Center, Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure , Busch Gardens and the Magic Kingdom. The entire experience was amazing but one major highlight was being able to witness a rocket launch from the space center (link here). The tour bus driver was very insistent on waiting for as long as possible and thankfully he did because the launch happened at the last possible moment. The rocket lit up the sky and roared until it disappeared behind clouds and was exciting to see. During the day I was in awe at the scale of the things used for space travel as I took the tour of the facility. Seeing the space shuttle Atlantis, walking under a Saturn V rocket, seeing an astronaut, being in the launch simulator, it was incredible. Nasa sounds can be heard here.
I went on almost all the roller coasters at the parks. Most of the lines were very short and I could repeat rides easily. The rides I avoided were the older wooden ones that were more violent than exciting. The most exciting one was probably Cheetah Hunt at Busch. It felt fast, the corners were hard and it just felt intense. The smoothest one for the trip was Montu at Busch. The ride in the seat itself was smooth as well as the corners and flips were smooth and enjoyable to experience instead of feeling like I was being torn in a different direction. I was probably most dizzy after a quick ride of both sides of Dragon Challenge at Universal.
Magic Kingdom needed some sprucing up, things look dated. In the washrooms the sinks and hand dryers were old and weak. The washroom locations were not as convenient as the other parks I visited. The Wishes fireworks show were great though and another highlight of the trip.
I did not have any trouble with flights on this trip. Caribbean Airlines was on time and comfortable. iTrolley and lynx buses were easy to get around iDrive. I took a megabus from Orlando to Miami with no problems. The one issue was I waited over an hour for a bus after my Magic Kingdom visit and then gave up and shared a taxi home with other stranded people at the bus stop. Thankfully the weather was dry, the forecasts were wrong except for the day I went on the water rides, perfect timing.
South beach was about Ocean drive and Lincoln Road Mall. There were supercars galore and super fit people all around. The beach was beautiful, even though I did not swim in it. It was all just as expected.
Shopping at the outlet malls were tedious because of some of the malls being so big. You needed a suitcase for the day to carry everything you buy.
The trip was during the school term so the places were not very busy during the week, on the weekend the lines got longer but still manageable.
In the end, I had an amazing trip.
I went to Kennedy Space Center, Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure , Busch Gardens and the Magic Kingdom. The entire experience was amazing but one major highlight was being able to witness a rocket launch from the space center (link here). The tour bus driver was very insistent on waiting for as long as possible and thankfully he did because the launch happened at the last possible moment. The rocket lit up the sky and roared until it disappeared behind clouds and was exciting to see. During the day I was in awe at the scale of the things used for space travel as I took the tour of the facility. Seeing the space shuttle Atlantis, walking under a Saturn V rocket, seeing an astronaut, being in the launch simulator, it was incredible. Nasa sounds can be heard here.
I went on almost all the roller coasters at the parks. Most of the lines were very short and I could repeat rides easily. The rides I avoided were the older wooden ones that were more violent than exciting. The most exciting one was probably Cheetah Hunt at Busch. It felt fast, the corners were hard and it just felt intense. The smoothest one for the trip was Montu at Busch. The ride in the seat itself was smooth as well as the corners and flips were smooth and enjoyable to experience instead of feeling like I was being torn in a different direction. I was probably most dizzy after a quick ride of both sides of Dragon Challenge at Universal.
Magic Kingdom needed some sprucing up, things look dated. In the washrooms the sinks and hand dryers were old and weak. The washroom locations were not as convenient as the other parks I visited. The Wishes fireworks show were great though and another highlight of the trip.
I did not have any trouble with flights on this trip. Caribbean Airlines was on time and comfortable. iTrolley and lynx buses were easy to get around iDrive. I took a megabus from Orlando to Miami with no problems. The one issue was I waited over an hour for a bus after my Magic Kingdom visit and then gave up and shared a taxi home with other stranded people at the bus stop. Thankfully the weather was dry, the forecasts were wrong except for the day I went on the water rides, perfect timing.
South beach was about Ocean drive and Lincoln Road Mall. There were supercars galore and super fit people all around. The beach was beautiful, even though I did not swim in it. It was all just as expected.
Shopping at the outlet malls were tedious because of some of the malls being so big. You needed a suitcase for the day to carry everything you buy.
The trip was during the school term so the places were not very busy during the week, on the weekend the lines got longer but still manageable.
In the end, I had an amazing trip.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
How to check NIS contributions
I recently had to check for a contribution record from the National Insurance Board (NIB). Two forms need to be filled out, one is the request for the contribution statement, and the other is to update your personal information. When I got to the office I asked a security officer where I should go and then I had to wait about 20 minutes to see a CSR who accepted my completed forms. He printed the statement in a couple minutes of me getting to him. As expected, the records showed missing payments.
I will need to get proof of employment for the period in question from my employer and return to have the records fixed. It is amazing that a company letter is all it would take for the records to be changed, as if they are creating payments out of thin air. It is as if the money does not really matter. Another common problem is missing payments before 1991. This is apparently because during 1991 the records were computerised and the records previously taken on paper are ignored.
When I arrived there was a ticket counter that was on 55 when I went in but the next customer was all the way up at 79. I assume people came in and took a number and left because they were tired of waiting. This particular office was extremely cold and the air was blowing strongly directly on the seated customers. The AC must have been set to arctic, that is what it felt like. There was a woman with a very young baby who was waiting for her number to call. I am not sure how long she was waiting.
A list of addresses and phone numbers for all the offices can be found at the NIB site http://www.nibtt.net. Calls to most offices are never answered but you can keep trying. Good luck!
I will need to get proof of employment for the period in question from my employer and return to have the records fixed. It is amazing that a company letter is all it would take for the records to be changed, as if they are creating payments out of thin air. It is as if the money does not really matter. Another common problem is missing payments before 1991. This is apparently because during 1991 the records were computerised and the records previously taken on paper are ignored.
When I arrived there was a ticket counter that was on 55 when I went in but the next customer was all the way up at 79. I assume people came in and took a number and left because they were tired of waiting. This particular office was extremely cold and the air was blowing strongly directly on the seated customers. The AC must have been set to arctic, that is what it felt like. There was a woman with a very young baby who was waiting for her number to call. I am not sure how long she was waiting.
A list of addresses and phone numbers for all the offices can be found at the NIB site http://www.nibtt.net. Calls to most offices are never answered but you can keep trying. Good luck!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Track TTPOST registered mail
I sent a registered package to USA. The post office I sent it from told me to call the office number instead of the three tolld free (800) numbers advertised by TTPOST because they are not working right now. The operator said to call the 800 numbers anyway. I tried them and they all ring a couple times and go to something like a busy tone. I called back the operator to see if she could help and this time she said I could go to www.usps.com and enter my TTPOST tracking number there to get the status. I think she should have just said this in the first place.
On usps.com the shipping status info did indeed come up. Good job TTPOST.Thursday, September 4, 2014
Why A Dead Alkaline Battery Bounces! (youtube)
Holy moly! I did not know there was a difference, this is interesting.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Idiotest - Smells Test #Idiotest (youtube)
I really like this show. Being put under pressure and having to give an answer quickly in this case is exciting and fun.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
How to program Blink Entertainment remote
Turn on device (TV, Setup box)
On the remote control, press the device key once (i.e. TV)
Press and hold the setup key (TV) until the selected mode key blinks twice, and then release setup (TV) key.
Enter the first four-digit code (in the remote manual) for your device. If you perform this procedure correctly the selected mode key (TV) will blink twice.
Press the POWER once to check if the device turns off. If it stays on, repeat the process above.
Topics: How to set code for Blink TV remote.On the remote control, press the device key once (i.e. TV)
Press and hold the setup key (TV) until the selected mode key blinks twice, and then release setup (TV) key.
Enter the first four-digit code (in the remote manual) for your device. If you perform this procedure correctly the selected mode key (TV) will blink twice.
Press the POWER once to check if the device turns off. If it stays on, repeat the process above.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Tips of traveling with your personal tech
Do you know your rights for digital disclosures when crossing borders?
