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Port of Spain's eastern suburbs are rarely visited by tourists but Belmont - the city's first suburb - has a close-knit community famous for its continuance of African traditions and the celebration of feasts and festivals of the Orisha religion, a Yoruban faith with a somewhat clandestine presence in Trinidad and Tobago. Neighbouring Laventille , with its steep alleys lined with ramshackle houses made from salvaged boards and galvanized roofing, perches on the hillside in defiance of gravity. The area has spawned many a great pan player and calypsonian, was the birthplace of the steel drum and was celebrated by the Nobel laureate Derek Walcott in his poem "The Hills of Laventille". Many visitors are put off the area by scare stories, but much of this is exaggerated. Exploring with a local resident will certainly help you to get more out of the area; Elwyn Francis (tel 868/627-3377), a trained tour guide with the Chaguaramas Development Authority, conducts excellent walking tours of the area for TT$50.
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