masa takayama's case, seems far, far away from the little town he grew up in. ♪ >> anthony: the thundering hooves of many horses. the sound of a thousand beer cans popping open. and music, always music. ♪ ♪ >> be afraid. be very afraid. no, really. >> woo! >> mardi gras.

>> mardi gras! >> mardi gras! ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something goodn9 in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪9é0b ♪ sha la la la sha la la la ♪ ♪ sha la la la sha la la la la la ♪ [ engine revving ] ♪

>> anthony: there are parts of america that are special. unique, unlike anywhere else. cultures all their own, kept close. much loved but largely misunderstood. ♪ >> the vast patchwork of salt water marshes, bayous, and prairie land that make up cajun country is one of those places. while the rest of the usa got stitched together by super highways, southwestern louisiana remained relatively isolated. i-10 wasn't completed until the 1970s, finally connecting this part of the state to new orleans, houston, and the rest of the nation. with that came chain restaurants, drive-thrus, and strip malls. but fear not, it's still magnificently weird. ♪

>> take for example, cajun mardi gras. ordinarily, i loathe the idea of mardi gras. any kind of group celebration. anything festive involving dancing fills me with self-conscious dread. thousands of happy drunks crowding into the french quarter for instance, not for me. but cajun mardi gras is another thing entirely. closer to the ancient french tradition. vaguely more dangerous, down right medieval. cajuns do things their way. always have, always will. whether it's hanging onto the french language of their ancestors, their music, traditions, or food, cajuns fiercely keep it all vibrantly alive. boudin is ubiquitous sausage of cajun country. and judging by the lineup at the drive-thru, billy's boudin is pretty damn popular. >> woman: can i help who's next? >> toby: so this is a boudin

ball stuffed with pepper jack cheese. which i believe billy's is responsible for its invention. >> anthony: what's that? like ground up sausage and molten cheese battered and fried? who's going to hate that? no one. >> anthony: in addition to boudin, breakfast around here wouldn't be complete without some cracklins, and of course, a >> toby: my father's first language is french. i mean, as a kid for him, he was whipped at school for speaking french. >> anthony: yeah, i mean, look, is it fair to say that at most points in its history, the cajuns have been, if not a despised minority, aggressively marginalized minority. >> toby: our depiction stops at swamp scenes and alligators, and it's so much more than that. not just because of the food, not just because of the music, because of their way of life, you know? especially acadiana, this is the most european part of america, in my opinion. >> anthony: so we're going to

eat well this week? >> toby: yeah, lot of good food. lot of house parties. >> anthony: excited about mardi gras?xs my first, never been to one. >> toby: here it's a whole different thing. i mean, the major difference is that here, you are the event. >> anthony: mhmm. >> toby: like if you're attending mardi gras, if you're running mardi gras, then you are part of it. >> anthony: right. >> toby: like it's bigger than christmas. >> anthony: toby rodriguez is about as cajun as you get. i met him nearly a decade ago when i came here for a boucherie. back then, toby and everybody else said, "you've got to come back for our mardi gras." >> toby: wanna give me a hand? >> anthony: "we do mardi gras right." and so, here i am. it's the week before and there is anticipation in the air. all over acadiana, scenes like this unfold. out in the yard with friends and family.

kids playing, music, dancing, beer. good catholic whiskey. gumbo cooking in a big pot. ♪ ♪ >> man: mardi gras! >> joel savoy: welcome back. how're you doing? >> anthony: really good. good to see you both again. >> marc savoy: good to see you too. >> anthony: how's things? you might call the savoy family cajun royalty. i know them from my last visit, and it's good to see them again. marc savoy was born and raised here in the small prairie town of eunice. together with his wife ann and sons joel and wilson, they make up the savoy family band. they've all been playing music since they were children and share a devotion, a dedication to cajun culture.

