On Friday at 1:45 PM, I’m on board the flight that takes me to the heart of five days of celebrations, letting loose, and freedom that they tried to steal from us.

I land at 2:30 PM, take the time to drop off my luggage and pick up a car, and then join my longtime accomplice (since we’ve known each other) and off we go.

First stop planned in Le Lamentin, a party themed after Squid Game, and I found leggings with two white stripes…they’re good!

She (the accomplice!) told me about a bet a fé story…so I’ll confess that I’m not at all a fan of themes, I focus on the essentials – the moment, the sharing, the atmosphere. Nevertheless, I’m always amazed by the treasures of imagination put into making costumes that are as sexy as they are sophisticated that I encounter at parties (even if they’re sometimes skimpy, but that’s part of the game).

So Sunday and Monday are free, dress as you are, and that’s quite alright with me, as I hadn’t planned anything else. On Tuesday, little devils, devils and she-devils come together to flood the streets with red, and on Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, as a tribute to the late Vaval burnt at the end of the parade, I’ve packed a black and white outfit for the occasion.

So those are the basic dress codes. But Manzel (the sidekick!) got me a ticket to the Fifty Shades of Pirates of the Caribbean party. Wow! The plot thickens. I really don’t like themes…I already told you that, didn’t I? So, here are the elements I plan to overlay: a swimsuit, a vest, a large ruby mounted on a huge plastic ring, a one-time-use pirate hat, and a skull-patterned bandana. Does it seem mediocre to you…yes, I know, but since I don’t like themes, I can do wonders with very little…probably a matter of zodiac sign…Anyway, it’s like the expression ‘less is more’ was created for me! (humor)

I know her (the sidekick!) and I know that this crazy woman (no, I’m serious here, during Carnival season she literally loses her mind). So, as I was saying, this crazy woman will try to drag me into all the parades she can find. Lamentin, Fort de France, Redoute, Terreville, Godissard, Sainte Luce, Lorrain…all of them, I tell you!

Little confession, last year I surrendered during a pajama parade at 4am…at some point I need to recharge my batteries.

One of the Carnival vibes I love the most is the Buzz Bay. I find it absolutely amazing. In the morning between 9am and 1pm, the tinain lanmori awaits us in a mixture of kraché difé, back it up, pull up, jump up, and vréyé monté.

Needless to say, the machine is running after passing through the Buzz, there’s no time to waste because the transition to the parade happens without any intermediary break. Why do it, you may ask?! We drank, we ate, we drank again…butter chocolate bread is for other occasions (meaning: who wants that anymore).

I’m writing all of this from my seat located at the front of the plane near the emergency exit because I’m ready to save everyone on this plane in case of a problem just to make it to Carnaval. I’m also writing this now because I know that I may not resurface until Friday morning. My heart is filled with joy and this parenthesis, this breath of fresh air, this moment suspended in time where neither problems, nor pandemics, nor global chaos count and well, we’ve more than earned it and we’re going to savor it.

So much love to give, we love everyone’s mothers here and we say it loud and clear in such a flowery, poetic language…we also think about all the things we held back from expressing to our bosses or colleagues who were inventive in making our lives difficult throughout the year…we tell them at this moment!

In the vidés, there’s the crowd, without whom none of this would be possible (thank you to us!) but there are also the walking groups that lead us, and play while walking (not such a simple exercise) and who sing and make the sauce rise during the breaks. You’ll come across fashionista groups who have decided to be true costume stars, there are bradjacks who pop and explode our eardrums…but we love it. We can’t forget the neg gwo siwo who can separate a crowd like Moses did in less than two seconds. There are signs with such colorful and warm messages and full of wordplay worthy of the greatest advertisers…but really! It’s generally about the love we have for the different actors who contribute to making our lives difficult throughout the year. I’m telling you, Martinique has talent and believe me, there’s no other Carnaval like the one from my home!