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/smartphone-laptop-searches-know-rights/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/smartphone-laptop-searches-know-rights/
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Get live online chat to Amazon.com
If you want a direct link to start a live chat with a customer rep at amazon.com, go to the link below and select your topic in step 2 and then click the 'Chat' button on the bottom right.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Amazing story of tech improving lives
Lots of things out there still need improving
http://www.ted.com/talks/tal_golesworthy_how_i_repaired_my_own_heart
http://www.ted.com/talks/tal_golesworthy_how_i_repaired_my_own_heart
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
OK the FUTURE is OFFICIALLY here!
This app translates words seen through yur camera, on the fly. Point it to an english sign and tell the app to convert it to a number of other languages and it does it instantly. Give it a try!
http://questvisual.com/
http://questvisual.com/
Ebay was compromised
Yet another giant falls.. it is not safe online. Use unique passwords for each site people.
http://lifehacker.com/ebay-hacked-change-your-passwords-now-1579504977
http://lifehacker.com/ebay-hacked-change-your-passwords-now-1579504977
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
SMS 911
Interesting idea. I hope it is not pranked too often, but I suspect that would be a charge.
http://lifehacker.com/you-can-text-911-in-an-emergency-starting-tomorrow-1576457059
http://lifehacker.com/you-can-text-911-in-an-emergency-starting-tomorrow-1576457059
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Flow video service
It been a few weeks now since people have started to complain more about how they cannot get shows that used to be aired on Flow. There is now a full screen notice saying they are obligated to block the show because they do not own the rights and to check another channel to see the show.
OK I accept that..Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Down d Islands (Gasparee Caves and Scotland Bay)
I visited the Gasparee Caves for the first time in my life this past Saturday. The caves are managed by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) and I chose to go with a water taxi instead of the CDA boat. I had to pay a deposit into an FCB account of $70ttd per person and send a copy of the deposit receipt to the CDA in order to reserve a guide for my visit. The water taxi would be paid on the day of the trip.
I arrived at the Caribbean Dockyard parking lot at 9.15am. There was an entrance fee required for getting to the jetty, $35ttd per car for parking for the day and $10ttd for everyone except the drivers. I met a couple CDA guides (including one who I had made the booking with) on the jetty organising other visitors onto boats. I was told to follow the tour path when I got to Gaspar Grande because my group was going to land without a tour guide there to guide us. I also found out I needed to send an email in to request either a refund or to keep the money as credit with the CDA for money I deposited for people who could not make it on the day. There was a large shed with a few benches for people to wait for their boats in the shade. The jetty was a concrete structure with steps to go down to the boat level.
A few minutes later the taxi arrived and we boarded for the 5 minute trip. The driver's name is Ramesh at (868) 788 2081. The boat was basic with no canopy and could hold 15 people comfortably with bags. We got some small splashes and spray from the boat cutting through waves. There were concrete steps to climb on to on the island. Some people in my group had been there before so they knew the right way to go but it was basically following the concrete path. We carried a full cooler which did not have wheels and the path was mostly a steep climb up so it was tough, different people had to take turns for the cooler. The trek was about 15 minutes to get to the lodge at the entrance of the caves. I met the guide I had booked with and was told to wait for the other guide who was coming soon behind us. The reason was that her group was already large.
The guides give the visitors some time to rest in the lodge after the trek up the hill. After about 20 minutes the first guide left and my group was alone in the lodge. About 5 minutes later the second guide arrived and asked why the first guide did not carry us, I replied that it was because of the size of the group. He did not like that and suggested I go in the caves on my own because there were 2 guides in there right now. I insisted that I wanted the full package and I would wait for him to take us down. I had never been here before and did not plan on going back soon so I wanted to get as much of the full experience as I could. Around the lodge were a few fenced areas with holes in the ground which is what gives light to the caves. The path on the sides on the lodge are steep with some steps and mostly wholesome railings. The water in the male washroom was trickling out of the tap and the small bin in there was overflowing because it did not have a large one in the main room where people ate before and after the caves tour. There was a large bin outside of the lodge.
After approx. 15 minutes some people in the guide's group went up toward the back of the lodge. The guide asked if we wanted to go also because we have to wait on them to come back anyway so my group agreed to go. There were some very sharp and some loose stones on the 5 minute climb. We also passed a dead corbeaux that was severely decomposed and feathers scattered across the path. At the top we met a huge canon and the other group. We spent 5 minutes there and headed back to the lodge. The other group was now coming back out of the cave and they looked content but also sweaty and tired. I wondered if I would enjoy the tour given the tough start we were having. I saw the first guide coming out and complained that I was told by the second guide to go in alone, the reply was to send an email complaint.
At the entrance of the cave I could see we were going deep down into a narrowing space. The steps were about 4 feet wide and made of grating. The railings were metal with wooden boards screwed on top. Bats were flying around and flapping hello to their new guests.There were 5 flights of steps down to the floor. On the third flight the passage narrowed to allow only one person to pass through. On the floor there was a concrete path as on the surface.
The cave walls and ceiling were interesting with stalactites and stalagmites all around. There was a large pool to the left of the cavern and a narrower area of the cavern on the right. The water in the pool was crystal clear and you could see straight to the bottom where the light from the holes in the ceiling allowed spotlight sections to come in. Some bulbs were installed to highlight some features and create some effects. The guide explained to the group all about the various formations and some history of the area. The area to the right had a small climb up into a darker area where the path is around a large glittering column. After walking around the guide allowed us to swim. I was very buoyant in the water, some people complained their ears hurt when they put it into the water. We were told the water moves with the tides. We spent about an hour inside the cave. The experience in the cave was enjoyable. The hike up the stairs was not as enjoyable as coming down.
At the lodge my group had lunch and then headed back to the dock to get our water taxi. The trip to Scotland Bay was a few minutes longer than the trip to the island. The splashes and spray were much more during this trip and a couple of people on one corner got completely soaked. At the bay we were greeted with a few party boats. The point where our taxi dropped us off was the first section of sand. It was full of garbage mixed into the sand and foul smells. We walked further along to a clear spot on the sand and set up camp. The boats had loud music and one had the occupants dancing lewdly and sometimes had music with extremely vulgar lyrics. Some people on the beach enjoyed the music of course and danced along. The whole length of the section of beach that I could see was littered with old bags, empty beer bottles, snack wrappers etc and couple large piles of burnt debris with more garbage on top of it. Perhaps garbage was not removed from the area and just burnt off there instead.
The water was shallow for a fair distance out from the shore and only had waves after boats passed along the bay. I was also very buoyant here. The hills around the bay provided shade at the spot where we were but you could walk up to an exposed area to get warmed up after coming out of the water. We spent a couple hours here before our taxi came back for us. It was going to 5.00pm and we wanted to reach back to the cars in daylight, which we did.
After we reached the dock I paid the captain $30ttd per person for his services. While we were walking out there were people walking in dressed up in party clothes. We could hear loud music in the distance, probably from another party boat they were going to. We were all anxious to change and use the washrooms. The only facility available here was a run down pair of toilets and a shower close to the entrance of the yard. There was a line to go in at one point.
At the end everyone enjoyed the day. The trip home was another adventure, but that is for another post..
I arrived at the Caribbean Dockyard parking lot at 9.15am. There was an entrance fee required for getting to the jetty, $35ttd per car for parking for the day and $10ttd for everyone except the drivers. I met a couple CDA guides (including one who I had made the booking with) on the jetty organising other visitors onto boats. I was told to follow the tour path when I got to Gaspar Grande because my group was going to land without a tour guide there to guide us. I also found out I needed to send an email in to request either a refund or to keep the money as credit with the CDA for money I deposited for people who could not make it on the day. There was a large shed with a few benches for people to wait for their boats in the shade. The jetty was a concrete structure with steps to go down to the boat level.