so, how far does the family go back here? >> ann savoy: marc, here's the question -- how far does your family go back here? >> marc: well, i think back to the american revolution because the land that we live on was ceded to one of our ancestors. and part of that land is still in our family today. >> anthony: how the french acadian pioneers got here, and ended up becoming cajun is a long story. forcibly deported by the protestant british from their homeland in nova scotia, the acadians became refugees. eventually settling deep in the mosquito-infested swamps and flatlands of louisiana. a place nobody else wanted at the time. over the years, the settlers absorbed, to varying degrees, other cultures -- irish, spanish, german, native american, and west african among others. mutating into a distinctive culture unlike any other. so how long has the family been playing music? >> marc: well, my grandfather was a fiddler, but i don't know

more than that. >> joel: i have that fiddle. that's your grandfather's fiddle and your uncle's fiddle. >> marc: which was your great uncle. >> joel: living in the same case here in the house. >> anthony: so what are you guys doing for mardi gras? >> joel: running. >> anthony: running. >> man: running. >> joel: you running? >> anthony: i believe i am. >> joel: what are you doing? >> toby: he's a capitan. [ laughter ] >> joel: what are you doing? >> toby: i'm running mardi gras. >> joel: what are you doing? >> linzay young: running mardi gras. right here. >> ann: but you know in the old days, it was just people walking. it wasn't -- it's become insane, more and more insane. >> toby: but every year, somebody dies. every single year, there's one death at mardi gras. every year. >> ann: but you know you've got to stay away from the horses feet. you know, like a lot of horse injuries, like their horses. so the horses will kick you in the head or something. >> anthony: oh, okay. >> man: i mean, a lot of really good reasons that you're doing all these things. i mean, it's the end of winter, people are out of food. >> jourdan thibodeaux: and it's right before the lent. >> man: it's right before lent. >> jourdan: letting out the last of you, what you got in you. stop everything for a good while. >> ann: last chance to misbehave before lent.

then the next day they go to church and get a "x" on their forehead. >> anthony: so you go in, you got a black eye, your shoulder is out of its socket and you get the -- >> ann: you get the cross. >> man: everybody at church prays, getting the ashes, "sorry for everything i did." >> anthony: sorry for everything i did, yesterday. ♪

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and today can save your life. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ thundering ] >> anthony: fais-do-do -- translated means "go to sleep." something a mother would say to a crying baby. this soothing phrase became, over time, something else entirely. >> woman: what the hell? >> woman: finish that. >> woman: i got to drive. >> woman: it's mardi gras. >> anthony: apparently mom was just lulling junior to sleep so she could go party.

a warm-up for mardi gras. or simply a continuation of what seems like an endless pregame of drinking, eating, music, dancing, and celebration.]xó!ñ ♪ywm. >> toby, a contractor and butcher and restauranteur jack-of-all-trades is the host of this epic fais-do-do. and he's invited 170 or so of his closest friends. everybody cooks. men, women, even kids appear to have a specialty. weather be damned, we came to party and party we shall. ♪ food has always tied communities here together. cajuns trace the roots of their culture, and cuisine to a particularly brutal diaspora, followed by a steep learning

curve as they adapted to the harsh environment of rural louisiana. their culinary traditions are a direct reflection of those days. >> man: mardi gras! >> megan arceneaux: this is saturday, right? so we are prepping for mardi gras. >> anthony: so these people have been drunk for how long? >> megan arceneaux: about a week. yeah. >> anthony: so what part of, where am i? >> megan arceneaux: man, you're in the middle of grand coteau, louisiana. >> anthony: right. this is not the bayou, this is -- the prairie >> megan arceneaux: oh, you're in the prairie. that's what grand coteau is -- "big hill." >> anthony: right. so that's like right now where you're at, you're actually at one of the highest points in louisiana if you can believe that. it's kind of scary, right? >> anthony: eight feet elevation. >> megan arceneaux: you take a cajun to the mountains, they might get a little woozy. >> anthony: no party around here would be complete without a crawfish boil. all right, fire up the reactor. hell, yeah. >> megan arceneaux: i hope you're ready. >> anthony: i'm ready.

i like this thing. >> megan arceneaux: oh man, this is my baby right here. >> anthony: now what's the appropriate term for a crawfish? just crawfish? crawdad? mud bug? >> megan arceneaux: we don't -- don't say crawdads. down here it's crawfish. >> anthony: all right. no other term is acceptable? >> megan arceneaux: i mean, you can call them little mud bugs if you want, but we like to just call them by what they are, crawfish. >> anthony: okay, so ecrevisse would not be -- >> megan arceneaux: yeah, crevisse, yeah. that's french for crawfish. >> anthony: all right, that'll work too? >> megan arceneaux: yeah, that's good. yeah. >> anthony: oh yeah. woo, that's good. go for it man. kids don't need much convincing. >> megan arceneaux: oh, they love them. that's because -- first crawfish of the season for us.zy-o ♪ >> anthony: oh man, that's pretty. what -- super dark sauce, man. >> hat: yeah just parsnips and celery root. >> anthony: ah, okay.

