Undaunted by warnings about crime, a visiting 20-year-old German backpacker is planning to walk the length of Trinidad to show there is still love in a country riddled by murders and robberies.
Traveller Tilo Kruse says he will embark on a 16-day walk, spanning 250 kilometres, from Toco to Icacos from Monday.
He plans to do this with no money. He will carry only his cellphone and clothing, and says he will depend on the kindness of strangers to feed and lodge him along the way.
In an interview yesterday at Scout Association headquarters in St Ann’s, along with its operations officer Calvin Paul, Kruse said he was not worried about crime.
“I have heard people say there’s a lot of crime. Trinidad is dangerous. They will kill you. My parents (Michael and Kristina Kruse) kept telling me to be careful of the crime. My father owns a woodworking company. My mother’s a veterinarian.
“I am not saying that criminals do not exist, but I believe that there are not enough stories about the hospitality of everyday Trinidadians who (have) invited me and given me food and water to outweigh all the recent crime stories,” Kruse, who arrived in T&T recently, told the Express.
“The only mishap I have had so far was a homeless man stealing my headphones. I have found the people to be super friendly and nice. Welcoming. I decided I would walk. Move out of Port of Spain and really get a chance to see the country.”
He added: “So far, I have slept in the jungles of Chaguaramas. Got bitten by mosquitoes. Then I wanted to buy shoes, so I was walking by (Scouts) when I met Paul. We started chatting and he invited me in. I told him about my plans. He has been helping me map it.”
An explorer
Kruse left his small village Olsberg Elleringhausen and walked across Germany to the end of Spain. When he got to Gibraltar, he asked a United States captain at the marina to give him some odd jobs. Then he set sail for the Caribbean on the vessel La Pelegrima, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean and eventually docked at Chaguaramas.
Kruse then decided to explore Trinidad’s towns and villages.
He said he was sleeping outdoors at the Scouts headquarters in St Ann’s for now, but plans to see the sprawling Amazon rainforest and neighbouring Venezuela.
Kruse said he loves the country’s landscapes, topograpy and beauty. “I was walking in the Queen’s Park Savannah when I saw so many birds. The birds are chirping. We don’t have so many species back home. When I was in the jungle, I saw flowers that grow in my grandmother’s garden. They were like wildflowers. A huge cluster.”
While Trinis regularly complain about the punishing sunshine, Kruse said: “My house is covered in snow. I love the sun.”
Kruse believes kind and generous Trinis will help him. He said: “When I go to the villages, I will ask for water. For a refill. I might ask for a place to sleep. Food. I am not fussy about food. Depend upon the hospitality of strangers. So far, I love the doubles. Hot is really hot. It’s like fire.”
He recalled: “When I went through Spain, I had about 50 euros. Money is not a problem with me. I can do little odd jobs if I need some small change. I can wash dishes or put out garbage. No fuss.
“I am up to the challenge. This won’t be an easy trip. Rigorous at times. I will have to deal with hunger, thirst, sunburn, mosquitoes and struggling to find a place to sleep.
“But I will also experience the beautiful, hidden parts of Trinidad. I will indulge in the kindness of the people along the way.
“I think this journey might be something Trinidadians will be interested in because it will shine a light on the hospitality of people, which sometimes get overlooked. I will keep in touch with some Scouts if I get into any major problems.”