A few minutes later the taxi arrived and we boarded for the 5 minute trip. The driver's name is Ramesh at (868) 788 2081. The boat was basic with no canopy and could hold 15 people comfortably with bags. We got some small splashes and spray from the boat cutting through waves. There were concrete steps to climb on to on the island. Some people in my group had been there before so they knew the right way to go but it was basically following the concrete path. We carried a full cooler which did not have wheels and the path was mostly a steep climb up so it was tough, different people had to take turns for the cooler. The trek was about 15 minutes to get to the lodge at the entrance of the caves. I met the guide I had booked with and was told to wait for the other guide who was coming soon behind us. The reason was that her group was already large.
The guides give the visitors some time to rest in the lodge after the trek up the hill. After about 20 minutes the first guide left and my group was alone in the lodge. About 5 minutes later the second guide arrived and asked why the first guide did not carry us, I replied that it was because of the size of the group. He did not like that and suggested I go in the caves on my own because there were 2 guides in there right now. I insisted that I wanted the full package and I would wait for him to take us down. I had never been here before and did not plan on going back soon so I wanted to get as much of the full experience as I could. Around the lodge were a few fenced areas with holes in the ground which is what gives light to the caves. The path on the sides on the lodge are steep with some steps and mostly wholesome railings. The water in the male washroom was trickling out of the tap and the small bin in there was overflowing because it did not have a large one in the main room where people ate before and after the caves tour. There was a large bin outside of the lodge.
After approx. 15 minutes some people in the guide's group went up toward the back of the lodge. The guide asked if we wanted to go also because we have to wait on them to come back anyway so my group agreed to go. There were some very sharp and some loose stones on the 5 minute climb. We also passed a dead corbeaux that was severely decomposed and feathers scattered across the path. At the top we met a huge canon and the other group. We spent 5 minutes there and headed back to the lodge. The other group was now coming back out of the cave and they looked content but also sweaty and tired. I wondered if I would enjoy the tour given the tough start we were having. I saw the first guide coming out and complained that I was told by the second guide to go in alone, the reply was to send an email complaint.
At the entrance of the cave I could see we were going deep down into a narrowing space. The steps were about 4 feet wide and made of grating. The railings were metal with wooden boards screwed on top. Bats were flying around and flapping hello to their new guests.There were 5 flights of steps down to the floor. On the third flight the passage narrowed to allow only one person to pass through. On the floor there was a concrete path as on the surface.
The cave walls and ceiling were interesting with stalactites and stalagmites all around. There was a large pool to the left of the cavern and a narrower area of the cavern on the right. The water in the pool was crystal clear and you could see straight to the bottom where the light from the holes in the ceiling allowed spotlight sections to come in. Some bulbs were installed to highlight some features and create some effects. The guide explained to the group all about the various formations and some history of the area. The area to the right had a small climb up into a darker area where the path is around a large glittering column. After walking around the guide allowed us to swim. I was very buoyant in the water, some people complained their ears hurt when they put it into the water. We were told the water moves with the tides. We spent about an hour inside the cave. The experience in the cave was enjoyable. The hike up the stairs was not as enjoyable as coming down.
At the lodge my group had lunch and then headed back to the dock to get our water taxi. The trip to Scotland Bay was a few minutes longer than the trip to the island. The splashes and spray were much more during this trip and a couple of people on one corner got completely soaked. At the bay we were greeted with a few party boats. The point where our taxi dropped us off was the first section of sand. It was full of garbage mixed into the sand and foul smells. We walked further along to a clear spot on the sand and set up camp. The boats had loud music and one had the occupants dancing lewdly and sometimes had music with extremely vulgar lyrics. Some people on the beach enjoyed the music of course and danced along. The whole length of the section of beach that I could see was littered with old bags, empty beer bottles, snack wrappers etc and couple large piles of burnt debris with more garbage on top of it. Perhaps garbage was not removed from the area and just burnt off there instead.
The water was shallow for a fair distance out from the shore and only had waves after boats passed along the bay. I was also very buoyant here. The hills around the bay provided shade at the spot where we were but you could walk up to an exposed area to get warmed up after coming out of the water. We spent a couple hours here before our taxi came back for us. It was going to 5.00pm and we wanted to reach back to the cars in daylight, which we did.
After we reached the dock I paid the captain $30ttd per person for his services. While we were walking out there were people walking in dressed up in party clothes. We could hear loud music in the distance, probably from another party boat they were going to. We were all anxious to change and use the washrooms. The only facility available here was a run down pair of toilets and a shower close to the entrance of the yard. There was a line to go in at one point.
At the end everyone enjoyed the day. The trip home was another adventure, but that is for another post..
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
The river glows!
Update:
15th April, 2015: The phenomenon is currently happening.
17th April 2014: The is no longer showing the glowing effect. It seems the time for it has passed.
12th April 2014: This page has been extremely popular over the last week and I have seen pictures of crawling traffic in the Mayaro area, the authorities have chosen to completely ignore the problem of crowd control. Please exercise caution and common sense when visiting, do not park on the road, no matter how important you think you are. Do not throw garbage into the river, perhaps you can carry a stick and bring it back with you.
After reading this article I had to go see it for myself.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/When-the-Ortoire-River-glows-253136441.html
15th April, 2015: The phenomenon is currently happening.
17th April 2014: The is no longer showing the glowing effect. It seems the time for it has passed.
12th April 2014: This page has been extremely popular over the last week and I have seen pictures of crawling traffic in the Mayaro area, the authorities have chosen to completely ignore the problem of crowd control. Please exercise caution and common sense when visiting, do not park on the road, no matter how important you think you are. Do not throw garbage into the river, perhaps you can carry a stick and bring it back with you.
After reading this article I had to go see it for myself.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/When-the-Ortoire-River-glows-253136441.html
It really does glow! This is phenomenal to see. I parked at the side of the road at the big bridge in Mafeking (one minute west of the heart of Mayaro) and joined the growing group of people under the bridge. The sides of the bank were already clean because people had found everything possible to throw in already. When I arrived I saw people throwing stones from the bridge into the water and the splashes were a light blue. This alone was amazing. A few minutes later a man jumped from the bridge and made a huge blue splash. His motion made a glowing trail all around him. The brightest spots were around where his arms moved. After a couple minutes in the middle of the river he came to shore under the bridge where it was even more impressive because the shadow of the bridge made it easier to see the glow. The street lights around made it harder to see but once in the shadow it was much clearer. As he came closer to shore you saw his shape in a blue aura and his arms and legs made bright blue streaks out of the blackness. Another person used a stick to swirl the water and you could barely see the man or the stick but the area around the stick was as if there was a light in the stick, it did not leave a glowing trail.
There was a continuous stream of people coming and going. Some came in convoys, some came in maxis. You need a high end camera with a long exposure time on a tripod to get the best picture of the glow. Many people tried to capture it and still kept their flash on which defeats the whole purpose. The glow would be visible once the sun goes down and it is dark enough, by 7.00pm the sun would be completely gone.
This is something that everyone should witness. Below is a map with a red X showing the Mafeking bridge where you can see the glowing river.
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| Map showing bridge to view the glowing Ortoire river |
Topics: How to get to glowing river in Mayaro
South Trinidad obeah magic river
Blue glowing splashes
Jumbie in Mafeking river
Blue water in river
Luminescence in river water
Directions to glowing water in Mayaro river
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Courts extended warranty
I bought a 32 inch Sony TV a few years ago from courts. There was a promotion at the time that was giving four years warranty included in the price. Three and half years later that TV would develop bubbles on the screen that would progressively get worse over a couple weeks. I went into courts to find out about having it repaired. I found out 32 inch and bigger TVs have a free pickup service under the warranty. It was collected during working hours and a few days later I called to find out about the TV's progress. I was told it could not be repaired and I was entitled to a new TV.
I went back to the same branch I bought the TV to see what was offered and I chose one that was $1000 less than the price I paid years ago. I would have to return a few days later to get the refund of the price difference. It turns out that the extended warranty worked very much in my favour so I took a four year plan for this new set. The TV came with two years standard and I had to pay a few hundred more for an additional two years.
The prices of the TVs were generally good compared to other stores so I would say Courts has the best deals with price and warranty. I did not find any other stores that offered four years warranty. If this is the case for other products then I highly recommend paying for this option. Things usually break just outside of the standard warranty period. Thank you Courts.