oh, that's delicious. [ cheering ] what are these guys doing out there standing in the rain? and this sounds like a good idea when drinking -- a rousing game of stump, or stump and nails. throw a hammer in the air and drive it down hard. hopefully onto a nail rather than a hand or other extremity. preferably in the rain. how dumb do you feel if you end up in the hospital with that thing sunk into your cheek? >> man: only twice. >> anthony: has this happened? only twice? okay, good. so i like my odds. >> man: swing it down. { cheering ] >> man: you got a spark. >> man: you got a spark. >> man: first shot, first killing. >> anthony: as night falls, it's  >> jolie: hot pot, hot pot! >> anthony: i sit down with toby and his friends lucious, megan, and jolie. >> lucious: that's catfish coubion. rice first, tony. >> tony: perfect rice.

>> anthony: that's a shrimp stew down there? >> toby: that's shrimp stew. >> anthony: hardboiled egg? i gotta ask though, but before i forget, now mardi gras is coming up tuesday? >> group: yes. >> anthony: now, i mean i sort of noticed it's a guy thing. >> megan arceneaux: most runs women canwv >> jolie: it is very much a boys club. it always has been. they always say, you know -- >> anthony: you support this brutal fascist regime? >> toby: oh no, the run that i captain is co-ed. >> anthony: but that's the exception, not the rule? >> jolie: it is the exception, huge. we had a female the other day going, "i'm going to run mamou." and i'm like, "no, you're not. don't do it. they don't accept it." >> anthony: so what would happen if you were to show up? >> lucious: you get chased off. >> anthony: chased off? >> jolie: yeah. >> toby: they're segregating it for the sexes, but there are two different runs. >> anthony: that's like saudi arabia, dude. >> toby: i know. >> jolie: it's backwards here.

>> megan: it's very backwards. like women don't have a place in a run on mardi gras. >> lbr performer: come in a little bit because we're kind of getting cold. we need y'alls warmth up in the mud right here.]+fb ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪@m/y >> sid williams: ash wednesday, man. that's the beginning of lent. got to get all the devil out of you. you know i drink a little whiskey every now and then. see a buzzard fly high, but he

got to come down to drink. >> anthony: what is creole and what is cajun are increasingly difficult distinctions in this day of commercialization and appro%q%=99ñ anything delicious and unique is going to end up slapped on a bag in front of the words "potato chips." creole means, or has come to mean, a mixture of languages, peoples, and cultures. in louisiana though, it's usually used to describe members of the african-american or mixed-race french-speaking community. why do you think it's important that people still sing in french and keep that language -- that dialect alive? >> herman fusiler: that's what makes it zydeco. zydeco has always been influenced by mainstream music. but it started as french music as the creole music. and you totally remove that from the music, a lot of times it's just rap with an accordion. or rock & roll with an

accordion. you still have that -- >> sid: hip-hop stuff. i'll tell you what, i can call my momma, she's 85, right now on the phone. and she'd want to talk to me in french. my grandma couldn't speak nothing else. >> dave: right. >> anthony: i'm having lunch today with historian and radio dj herman fusiler, creole cowboy, dave lemelle, and musically inclined business owner, sid williams. the spot is laura's plate lunch ii. popular all the time, but particularly busy on sundays after church. rice and gravy, fried fish, ribs and smothered stuffed turkey wings, which i am all over like a heat-seeking missile. damn. that looks serious. >> sid: mhmm. >> dave lemelle: when you say louisiana, they think of cajun. cajun is a big part of louisiana, but creole is a big part of louisiana too, you know. >> anthony: it used to be native to louisiana. >> herman fusiler: yeah. >> anthony: that was the original meaning as i understand it. >> herman fusiler: it still has hundreds of definitions, but for

us, it's descendants of slaves and free people of color, and it deals with the food and the music. and the catholic church is a big part of it too. >> dave lemelle: trail rides and horseback riding is just a way of louisiana now. you know it's been going on for so long.m1> herman fusiler: the music was always part of it, but the music got to be more of it, and then slowly but surely became a party, where, you know, kind of this social scene. >> anthony: there's a lot of pieces coming together. you've got food, horses, and music. ♪ >> trail rides go back a long way. they happen all year, but are also the way creoles celebrate mardi gras around here. kind of a moving tailgate party and barbecue. interestingly, and i almost want to dig up john wayne just to tell him this, creoles are widely believed to be the first american cowboys.

