[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Hnf8dnWmSt0/UlmhFSpIRsI/AAAAAAAAXhQ/QmPJT_d9BT4/s144-c-o/PA120025.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5933951096313104066″ caption=”My friendly local helpers kayak center owner and president of the local canoe association Merryl, yacht owner Laurie I met already in Australia, Glenn Wilkens and Michel, with whom I am staying” type=”image” alt=”PA120025.JPG” ]

Getting comfortable in Trinidad!
Pos: here
Loc: Chaguarama/ Trinidad
Acc: Michel and Nevine’s house

I found a dinghy landing very close to the GPS position, this must be the meeting point? It was surely the end of the cruising boat harbor with a well lit fancy building at the end, a yacht club probably. But no people to be seen anywhere…I landed, looked around, and decided this is a good spot viewing the customs and immigration offices behind my jetty. But where were my potential hosts? I unloaded on the fancy teak wood jetty, dragged my kayak up and was up for waiting what would be happening.In the worst case I’d stay here until next morning…

It was dead quiet, all looked well in shape and like a lot of money. At some point, I saw a dark skinned guy in kind of a uniform upstairs – was that the night watch? I talked to him, fortunately here they speak English. It was just an employee of the nearby Crew’s Inn hotel, who just had the idea I should come with him to the reception desk and talk to the manager. I politely refused, explaining him my phone problem, and that I was not happy to leave boat and gear out here alone. He came back with another employee, and they tried to make me clear I could not wait here on the private jetty all night where they had the “watch” over this area. But I doubted they were in charge of the night watch here, and the jetty was not so private, and I was sensing they only wanted to get me into their hotel. I was stubborn in this regard, rather played “homeless” than giving in to join their probably expensive hotel.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dZRRQFlTMHk/UlmhDjzf0xI/AAAAAAAAXhQ/m7zH_notAgQ/s144-c-o/PA120023.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5933951066560254738″ caption=”Who needs a hotel or a tent in this climate?” type=”image” alt=”PA120023.JPG” ]

The other guy even got eventually quite impolite saying he’d call the police now, and I happily agreed being able to talk to a real authority person. I eventually showered and changed in a dark corner, when another more friendly looking older employee eventually came who listened more carefully to my story and even was trying to call Glenn’s numbers via his local cell phone. He could at least reach his answering machine and not only like me “the number can’t be dialed as it is incomplete”. He was ok with me waiting here, as I was obviously telling the truth and was no cheap looking person making trouble here at night, and promised he would check on me every hour.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-X8iwOmZjsBA/Ulmg7zBPfQI/AAAAAAAAXhQ/OxLD71xqyY0/s144-c-o/PA120022.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5933950933205482754″ caption=”My ‘homeless Freya’ night spot on the teak wood jetty in the fancy Trinidad yacht harbor where Billions of Dollars are floating around” type=”image” alt=”PA120022.JPG” ]

I unrolled my sleeping pad, my blanket and got some rest right here on the jetty between Billions of dollars worth ships. I kind of thought it was funny playing “homeless” again between all the money here! I ignored about three times some person passing by, and may have even got a few sleep between 2 and 5 am. If there wouldn’t be my allover sore body and my open skin sores on my back…It is actually quite a different and much more mentally vulnerable feeling sleeping “unprotected” from a tent in public somewhere, I wonder how a real “homeless” person must be feeling…As dawn came up, I got the idea if my German cell phone might be working to call him, but it was the same…I barely was able to activate reading my email on my German phone if there would be some news on it, when the friendly employee came again, and was now eventually able to reach Glenn via his local phone! I was rescued! The problem was I learned later there was the US-1 number missing before the country code…who knew about that? Glenn may have thought about passing on this knowledge also when sending his almost complete phone number…but it only adds up to the adventure feeling! 🙂

A few minutes later not Glenn, but his French friend named Michel came up to me, introducing himself as the host I’d be staying with. Thank goodness I was able to get away from here now! We had to leave my kayak for now, but I felt it was safe on this fancy dighy landing. He took me to his big nice house, and I got warmly welcomed by his lovely wife Nevine, an exotic Egypt/ Italian native mixture, and I had my proper shower which made me feeling less than a “home less” now! had yummy eggs and toast for breakfast, and later a yummy lunch with chicken and roasted veggies. All things I didn’t have for weeks! My room had air condition, but for now we had to get away again to store the kayak with Merryl’s car equipped with a roof rack in his kayak center, and to see immigration and customs for the official stamp.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-p3i1h4WA2cM/UlmhEaNw-vI/AAAAAAAAXhQ/2OtDymwOaDU/s144-c-o/PA120024.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5933951081165945586″ caption=”Some unbelievable rules to annoy the yacht owners needing to see immigration in Trinadad for a few minutes. Not for entering a high class fancy restaurant…” type=”image” alt=”PA120024.JPG” ]

We first wanted to enter immigration, but instead of a friendly welcome there a tall heavy dark skinned officer just wiping his breakfast crumbles off his mouth was unfriendly kicking us out again, with some barely understandable words telling us wer were not appropriately dressed. There would be a sign outside showing the dress code for this holy place! We couldn’t find the sign, and I walked in again asking the other officer at the front desk friendly about where it was and what was wrong with our clothing? He barely looked up from his papers and pointed again just outside where we eventually found a sign with a long list what to wear and how not…amazing! We were not in a Moslem’s country here? My “problem” were my t-shirt knotted over my skirt, displaying a really narrow stripe of flesh, and my slippers. I could easy undo the knot, but unfortunately did not own any other shoes…so I put on my best smile and the officer behind the desk, telling him I came by kayak and he eventually nodded me in.

This whole sign and procedure was obviously designed to put the usual “rich” and possibly appearing arrogant yacht owners at bay doing their ever so important job…as I could talk her for myself without translator the black officer soon noticed I was a different sort of person arriving with a KAYAK! I had to fill out two forms in multiple copies with old fashioned carbon, but as I was making a lot of jokes on the questions about “crew”, “tonnage”, “engine” and such, the officer became a bit more friendly and then quickly did his stamping jobs, not without getting is eyes away from the TV. Eventually we had to pay 100 Trinidad $, which was unusual, but he made clear this was an “out of office times fee” on a Saturday…well…on another day he may charge for some other reason? I didn’t argue, what for? If this was a tip, who can help? Merryl helped me with some local cash, I signed the officer a card, but left the office with some kind of having had a new sort of fun dealing with a fully different type of people than with the mostly very respectful South Americans.

The lady at the customs office was a bit more friendly, no dress code sign here, and her job was alos done quickly. Thanks!

Eventually Glenn also showed up, very nice to meet you! An old friend and host from Australia, Laurie, a yacht owner sailing with his wife Sonia, showed also up in time at the office, knowing I’d be arriving around these days. The world is small! Merryl loaded my kayak, and we stored it safe at his well equipped kayak center with many surfskis, rental and for sale kayaks. It seems to be a busy place! I added my new set of Trinidad flag stickers, and was ready to head back to my room for a nap.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4Fg6ROY2JUI/UlmhL6ULeJI/AAAAAAAAXhQ/HZjpIClA4Mo/s144-c-o/PA120026.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5933951210041866386″ caption=”Merryl, Glenn and Michele with some surf skis in Merryl’s kayak center” type=”image” alt=”PA120026.JPG” ]

Thanks a lot to my hosts Michel and Nevine, to Glenn organizing and to Merryl storing my kayak!