I went back to the same branch I bought the TV to see what was offered and I chose one that was $1000 less than the price I paid years ago. I would have to return a few days later to get the refund of the price difference. It turns out that the extended warranty worked very much in my favour so I took a four year plan for this new set. The TV came with two years standard and I had to pay a few hundred more for an additional two years.
The prices of the TVs were generally good compared to other stores so I would say Courts has the best deals with price and warranty. I did not find any other stores that offered four years warranty. If this is the case for other products then I highly recommend paying for this option. Things usually break just outside of the standard warranty period. Thank you Courts.
Machel Monday 2014
I attended the show on the 24th Feb. I enjoyed the show very much but there is still lots of room for improvement. I approached Hasely Crawford at about 9.00pm. I saw cars parked on the sides of the roads and driving onto the grass sections between the traffic lights. I was approaching from the east. When I asked a police officer for advice on where was safe to park or where the parking lot was I got a reply that she did not know where was safe or where I could park. She was the only officer visible. There had been men on the sides of the road calling cars to park on the grass and shoulders. Eventually I went to the west side of the stadium only to find out the VIP parking lot was full. The guard at the gate said to go to the field north of the stadium, where I did get a park.. after a long wait in the now crowded roadway. I do not know if wreckers were patrolling the area and taking cars but I would not be surprised.
At around 9.20 I was inside the VIP area and could see the crowd was very one sided with VIP having a much bigger crowd than general. The floor was covered over in plastic/rubber? tiles which had a few pop up when you walked on them. Women had a hard time with their heels going down into holes and the floors not being stable. There was DJ music until 10.00 when eventually the performances started.
A five minute count down was started to bring in the 10.00 hour. I was about twenty five meters away from the stage while I was there. The sound was amazing. The artists themselves performed very well as well as the musicians and the stage. The performances were continuous for over four hours. There were Spoken Word performances while bands changed equipment on stage. It was well worth the price of $600ttd. General audience area was behind a 6 foot fence but could look at two large screens and their own set of speakers. Many people were in the seats in both VIP and general. VIP could only sit on the western side but general could sit on the western and eastern sides.
There were a couple minor hiccups in the show, all small but noticeable. The show was still great. The washrooms that were closest to the entrance had a line for the females because there were not many stalls and some females started using the male stalls. There was soap and toilet paper in the washrooms thankfully. The step at the top level of the stage was very high and especially tricky for the female performers who had on heels and had to jump to the lower level. A couple of dancers had light up suits that died after a few seconds and they went off stage afterwards. One of the guests was not prepared to go on stage when he was called and Machel made up a few minutes until he came up. The spotlight operators did not always show the performers when they started. At least twice I noticed a remote drone pass over the crowd and eventually stop above the area I was in. I did not feel safe with it above me.
There were police officers walking through the crowd for the duration of the show. Some of them had large guns and riot gear. There were fire officers walking through the stands.The heat from the crowd was intense. It felt degrees cooler when walking through an opening without people around. The crowd was huge and I do not think the exits could have accommodated a surge of people trying to get out if there was an emergency.
I enjoyed the show very much despite the minor hiccups.
At around 9.20 I was inside the VIP area and could see the crowd was very one sided with VIP having a much bigger crowd than general. The floor was covered over in plastic/rubber? tiles which had a few pop up when you walked on them. Women had a hard time with their heels going down into holes and the floors not being stable. There was DJ music until 10.00 when eventually the performances started.
A five minute count down was started to bring in the 10.00 hour. I was about twenty five meters away from the stage while I was there. The sound was amazing. The artists themselves performed very well as well as the musicians and the stage. The performances were continuous for over four hours. There were Spoken Word performances while bands changed equipment on stage. It was well worth the price of $600ttd. General audience area was behind a 6 foot fence but could look at two large screens and their own set of speakers. Many people were in the seats in both VIP and general. VIP could only sit on the western side but general could sit on the western and eastern sides.
There were a couple minor hiccups in the show, all small but noticeable. The show was still great. The washrooms that were closest to the entrance had a line for the females because there were not many stalls and some females started using the male stalls. There was soap and toilet paper in the washrooms thankfully. The step at the top level of the stage was very high and especially tricky for the female performers who had on heels and had to jump to the lower level. A couple of dancers had light up suits that died after a few seconds and they went off stage afterwards. One of the guests was not prepared to go on stage when he was called and Machel made up a few minutes until he came up. The spotlight operators did not always show the performers when they started. At least twice I noticed a remote drone pass over the crowd and eventually stop above the area I was in. I did not feel safe with it above me.
There were police officers walking through the crowd for the duration of the show. Some of them had large guns and riot gear. There were fire officers walking through the stands.The heat from the crowd was intense. It felt degrees cooler when walking through an opening without people around. The crowd was huge and I do not think the exits could have accommodated a surge of people trying to get out if there was an emergency.
I enjoyed the show very much despite the minor hiccups.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Hero dies after saving children
A reminder to those who run towards the fire to keep up the good fight, and be careful.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Hero-drowns-after-rescuing-two-children-248464361.html
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Hero-drowns-after-rescuing-two-children-248464361.html
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Realtime video retouching
How tech is affecting the way marketing and perception works, if you cannot get a model, make one.
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2014/02/behind-music-video-photoshopped-singer-real-time/
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2014/02/behind-music-video-photoshopped-singer-real-time/
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Affluenza, is it real?
Insanely crazy but true story of a teen who got off murder charges by basically claiming to be too rich...
http://sourcefed.com/affluenza-texas-teen-avoids-jail-time-again/
http://sourcefed.com/affluenza-texas-teen-avoids-jail-time-again/
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
How to renew Trinidad and Tobago Passport
** NOTE
Many countries still have their borders closed due to COVID-19. Check their status before making travel plans.
Check which countries are open - https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm
Compilation of travel tools https://lifehacker.com/this-interactive-map-tells-you-which-countries-are-open-1843935523
http://www.news.gov.tt/content/new-passport-delivery-service-launched#.X-VWodhKjWU
Link 1 - http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/passport-office-opens-govt-announces-changes-to-services-6.2.1131019.6bdf20c792
Link 2 - https://www.facebook.com/mns.tnt/photos/
Link 3 - https://ttpassport.info/faq
As with all government offices there may be long lines outside and no seating. Walk with an umbrella if you are going in early. Also carry toilet paper if you think you would need to use the restroom because if there is water there may not be any paper.
I went at a slow period far away from a holiday period unlike what most people would do. Avoid the Port of Spain and San Fernando offices if you can because they receive the most people while the others perform the same function but are usually less crowded. The extra time driving to another office can save you frustration at a crowded office.
Some countries now require proof of yellow fever vaccine. The international vaccine card is different from the regular card **
Many countries still have their borders closed due to COVID-19. Check their status before making travel plans.
Check which countries are open - https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm
Compilation of travel tools https://lifehacker.com/this-interactive-map-tells-you-which-countries-are-open-1843935523
http://www.news.gov.tt/content/new-passport-delivery-service-launched#.X-VWodhKjWU
You can no longer walk in and line up on a random day to renew your passport.
You must make an appointment to apply for, renew or replace your machine readable passport by using the website www.ttpassport.info (ofcourse for many years the download links for forms are broken here...)Link 1 - http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/passport-office-opens-govt-announces-changes-to-services-6.2.1131019.6bdf20c792
Link 2 - https://www.facebook.com/mns.tnt/photos/
Link 3 - https://ttpassport.info/faq
For further guidance on the online procedure, see Steps to follow to schedule an appointment online to apply for a passport at https://nationalsecurity.gov.tt/divisions/immigration-division/
Prior to their appointment date, persons applying for a passport will be required to visit one of the designated TTPOST outlets to purchase an A5 TrackPak. The list of TTPOST locations offering this facility can be accessed on the Ministry of National Security’s website, via link above. The list of locations can also be accessed on TTPOST’s website www.ttpost.net. The cost of the TrackPak is twenty-five dollars ($25.00). TTPOST officials will guide persons on how to self-address the TrackPak (address at which the passport is to be delivered).