herding cattle in the plains and bayous of louisiana long before white dudes in ass-less chaps started showing up in the west. in fact, zydeco music was born out of cowboy culture. the rhythm of the washboard mimicking the trot of a horse on the trail. >> dave lemelle: we don't want to lose our culture we have here because this is a true thing that goes on every weekend. and i think the world needs to see it, you know. yeah, we are creole black guys riding horses, wearing cowboy hats, dancing to zydeco music. >> herman fusiler: playing the accordions. >> dave lemelle: playing accordion. at one time maybe it wasn't cool, but now if you being country, and trail riding, and listening to zydeco music, you're cool. ♪

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♪

♪ >> jay: if you see a pig -- if you see a pig, shoot that [ bleep ]. ♪ >> anthony: hunting in louisiana marshland has been a way of life for the acadians since they first arrived here hundreds of years ago. back then however, they didn't have these things -- a big fan and a whole lot of horsepower. also didn't have an infestation of wild pigs -- an invasive but delicious species that are causing big problems for the local ecosystem. they're supposed to be all over, like shooting fish in a barrel, i'm told. [ gunfire ] ♪ i'm tagging along with the millers. uncle bruneaux is the best cook in the family.

his nephew, jay, a stone-cold killer. >> jay: you know what's the technique to holding your beer? like -- like this, look. that's the technique. ♪ everywhere where there's a tree hanging over like that. that little area underneath, it just seems like that'd be such good spot for them. but just not seeing them yet. there's definitely problematic hogs in this area, just they're not here at the moment, you >> anthony: their tracks are everywhere. >> jay: they've walked here in the past 24 hours. >> anthony: yeah. >> jay: so where they at? where? we could try our best hog call, just like -- >> anthony: does that work? >> jay: wayour honor!

want to hear the most annoying sound in the world? >> anthony: yeah, that's it. and yet, despite there being millions of invasive wild pigs in louisiana, after tear ass-ing around the marshes for hours, we come up empty. no pig for you, yankee carpetbagger. >> jay: i know you want to have a family dinner, and all this romantic bullshit, but look, i can tell you. my grandma has the most impressive farts you ever smelled. and the best cinnamon rolls, too. you're in for a treat. >> anthony: i was looking forward. [ laughter ] >> bruneaux: nope, we didn't see nothing. no pigs. it happens. i guess why they call it fishing and hunting instead of killing and catching. you know? >> jay: let's continue on with the beer drinking and perverted jokes. you know? >> anthony: indeed. >> jay: that's what we came here for. ♪

>> anthony: there are consolations however for our mighty hunters. back at the miller home, grandma jackie prepares fresh-baked bread. while uncle bruneaux cooks up some traditional family specialties. shrimp and okra. sweet potatoes, rice of course. and pod au pu, heirloom peas from grandpa larry's garden. all in all, things worked out okay in the end. >> miller family: bless us, o lord. and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through christ, our lord. amen. >> bruneaux: and, good food, good meat, great god, let's eat. >> jay: let's eat. >> bruneaux: god damn it, let's eat. >> jay: you've got to pray before you cuss. >> anthony: as one does. >> jay: it's the order before you do it. >> bruneaux: tony, we always start with rice. >> jay: i'm going to get some wine for everybody. >> bruneaux: yeah, let's start with some --

