Eloquence, Inc.: Trinidad Carnival 2012: You Can Still Make It! Contact Eloquence, Inc. ASAP!

Hi Travellers,

Please note that if you have put a housing deposit down already, the balance is due now, I should have sent out PayPal invoices, please log into PayPal and check your requests).

Please fill out the costume/biographical info form and scan and email back to me asap if you have not as yet. My fax doesn't seem reliable at the moment.

Cost estimate summary PER PERSON:
$500 housing Friday to Wednesday (or $300 with the farther option)

$500 costume (roughly, males may be less, females depending on options selected may be more; this estimate has decreased because the more expensive bands have already launched and sold out generally speaking)

$500 fetes & j'ouvert

$620 airfare Miami to Port of Spain if you fly with my group reservation

D'Krewe Carnival section Bombshell

Those are the basics. I will buy your connecting flight if you are able to have the money to me within 24 hours of me finding a reasonable fare from your point of origin to Miami International. Otherwise you will need to connect your flight at your convenience.

What is due right now if you have not yet paid it:

$100 trip planning service fee

$250 down (50% down or your balance) on housing now or $300 in full (which can be paid at a later time) for the farther option

$310 down on airfare (this must be paid off by december)

$170 down on costume (depending on what band and section type you chose, this is an estimate!)

No deposits yet on fetes and j'ouvert, those are coming December

These will all have about 4% added to the bill you receive on PayPal to reflect the fee PayPal charges me to receive the money on my end.

D'Krewe Carnival section Punk Rock

If you have not yet paid the trip planning fee, that is due first. It would not be fair to have your mechanic resolving your car issues for free, neither is it fair to have me resolving your trip planning issues without proper compensation. Time is short. For housing, only the very basic $300 per person place can be paid at a later time. All other housing needs to be deposited on or paid off asap to hold your spot.

Airfare reservation must be paid off in December. If you are flying with the group Friday night to Wednesday morning, you must put your deposit or the next payment down so it is not overwhelming in the middle of December.

Those who are starting very late should wait until all major items are paid off in full to start depositing on a costume. The balance of your costume price you take with you to Trinidad and pay it at the mas camp when you pick up. I will not be sending any further bills for costume deposits until the housing and airfare are paid in full, it just does not make sense from a priorities standpoint.

D'Krewe Carnival section Strut

Trip planning fee, housing, airfare...these must be sorted out ASAP.

At this time all private bathroom options have sold out for La Calypso guesthouse. The only options remaining thus far have shared hallway bathrooms. Alicia's Palace may still have rooms, but they are going very fast. The other small guesthouse with the very basic bed, a/c, and private bath (no internet, no cable, no breakfast, etc) that is farther away (about 2 miles) from the Savannah has all private bathrooms, and will be the only option for those who wait until too late make payment.

P.S. Time to get on that cardio for endurance on the road and those weights for the strength to go fete after fete after fete to the road! If you know you are not going to do anything with a home workout, find a good gym within 1 mile of either your home or your job and get in there most days of the week, 1 hour! 30 minutes weights, 30 minutes cardio, 1 gallon of water a day to flush toxins and fat out, and 1 set bedtime if you can each night to get 6-8 hours of sleep so your body can recover. If you only have 30 minutes each day...do 30 minutes weights one day, 30 minutes cardio the next day. Or go to the classes first thing in the morning or right after work before you even get home...pack the gym bag or heck, just throw them in a plastic bag and in your backseat. But you don't want to get on the road and pass out! This does not even have to be about losing weight, just building up strength and endurance...and you can keep up the habit long after carnival is gone!