Prior to their appointment date, persons applying for a passport will be required to visit one of the designated TTPOST outlets to purchase an A5 TrackPak. The list of TTPOST locations offering this facility can be accessed on the Ministry of National Security’s website, via link above. The list of locations can also be accessed on TTPOST’s website www.ttpost.net. The cost of the TrackPak is twenty-five dollars ($25.00). TTPOST officials will guide persons on how to self-address the TrackPak (address at which the passport is to be delivered).
The applicant will be required to visit the Immigration Division office at which the appointment is scheduled and should bring the A5 TrackPak, along with all the required documentation to apply for a passport (see list of required documents at https://www.ttpassport.info/faq). Immigration officials will guide applicants on how to self-address the TrackPak.
Persons with queries related to passport services can contact the Immigration Division via email address immigration.passports@gov.tt
Many countries (including some Caricom states) do not let you enter if you have less than 6 months remaining on your passport. You should renew if yours has around 6 months left on it no matter where you are going. This means a passport is really valid for nine and a half years. There is no restriction for how early you can renew your passport so for example if you will be out of the country for an extended period you can renew it with perhaps 2 years remaining on it. You may also want to do this to take advantage of the new 10 year life if you have the 5 year version.
At the Immigration office I had to carry:
- One passport size photo with a white background and covered shoulders (not always used because they may take one).
- A photocopy of the bio data page (page with my picture and info) of my current passport.
- One legal (8.5" x 14") brown envelope to hold the renewal form and other content.
- The current passport.
- I also had to fill out the passport renewal form I got from the dedicated dropbox desk. This form was not available online from the immigration or ttconnect websites.
Persons with queries related to passport services can contact the Immigration Division via email address immigration.passports@gov.tt
Many countries (including some Caricom states) do not let you enter if you have less than 6 months remaining on your passport. You should renew if yours has around 6 months left on it no matter where you are going. This means a passport is really valid for nine and a half years. There is no restriction for how early you can renew your passport so for example if you will be out of the country for an extended period you can renew it with perhaps 2 years remaining on it. You may also want to do this to take advantage of the new 10 year life if you have the 5 year version.
At the Immigration office I had to carry:
- One passport size photo with a white background and covered shoulders (not always used because they may take one).
- A photocopy of the bio data page (page with my picture and info) of my current passport.
- One legal (8.5" x 14") brown envelope to hold the renewal form and other content.
- The current passport.
- I also had to fill out the passport renewal form I got from the dedicated dropbox desk. This form was not available online from the immigration or ttconnect websites.
Only the applicant is required to sign it, no reference signature is required. You can also get one from the Immigration office before your visit. Be sure to sign in the specimen sample box on the bottom of the front page even though it looks like it is only for married women. Do not let your signature touch the outer borders. A paper clip was used to hold everything together.
After the officer verified the contents I was told to wait until I heard my name called. A few minutes later I went to the booth and paid $250 TTD (either LINX or cash-CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED). The officer said to come back in 7 to 10 working days for my new passport. I was given a green slip as a receipt for the renewal application and a receipt for the payment.
In order to collect I had to bring the both receipts and the old passport when collecting the new one. I was advised to call before coming back to ensure it was ready and that they will not call me. The day I went to collect I arrived for 7.00am and the office opened at 7.20am. Inside I was told to have a seat in a particular area until the collection desk was opened. Other desks were already opened. There was no line formed to collect the passport so when it was opened two people who were closer to the desk went first even though they met me there, I did not say anything. The old passport was punched on a couple different pages and handed back to me and I signed for receiving the new one which is valid for 5 years from a few days before. This means I 'lost' the remaining time (3months) I had on the old passport. The officers I interacted with did not have their name badges visible.
Notes:
After the officer verified the contents I was told to wait until I heard my name called. A few minutes later I went to the booth and paid $250 TTD (either LINX or cash-CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED). The officer said to come back in 7 to 10 working days for my new passport. I was given a green slip as a receipt for the renewal application and a receipt for the payment.
In order to collect I had to bring the both receipts and the old passport when collecting the new one. I was advised to call before coming back to ensure it was ready and that they will not call me. The day I went to collect I arrived for 7.00am and the office opened at 7.20am. Inside I was told to have a seat in a particular area until the collection desk was opened. Other desks were already opened. There was no line formed to collect the passport so when it was opened two people who were closer to the desk went first even though they met me there, I did not say anything. The old passport was punched on a couple different pages and handed back to me and I signed for receiving the new one which is valid for 5 years from a few days before. This means I 'lost' the remaining time (3months) I had on the old passport. The officers I interacted with did not have their name badges visible.
Notes:
They are strict about clothing, no short pants, strap/strapless tops, vests, shades etc. are allowed inside. People have been denied entry because their toddler\young child does not have appropriate pants or t-shirts on. These rules are in a country which promotes carnival with all its nakedness. The pics below which is copied from another person on FB showing a person wearing gift paper and a curtain to cover her exposed shoulders in order to be in the POS office. If you are lucky you may be provided something to cover your shoulders while inside.
The actual process took about 15 minutes to drop off and 5 minutes to collect at the San Fernando office. In addition to this 20 minutes I had to wait about 10 minutes during the drop off and about 30 minutes for collection as I had gone in at 7.00am and had to join a line to enter the office and then was cut in front of. The immigration offices are very busy on some days especially early morning.
The passport renewal form I was given was a photocopy and parts of it were very light and barely legible. The officer said I did NOT need my birth certificate as this was already on record and I did not change my name since the last passport application. You only have to write the name and contact info for two references and do not need their signature. The only things needed are listed earlier.
I recommend you carry both your LINX card (electronic payment) and cash because at one point LINX was the only method of accepted payment. If you do not have one perhaps you can make a friend in the crowd and give them cash so they can use their card. If the LINX machines are down then you would need cash.
The officer will take a picture of you if you are 'interviewed' but will use the picture you bring if you are there for a simple renewal. You would be interviewed if you changed your name or other critical info like if you got married and this is the first time you are renewing your passport since then. I am still not very clear on when they need to take a picture but carry one if you are going in for the drop box service.
The officer at the booth when I dropped off my passport was not very friendly and did not have a name tag visible. He seemed to just be going through the motions of processing yet another renewal form and this was still early in the day, before 9am. The officer at the drop box desk was helpful and pleasant as were the two police officers close to the front door who pointed me to the drop box desk.
There is a stationery shop close by on Cipero street that has envelopes, photocopies and takes photos. The Chagauanas and Port of Spain offices have a similar shop.
The San Fernando Immigration office opening hours are from 7.00am to 5.00pm Mon-Fri. The entrance is on the northern side of the building, there are signs outside clearly indicating this. There are a few steps to get to the main entrance but there is an elevator via the eastern entrance. There are bumps to cross the curb to get into the yard by the entrance to use the elevator and there is an incline toward the building.
For San Fernando parking is along Knox and adjacent streets. No dedicated parking is provided for the public. It can be very tight when cars are parked on both sides and two lanes are still trying to pass. For Port of Spain the parkade public car park is to the east of the office. Keep cash handy to exit the parkade since their card payment machines usually do not work.
When getting your passport picture taken avoid wearing any makeup, you may be barked at to remove it. Your hair should not block any part of your face. Your picture must not be taken with you smiling or wearing glasses.
The passport renewal form I was given was a photocopy and parts of it were very light and barely legible. The officer said I did NOT need my birth certificate as this was already on record and I did not change my name since the last passport application. You only have to write the name and contact info for two references and do not need their signature. The only things needed are listed earlier.
I recommend you carry both your LINX card (electronic payment) and cash because at one point LINX was the only method of accepted payment. If you do not have one perhaps you can make a friend in the crowd and give them cash so they can use their card. If the LINX machines are down then you would need cash.
The officer will take a picture of you if you are 'interviewed' but will use the picture you bring if you are there for a simple renewal. You would be interviewed if you changed your name or other critical info like if you got married and this is the first time you are renewing your passport since then. I am still not very clear on when they need to take a picture but carry one if you are going in for the drop box service.