jay's going to pour us some wine. >> anthony: this is beautiful. so everybody excited about tomorrow, the big day? >> bruneaux: yeah. oh, yeah. >> anthony: and there are how many days to recover? >> jackie: well, we have the whole lent to recover. >> anthony: right. >> jackie: there you go. the music and the food are part of what makes us cajun.jz,r"é l gras is a very important part of who we are as a people. so we're keeping those traditions going. we're starting the fifth generation of my family running mardi gras. >> anthony: how far back does the tradition go, and where did it all start? >> larry: back in the 16th v gras then, but it was because our ancestors were not invited to the king's party because he invited only the wealthy people and the church hierarchy. so our people would do a street party of their own. >> anthony: so it started out as a genuine need for food, and a way to get it. >> larry: that's true. >> anthony: one day a year that you could get it. and as i understand it, it was

kind of license to mock the people you were -- >> larry: yeah, they were -- >> anthony: -- who were leaving you out of the party. >> jackie: that's where the tall, conical hats come from. in mockery of the queen. they were proud people, and they didn't want to be recognized. that's why they disguised their face. and not to feel like they were taking charity, so they put on a performance. >> jay: so at each home that we stop at, there's like a little party that goes on. >> anthony: right. so they know you're coming? and you know what you're expecting? >> jay: it's already tpau pre-arranged. like, they know we're coming, they have a chicken. and they cook something, and -- >> anthony: so if i knew you were coming, what would be appropriate preparations be? i should have some food on hand? >> bruneaux: you could throw money. you could donate a couple of chickens that they could chase and gr)áç >> anthony: right. >> jay: basically, just board up the windows and make like there's a hurricane coming. open up the barn, put everything in the barn, lock the barn. i'm talking about down to a shovel. if a mardi gras finds a shovel just leaning up against the back

of the house, they're going to grab it, dig a hole, and bury another mardi gras. >> jackie: i know. >> anthony: i will be taking part in the mardi gras run this year. and one does not interject oneself among hundreds of drunk cajuns without proper attire. fortunately, grandma jackie is one of the premier couturier of such specialty garb in these parts. how many masks and outfits do you do a year? >> jackie: masks, i guess i made about 50. usually i have 50 or 60 a year. >> anthony: so you're working on those all year long. >> jackie: um, well, yes. >> larry: almost. jackie has created a signature nose that's unique to her -- >> jay: basically, yeah. >> larry: -- that she's known for. >> jackie: a lot of people just say i want a suit. or if i have one, they say, "oh, i like this one. i like this one." now if they come to me and they say, "i want the saints, or lsu," i say, "nope, i make traditional tee mamou mardi gras costumes." i don't make one that looks like

santa claus or anything like him. they have to be traditional, or i don't make them. here it is. >> anthony: oh yeah. [ laughter ] that's amazing. oh yeah. it's fearsome, that's great. let me just try it on. >> jay: there you go. uh-huh. anthony: oh, yeah. >> jay: yeah. >> anthony: all right. >> jay: that's all you. >> anthony: give me a chicken. >> larry: give me a chicken. >> jackie: you bring on the chickens. >> anthony: oh man, it looks great. oh yes, i'm going to wear this around the house afterwards. thank you so much. thank you. >> larry: it's yours. >> jay: hey, i've seen a lot of different people turn into a lot of different things mardi gras day. >> larry: that's right. that's right. >> jay: some of them ain't come back from it either. >> anthony: you're like the voice of doom, man. ♪ ♪

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>> anthony: traditional costumes and revelry, a contrasting streak of bright colors, set against the wet, gray landscape of late winter. this is grand mamou, louisiana. early morning of the last day before lent. and in cajun country that means it's time to run mardi gras. ♪ men on horseback, men on foot, in search of chickens, presumably for the evening's ritual gumbo. house to house they will go, bringing mirth, mockery, and mayhem. ♪

>> cajun mardi gras traces its roots back to medieval france, when this was the one day of the year working poor could hide their identity and subvert the conventions of society. old-fashioned costumes modeled on satirical rifts on the period m1 and political leaders remain the garment of choice. though, there are also some decidedly modern adaptations. and at this point, i feel like i should be giving you some sort of parental advisory about disturbing imagery and behaviors. along with a caution not to try any of this at home. ♪ >> while everybody is still on their best behavior, a first

stop at the local retirement home to bring a little joy into the lives of the old folks. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> unknown: come on! >> anthony: the captains, in purple and gold robes to keep the marauders in line.á5ck ♪ >> i don't know what these guys are called, but they are everywhere, providing the revelers with a steady supply of

cold beer. i believe they are called enablers. it's before 9:00 am and already everybody is thoroughly swacked. [ cheering ] since this is my first mardi gras, a rundown of the rules would be helpful. no eye gouging. no fish hooking, no eye gouging. no groin shots. >> yellow: no women. no women and don't wring the chickens neck. >> anthony: oh, that's good to know. >> man: what happens if you break the rules? >> yellow: nothing. [ cheering ] >> anthony: catching chickens is the name of the game. but you don't get chickens for free. >> man: that's what it's all about. >> anthony: you are expected to work for it.

