March 6, 2002

Palmer, the person I would hand over Lyden’s property to and who would take me to the airport arrives 15 minutes late. We rush to the airport and then head towards the city to meet with the Tourism Board director and members who have been waiting for us. After a half an hour-long meeting, we rush to the airport. I shake Palmer’s hand in a hurry and run to catch my flight. I am the last passenger to get on board.

When we get off the plane, the immigration officers give me trouble. They issue me visa for Trinidad. I show them the paper which says that I will receive the visa at the arrival gate if I have a valid passport and a valid visa while leaving Grenada, and I do. But I am told that I will be sent back to Grenada in the next flight. They do not even want to look through my folder and papers. They asked me about my sponsor and I told him that it is Gregor, they find out that he lives in Venezuela. I had no idea about it. Somehow, I manage to call one of my other acquaintances, Elias. He talks to one of the officers and they give me the visa for 50 TTD (Trinidad and Tobago Dollar / 6.116 TTD = 1 US$). Tired, angry with the immigration officers but still hopeful, I sigh, “Trinidad, finally”.

News coverage in Trinadad and Tobago

Translated by: Nira

March 8, 2002
Gregor’s walls are covered with paintings. I figured that he is a painting collector, but I don’t like any of these paintings. He lives in Venezuela but has let me use his house here in Trinidad for 10 days. His girlfriend, Viva, called yesterday. I promised to cycle with him when I come to Venezuela.

Didn’t do anything productive today; prepared for tomorrow’s rally and sent postcards to friends. Make a new friend in the bicycle shop. She doesn’t look like a cyclist but says she enjoys cycling. Gives me $20!

March 9, 2002
I go for the “Ride for Responsible Living 2002. Stop the Spread of HIV/AIDS” rally organized by the Maple Leaf International School. With more than 50 participants, we start at 9:00 am from San Fernando and end at 4:00 pm at Mayaro. During the rally young students have relay cycling. 0n the outskirts of town, eve-teasing from the onlookers is common. We have a comedian among us. He advises all the young people that we meet on the way to have safe sex, and tells old couples to use a condom.

AIDS claims two people in Trinidad everyday. 3 per cent of children are born with AIDS here. Don’t know how effective our rally was today, but I hope we accomplished something.

Food follows. I go around asking for autographs on my T-shirt. By the time I’m through, there is only water and juice left for me. I’m starving! John, Down and me go to a restaurant for a beer and then decide to go swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. We are approached by a security officer who asks us questions and warns us that the water current if very strong and has washed people away occasionally.

March 10, 2002
Sunday. A holiday in Trinidad. People eat, drink, relax. When they see me on the street they tease me, sometimes obscenely. I find this revolting.

I reach St. Joseph’s at 4:00 pm. Have a hard time locating Celia’s house. No house numbers and the people that I asked weren’t helpful either. Take half an hour to find her house and am rewarded with refreshing coconut milk.

March 11, 2002
No electiricity in the morning. Have to go out for breakfast. Go to the Tourist Information Board. Try to meet the director but am told he’s busy. Go to meet the mayor but get the same answer. The secretary says “come tomorrow if you want” but doesn’t give me a fixed time. The people here are as sour as the weather. Be it in a shop or a photo studio, in the post office or a restaurant, people don’t even bother greeting you. They don’t even smile unless they are intoxitaced.

March 12, 2002
It’s 9:00 am and Fedex hasn’t arrived yet. Have an interview at 9:30 on 104 FM. Nesley is waiting for me on the fourth floor of the Long Circular Mall. He was afraid that I won’t make it. Have a half hour long live interview on FM. Audiences can call in and ask me questions two callers asked me about the Royal Massacre and marijuana farming in Nepal. Am surprised how they know about this.

After the program I go to the French Embassy for a visa to French Guyana. Then again try to meet the mayor. Manisha, the receptionist tells me to phone tomorrow. I have been going to the mayor’s office everyday since Wednesday and each day get the same reply. This is frustrating! I stomp out of the office. Manisha seems to be surprised by my reaction. The mayor calls me to give me an appointment for 12:00 tomorrow. Hopefully this time I’ll meet him.

March 13, 2002
Spend the morning staring at Gregor’s paintings and skimming through past issues of National Geaographic. Call Elisa four times and leave messages but she doesn’t call back. Pick up a few calls for Gregor. Have nothing to do so go to the Maracas Bay. Spend half an hour walking around, inhaling the ocean air.

Have an appointment with the mayor at 12:00, but reach his office at 1:00. Still too early. am called in at 1:30. The mayor is very terse and after five minutes says “Nice to meet you.” Now I am hungry. Go to have roti, popular food in Trinidad. The proprietor of the restaurant tells me to bring the cycle in because it might be stolen. I am shocked. Didn’t think a cycle could be stolen when the owner is right there.

March 14, 2002
Last day in Trinidad. It’s raining heavily here. Go to the French Embassy to get the visa. Then visited the Surinam Embassy to get a visa for Surinam. They tell me I can’t pay the visa fee directly in cash. I have to go to the bank, pay there and show the receipt at the embassy. Personally, I think this is a waste of time, but have to do it.

After lunch, meet Lisa and a photographer. The photographer makes the ride the cycle in the rain.

The rain stops at 3:30. I go to Curepe. There is a lot of rush hour traffic and traffic jams everywhere. My cycle moves faster than the cars right now. When I pass the cars people yell at me in the local dialect. I don’t understand what they shout , but I don’t like it anyway. I find the people here very rude and unfriendly. Gregor Nassif is from Dominican Republic, not from Trinidad. That explains why he let me use his house.

When I reach Wesley and Celina’s house, it is already dark. They promised to take me to dinner in Trinidad’s popular restaurant. We go to the Street and have the famous Street Food Double. Then they ordered Oasar, a kind of swamp animal that I can’t swallow without coconut milk.