The officer at the booth when I dropped off my passport was not very friendly and did not have a name tag visible. He seemed to just be going through the motions of processing yet another renewal form and this was still early in the day, before 9am. The officer at the drop box desk was helpful and pleasant as were the two police officers close to the front door who pointed me to the drop box desk.
There is a stationery shop close by on Cipero street that has envelopes, photocopies and takes photos. The Chagauanas and Port of Spain offices have a similar shop.
The San Fernando Immigration office opening hours are from 7.00am to 5.00pm Mon-Fri. The entrance is on the northern side of the building, there are signs outside clearly indicating this. There are a few steps to get to the main entrance but there is an elevator via the eastern entrance. There are bumps to cross the curb to get into the yard by the entrance to use the elevator and there is an incline toward the building.
For San Fernando parking is along Knox and adjacent streets. No dedicated parking is provided for the public. It can be very tight when cars are parked on both sides and two lanes are still trying to pass. For Port of Spain the parkade public car park is to the east of the office. Keep cash handy to exit the parkade since their card payment machines usually do not work.
When getting your passport picture taken avoid wearing any makeup, you may be barked at to remove it. Your hair should not block any part of your face. Your picture must not be taken with you smiling or wearing glasses.
Women who are renewing their passport after getting married will have extra steps even if they do not change their name. These will be promptly barked to you.
Nov 2015 - 'Old' passports cannot be used to travel. (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-11-19/deadline-machine-readable-passports-november-24).
January 2016 - New passports will now be valid for 10 years instead of 5 years.
June 2016 - Citizens over 60 now get free non-expedited renewals.
Nov 2015 - 'Old' passports cannot be used to travel. (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-11-19/deadline-machine-readable-passports-november-24).
January 2016 - New passports will now be valid for 10 years instead of 5 years.
June 2016 - Citizens over 60 now get free non-expedited renewals.
As with all government offices there may be long lines outside and no seating. Walk with an umbrella if you are going in early. Also carry toilet paper if you think you would need to use the restroom because if there is water there may not be any paper.
I went at a slow period far away from a holiday period unlike what most people would do. Avoid the Port of Spain and San Fernando offices if you can because they receive the most people while the others perform the same function but are usually less crowded. The extra time driving to another office can save you frustration at a crowded office.
Some countries now require proof of yellow fever vaccine. The international vaccine card is different from the regular card **
You should staple the front of your old book to the back of your new one if you have a VALID visa in the old one, such as a 10 year US visitor's visa in the old passport. This is so that they are easier to handle and find.
If you do not have any VALID visas in the old passport perhaps because they expire with the passport itself, such as a Canadian visitor's visa, you do not need to attach the old book to the new one.
The images below are for reference only to show what the form looked like:
Click here for tips to make your trip abroad easier!
Please click an ad to support this blog if this was helpful.
My experience should not be taken as typical and you should confirm all details before going through the process. I am merely sharing my experience and am not advising anyone.
Port of Spain Passport Office
Government Campus, 3-9 Richmond Street, Port of Spain
Telephone: 225-4664
Updated Dec 2022
Topic:
How to renew your passport in Trinidad and Tobago
San Fernando Immigration office opening hours
Dress code what to wear
can I wear makeup for pictures
Passport office San Fernando phone numbers
Passport renewal form
How long does it take to get a new passport
Trinidad and Tobago Immigration Passport
Time to go to passport office
Can I go with a wheel chair to passport office
Wheel chair access to passport office San Fernando
If you do not have any VALID visas in the old passport perhaps because they expire with the passport itself, such as a Canadian visitor's visa, you do not need to attach the old book to the new one.
The images below are for reference only to show what the form looked like:
 |
| Instructions |
 |
| Renewal form page 1 |
 |
| Renewal form page 2 |
Please click an ad to support this blog if this was helpful.
My experience should not be taken as typical and you should confirm all details before going through the process. I am merely sharing my experience and am not advising anyone.
Port of Spain Passport Office
Government Campus, 3-9 Richmond Street, Port of Spain
Telephone: 225-4664
Updated Dec 2022
Topic:
How to renew your passport in Trinidad and Tobago
San Fernando Immigration office opening hours
Dress code what to wear
can I wear makeup for pictures
Passport office San Fernando phone numbers
Passport renewal form
How long does it take to get a new passport
Trinidad and Tobago Immigration Passport
Time to go to passport office
Can I go with a wheel chair to passport office
Wheel chair access to passport office San Fernando
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
This weekend.
On Saturday I went to Port of Spain for the first time since the fires at the Beetham dump started last week. Driving past the dump meant passing through a thick wall of pungent fumes all the way to the Hyatt.
I went to Buzo restaurant for the first time. They need to fix the entrance to their car park as most of their clients probably have cars that scrape getting in and out. A tidy grating would be a nice fix for the steep drain walls you have to pass through. The food was good and the staff was great. When I arrived the smog was not noticeable. I came outside an hour into my stay and there was a cloud as soon as I stepped out and the smell was horrible. There was an attendant opening and closing the door.
The drive back past the dump was a little better with a lighter haze visible.
Today I went to Harry's water park in Tabaquite. Generally I had a good time but there is serious room for improvement. The road has greatly improved since I was there last time over a year ago. I still advise you use an SUV to get there as some point are still deplorable. When there, you see many signs around the compound including a very visible on at the entrance gate stating no loud music is allowed. The site's bar has a wall of speakers that can be heard from all points in the park, a few meters away is the largest sign of its
kind stating "No loud music". The speakers are pointed outward away from the bar's patrons otherwise they would not be able to function. At least 5 of the groups at sheds had their own music systems that competed with the bar's. One was a car that rattled while music was playing and the others were self powered speakers with laptops. There are signs in front of where these groups were. The quietest place was the board walk area but just slightly better. There was no peace to be found. The lazy man area was impossible to fall asleep in as it was right next to the noisy sheds. I could still hear the bar's music on the main road when I was leaving. I would be a disgruntled neighbour if I had to stay in the surrounding houses.
At the top of the bigger water slides these was a young man who looked like he was barely out of his teens. He brought up a bottle of vodka and plastic glasses. One of the drinks he poured was for the slide attendant. The others were for kids around him. I was concerned about the glass bottle being broken and seriously hurting any of the barefooted patrons. The same attendant said that Harry's is not for relaxing and that is a marketing lie. He was letting whoever wanted to, run and dive onto the slide, as long as it was not head first. The first step onto the 'fast' slide was onto a flexing material, not the best thing to be diving on if you ask me. Next we have minors drinking alcohol and being encouraged to do so by their older peers, they were not hiding and doing it. The (young!) girls were wining when they heard their favourite songs, wherever they were.. so if they were walking up a step in front of you, you had to wait for their favourite line to finish before you could proceed. The behaviour of the crowd in general had room for improvement. At the entrance to the big pool and big slides were foot wash pools with dirty stagnant water. There were feathers and other debris floating in the cloudy water. The whole of the large pool was very rough on the bottom. The landing spots at the bottom of the pool for the bigger slides were very rough, I would not be surprised if someone got scraped on their back or arms and legs. The walkway back to the tops of the slides was very course so some people needed slippers which they did not have as they were at the tops of the hills. You would be better off having a full wetsuit and shoes on for your own protection.
Just when the pools were closed around 6pm a few of the lifeguards decided it was fun time and dragged and pulled one of the chubbier co-workers and eventually threw him into the pool, very much against his will. During my walk out, a mother was making her daughter changer her panties in the middle of the walkway, the change room was less than a minute walk away. The crowd at the bar was growing by the minute around 6 o'clock with people who had just came in, the water park patrons were heading out.
There were a few police officers walking around the compound and enjoying the many simultaneous big chunes being pumped out, they had to be enjoying it because they were unconcerned by the volume. If you want a very calm, relaxing day in a great atmosphere and exotic wildlife in the bushes, serene and pristine lands, do not go to Harry's water park.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Sweet TnT
I called the police last night to report someone who started playing music at 10.45pm. The response was that "..it is a wedding.." as if I am supposed to accept the lawlessness, this was not the first call they got. They would try to send a patrol car.. one hour later the music was still going at full blast. I finally managed to fall asleep after that but I would not be surprised if it went on for many hours.