dancing, clowning, and providing some entertainment before your hosts release the chicken or chickens. ♪ ♪ >> kind of like trick-or-treating, if your halloween candy moved at high speed and all the other trick-or-treaters were drunk and competing for the same peanut butter cup like it was the last peanut butter cup on earth, andg they didn't care if they killed you to get it. >> man: come here, chicken. >> anthony: damn. ah, grandma got that one. ♪ whoa, oh -- oh, no man, no chicken worth that. holy.

that takes a load of dedication. freezing cold with moist nut sack for the rest of the day, no. [ cheering ] and the beer keeps on coming. and i wonder if this is the kind of promotion a major brand had in mind. i'm going to have nightmares. about grandma flashing me her -- does this mask cause derangement? like if you keep looking through your mask, like i feel like i've got a brain tumor. >> horseman: who does your hair? who does your hair? it's so nice. ♪

>> anthony: in feudal europe, i guess you'd describe what follows as a state of religious ecstasy. but it's evolved to something else entirely. and there's definitely a "purge" vibe, right? [ cheering ] i need a nurse next season. >> man: oh, yeah. >> anthony: please look into that. ♪ i believe this might be a prudent time to employ a stunt double, for purposes of

amusement, comedy, and of course personal safety. ♪ [ cheering ] ♪ finally, the mighty warriors return, triumphant, to a proud, if safely boarded-up town of mamou. by this time, well beyond the point of noticing such things as physical pain. [ cheering ]

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♪ [ bell toggle ] >> anthony: ash wednesday marks the end of winter, the beginning of spring, and lent. [ bell tolling ] where bruised from our exertions and our dimly remembered sins, we might purge ourselves of our transgressions and impure thoughts. >> woman: be merciful, o' lord, for we have sinned. >> anthony: try even to make amends, perhaps, by getting right with jesus, and a period of fasting and quiet reflection.

or something like that. ashes on the forehead, ask for forgiveness for all your chicken-related foolishness of the previous day. then 40 days of meatless meals and no sin. ♪ i've got stuff to do, so i'm hitting the drive-thru for more expedited service. it's like the express line, and so convenient. yup, hi. >> cm dufrene: remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return, but the steadfast love of the lord endures forever. amen. >> anthony: amen. >> cm dufrene: thank you. >> anthony: all right. i got right with god. let's eat. ♪

then a drive through country roads all the way out to near kaplan to suire's grocery, one of the more awesome locations i've ever found. the kind of breakfast spot i just love deeply. menu right there on the wall as you walk in, so you know what you're getting. hi. >> lady: how're you doing? >> anthony: oh, real good now. how are you guys doing today? i think oyster po-boy. do you have crawfish etouffee as well? yes? yeah, i got to do that. and do you do pecan pie by the slice, as well? >> lady: yes, sir. >> anthony: okay, i'll be having some of that later. how come my grocery store doesn't have this? { bell ringing ] oh man, eat your heart out. got everything i need here. feeling pretty good about the world, considering. minimal hangover, minimal mardi

gras-related damage. few bruises. my age, i should be happy i didn't break my hip. ah, thank you. >> lady: and your pecan pie. >> anthony: thank you. >> lady: how do you like it? >> anthony: so good. really, really good. thank you. >> lady: thank you. >> anthony: i love this place. on balance, my cajun mardi gras experience was certainly memorable if nothing else. and through the parting clouds of cruel winter, there is light, and hope, and the onset of spring. ♪ ♪

♪ anthony: there's trinidad and tobago. one country, two very different islands, two very different places. one island is what you expected when you arrived wearing flip-flops and a hawaiian shirt or greased up with cocoa butter.