Also, add to the list of never to be solved crimes:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Teen-gang-raped-in-Central-242153821.html
I have full confidence this will go nowhere, because the local government still has a big part to play in prosecuting any culprits:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Bussing-de-mark-on-the-drug-bust-242147181.html
We still have very far to go before it gets any better. Hide your children.
Also, add to the list of never to be solved crimes:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Teen-gang-raped-in-Central-242153821.html
I have full confidence this will go nowhere, because the local government still has a big part to play in prosecuting any culprits:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Bussing-de-mark-on-the-drug-bust-242147181.html
We still have very far to go before it gets any better. Hide your children.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
United Airlines, never again
I had the regrettable experience of using United Airlines for a Trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. I spent a week in New Orleans over New Years 2014 and the worst part of the whole thing was the experience with United. The time spent there was great.
I booked the ticket a month before the trip using United because it was the best option available considering the price and the stop over times. The two main options to New Orleans are connections through Houston or Miami. I chose Houston. At Houston, my flight to New Orleans was about 7 hours later. The terminal was comfortable enough for the wait.
The issues began for my return trip on the 4th January when there was bad weather in the city the flight was coming in from. The polar vortex had grounded thousands of flights at this time so I was fortunate to have mine come in. The flight was scheduled for 8.10pm.
At 3.28pm I got an email alert with the subject "Flight Delay.."saying the flight was delayed due to a late inbound aircraft and the new departure time is 9.00pm and arriving at Houston 10.22pm. This would still let me catch the flight for Trinidad leaving Houston at 11.56pm. I did not start to get nervous yet because the arrival time was early enough not to cut it too close.
At 3.40pm I got a second alert saying the flight now departs at 9.18pm.. but still arrived at10.22pm... This is when I started to get nervous. Looking back, at this point I should have packed an overnight bag in my carry on, assuming the worst that I was going to miss my flight and not have my luggage for whatever reason.
From about 6pm I had arrived at the Louis Armstrong airport where the more colourful United experience began to unfold. I had tried to check in online 24 hours before, as recommended by an email just as I did in Trinidad but I got the same error. At the united check in area there were about 6 people in line. According to the screens there were multiple delayed or cancelled flights and some still on time. Mine was delayed. There were self service kiosks that each passenger had to navigate to check in. I could see that people were going through it slowly with some starting over because something went wrong. There were four people tending to the kiosks and helping resolve any problems. I am not sure who were agents because some people only take luggage and cannot resolve issues. After waiting a few minutes in line and reaching the front, one of the agents announced that anyone who does not have a cancelled or missed flight should wait and allow others to come forward. My flight was delayed so I stepped up to a kiosk which was close to the same agent. She asked me which flight I was on and when I told her she shouted " Didn't you just hear me announce that anyone with cancelled or delayed or missed flights should wait!".
I said "No, you did not say delayed."
At 3.28pm I got an email alert with the subject "Flight Delay.."saying the flight was delayed due to a late inbound aircraft and the new departure time is 9.00pm and arriving at Houston 10.22pm. This would still let me catch the flight for Trinidad leaving Houston at 11.56pm. I did not start to get nervous yet because the arrival time was early enough not to cut it too close.
At 3.40pm I got a second alert saying the flight now departs at 9.18pm.. but still arrived at10.22pm... This is when I started to get nervous. Looking back, at this point I should have packed an overnight bag in my carry on, assuming the worst that I was going to miss my flight and not have my luggage for whatever reason.
From about 6pm I had arrived at the Louis Armstrong airport where the more colourful United experience began to unfold. I had tried to check in online 24 hours before, as recommended by an email just as I did in Trinidad but I got the same error. At the united check in area there were about 6 people in line. According to the screens there were multiple delayed or cancelled flights and some still on time. Mine was delayed. There were self service kiosks that each passenger had to navigate to check in. I could see that people were going through it slowly with some starting over because something went wrong. There were four people tending to the kiosks and helping resolve any problems. I am not sure who were agents because some people only take luggage and cannot resolve issues. After waiting a few minutes in line and reaching the front, one of the agents announced that anyone who does not have a cancelled or missed flight should wait and allow others to come forward. My flight was delayed so I stepped up to a kiosk which was close to the same agent. She asked me which flight I was on and when I told her she shouted " Didn't you just hear me announce that anyone with cancelled or delayed or missed flights should wait!".
I said "No, you did not say delayed."
"Yes, I said delayed...!"
"No, you didn't and I'm sure it is on camera"
After a few seconds she said I could go ahead to use the kiosk. I tried twice and both times came up saying that I need assistance from an agent. The same woman was waved down and was able to check me in. Here I paid $25USD for luggage without the additional $7.50 that was needed in Trinidad.
The email alerts kept coming at 5.35pm, 6.41pm and 7.09pm all shifting the departure to later times. The latest arrival time was now 11.52pm.
At 7.14pm an alert said the departure gate changed.
At 7.14pm an alert said the departure gate changed.
At 7.46pm an alert with subject "Flight revised.." said the new arrival time was 12.07am the next day.. I would miss the connecting flight. At the gate, I met two other Trinidadians who were in the same dilemma but had already spoken to an agent and secured the last two seats for the flight to Trinidad the following afternoon (5th Jan). I was told by the agent I would have to be on standby for that flight and also on the 6th and I could get a confirmed seat on the 7th. The other option was to take a flight to New York on the 5th and then to Trinidad. This did not make sense because of the bad weather. I did not have any other choice at this point, I would stay in Houston. I could have also chosen to stay in New Orleans a day or two until the next available flight but my logic was take this flight to go closer to home while I had a confirmed seat.
When I arrived at Houston a little after midnight, there were five other people at the gate to talk to an agent about the same missed flight. I was last in line. The line was moving slowly. Some distance away was a Customer Service counter that some other customers were lined up for. After 30 minutes in the line at the gate I went across to the other counter and I could see there were 5 free agents and a man about to stand up. As I approached through the maze of barriers I heard someone say "No, we're closed". I was not sure if he was speaking to me because I was not looking at him and thought maybe he was on the phone. Another agent said "Hi" and the man standing up said again "We're closed". The agent said "We're closed?" and looked at the man for a couple seconds and gave me a defeated "Sorry, we're closed". The other agents remained silent and tried to avoid eye contact with me.
I was literally the last person to be tended to and it felt like I was being told "WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU! GO AWAY!"
I headed back to the line at the gate where the agent was still on duty. When it was my turn I explained the situation and she mentioned she was not supposed to be at the gate and she had to be somewhere else in the airport for 2am.. I am not sure why she was telling me this, that was over an hour away.. was I going to kept here that long?? She offered me standby for the 5th and confirmed seats on the 6th instead of the 7th as I was told at Houston. I chose to cancel my standby for the 5th because of her explanation of how standby works. If there are remaining seats when the flight is boarding, the computer picks the passenger(s) based on a number of factors including how much they paid for their tickets. I was not about to waste time in the airport again with another delayed flight given what had just happened.
She gave me a printed sheet (ticket?) saying I was confirmed for the 6th. I would spend a day in Houston. I was given a number to call that could organise a hotel at a reduced rate. For the other people, two of them already had the flight confirmed and one was on my flight. The last two were a couple with the woman getting a confirmed seat for the 5th and the man being on standby. The agent told one of them the plane could wait for connecting passengers, perhaps in our case it would mean waiting too long because the planes were in different terminals.
She gave me a printed sheet (ticket?) saying I was confirmed for the 6th. I would spend a day in Houston. I was given a number to call that could organise a hotel at a reduced rate. For the other people, two of them already had the flight confirmed and one was on my flight. The last two were a couple with the woman getting a confirmed seat for the 5th and the man being on standby. The agent told one of them the plane could wait for connecting passengers, perhaps in our case it would mean waiting too long because the planes were in different terminals.
On the way to collect my luggage I had to pass by the "Customer Service" counter and saw another passenger talking to one of the agents who was still there. She allowed the passenger to call the number we were given to try to book a hotel. He was on hold for at least 10 minutes when he gave up and handed me the phone because he decided to stay the night in the airport with his wife. The agent was packing up while I was on hold, listening to silence. I had internet access and a phone so I decided to give up waiting and proceed to collect my luggage. I could book the hotel later. The other people would wait out the day in the airport for their standby flight. It was a lonely walk to the luggage area, I passed one cleaner(?) along the way.
At baggage claim my luggage was nowhere in sight. There was a baggage claims office with a few agents sitting at desks. The time was now 1.15am. One agent said that because I had a connecting flight that my luggage would be in a special locked area and that no one was there to take luggage out until 6.30am. I would have to come back at that time. She did not ask to see any of my documents. After considering my options, I chose to wait in the airport until then instead of running back and forth between the hotel and the airport. I was given a small bag of toiletries. In it was a toothbrush, toothpaste, mini comb, disposable razor, mini Dove antiperspirant, two packets of shaving cream and a 2 in 1 packet of shampoo and conditioner. I was tired and frustrated. A couple of the carousels were still running and people from other flights were collecting their bags. There were a couple almost empty snack and drink vending machines. I found a seat and tried to relax.
I did manage to get some sleep and woke up at 7.00am. The carousels were still busy, there was a man asleep on the row of chairs behind me. All my belongings were still there, I had survived.. so far. Back at Baggage Claim with my sore neck and bad breath I found a different set of agents. This time I wrote my name in a book that was there from the night before which I did not use as an agent came out to me as I had gone in. Now after a couple of minutes an agent came out and called me into her cubicle. After explaining my situation, she checked my baggage tag and said my bag was still in New Orleans (...more good news!). She explained that the bags are scanned at points along their journey and the last record she has is scanned at New Orleans, she turned the screen around for me to see for myself. I assume she saw that I already had a toiletries bag which is why she did not offer one. She was not sure why the bag was still there or when it would come in. Her advice about collecting the bags was that I could check online with the baggage tracker utility on united.com or come back to the airport to query it. The day before, people who had requested their bags to be 'pulled' got it after 5 hours and no requests were taken after lunch. The people retrieving it were the regular baggage handlers who were otherwise already swamped. Since my flight was in a day it would probably make sense to leave it en route to Trinidad and manage without it. Requesting that it come out may result with it coming off track when I am on my way to Trinidad and it staying in Houston. She was very sympathetic when speaking and repeated "I know this is not what you want to hear, but...". This did not make me feel any better.
Now depressed, I went back to my camp site to research a hotel. The temperature outside was a little warmer than New Orleans but not much so I was still using my cold gear which I had as carry on. There were free shuttles to various hotels, you just had to get the specific shuttle for your hotel. The advertised price was starting at $130USD per night for TownePlace and I was told the discount via the airline was $75 USD. I checked in at around 8.30am and was told I would only be charged for one day even though I was checking in early. Luckily breakfast was still being served so I got a nice warm meal. I then slept a few hours to make up for what I missed the night before on the airport chairs.
I did manage to get some sleep and woke up at 7.00am. The carousels were still busy, there was a man asleep on the row of chairs behind me. All my belongings were still there, I had survived.. so far. Back at Baggage Claim with my sore neck and bad breath I found a different set of agents. This time I wrote my name in a book that was there from the night before which I did not use as an agent came out to me as I had gone in. Now after a couple of minutes an agent came out and called me into her cubicle. After explaining my situation, she checked my baggage tag and said my bag was still in New Orleans (...more good news!). She explained that the bags are scanned at points along their journey and the last record she has is scanned at New Orleans, she turned the screen around for me to see for myself. I assume she saw that I already had a toiletries bag which is why she did not offer one. She was not sure why the bag was still there or when it would come in. Her advice about collecting the bags was that I could check online with the baggage tracker utility on united.com or come back to the airport to query it. The day before, people who had requested their bags to be 'pulled' got it after 5 hours and no requests were taken after lunch. The people retrieving it were the regular baggage handlers who were otherwise already swamped. Since my flight was in a day it would probably make sense to leave it en route to Trinidad and manage without it. Requesting that it come out may result with it coming off track when I am on my way to Trinidad and it staying in Houston. She was very sympathetic when speaking and repeated "I know this is not what you want to hear, but...". This did not make me feel any better.
Now depressed, I went back to my camp site to research a hotel. The temperature outside was a little warmer than New Orleans but not much so I was still using my cold gear which I had as carry on. There were free shuttles to various hotels, you just had to get the specific shuttle for your hotel. The advertised price was starting at $130USD per night for TownePlace and I was told the discount via the airline was $75 USD. I checked in at around 8.30am and was told I would only be charged for one day even though I was checking in early. Luckily breakfast was still being served so I got a nice warm meal. I then slept a few hours to make up for what I missed the night before on the airport chairs.
Next on the agenda was getting clothes and food. I took a taxi for $20 USD to a nearby Walmart. The minivan taxi smelled horrible. There were a few air fresheners which did nothing. At Walmart I had a late lunch and bought sleeping clothes and dinner. When I tried calling the number the taxi driver gave me for my return trip there was no answer. I called the hotel and they called another cab for me, another $20usd to get back home. I stayed in for the night, had a nice dinner and enjoyed my comfortable bed.
The next day I tried to check in online for the flight but I got the familiar error. Baggage info was also not available on the tracker. After another warm breakfast, I checked out and the charge for the night was a surprising $52USD. I headed to the airport to continue the adventure. When I tried to do a self check in at the kiosk, the familiar error came up, I needed an agent to check me in. The agent who was attending was very pleasant. He was able to check me in and after explaining my situation, his check showed my bag still in New Orleans. He advised I check with the agent at the gate for my luggage as his screen may not be showing the latest info. On the way to my gate I asked another agent at a gate about my luggage and he said it would be on the flight with me. When I asked the agent at my gate she said it would be on the plane with me because bags do not leave on international flights without the owners on board. I was hoping this was the case.
The flight was on time and went smoothly. Complimentary drinks were served. The first serving was juices teas and sodas. The others were only water. When I arrived at Piarco I waited for my luggage until there were no more coming out. I confirmed this with an attendant who was pulling bags off and lining them up for collection instead of having them making circles on the carousel.
The flight was on time and went smoothly. Complimentary drinks were served. The first serving was juices teas and sodas. The others were only water. When I arrived at Piarco I waited for my luggage until there were no more coming out. I confirmed this with an attendant who was pulling bags off and lining them up for collection instead of having them making circles on the carousel.
The Baggage Claim counter at Piarco is a very dimly lit area with a couple hundred bags lined up around it. There was a Caribbean Air desk and a United desk. No one was at the United desk so I asked for help at the other desk. My luggage was there in the crowd. The agent moved it from behind a post and out of a shadow to read the tag. I had to sign a book for receiving it and the agent confirmed that he too was having trouble seeing in the dim light. The bag had come in on an earlier flight but he was not sure which one. The tag had a red sticker with "Manifest Bag, Load on next available flt".
The journey was over, I was back home with my luggage. All the agents I spoke to said I would not get any compensation for costs incurred due to the missed connecting flight, approximately $150USD, because the delay was due to bad weather and not the airline's fault.
I would prefer not to use United again in the future and would not recommend them based on my experience. The bad behaviour of the agents was something expected in Trinidad but not abroad.
Topics:
baggage claim Piarco Trinidad and Tobago airport,
missed connecting flight
bad customer service
united airlines review
rude agents
polar vortex ground delay flights
fly to new orleans
The journey was over, I was back home with my luggage. All the agents I spoke to said I would not get any compensation for costs incurred due to the missed connecting flight, approximately $150USD, because the delay was due to bad weather and not the airline's fault.
I would prefer not to use United again in the future and would not recommend them based on my experience. The bad behaviour of the agents was something expected in Trinidad but not abroad.
Topics:
baggage claim Piarco Trinidad and Tobago airport,
missed connecting flight
bad customer service
united airlines review
rude agents
polar vortex ground delay flights
fly to new orleans
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
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