More Than Just a Tourist in Trinidad&Tobago (Por Zé Estrada)

In a few days I fulfill my first month in Trinidad&Tobago, and there is no room in this page to write how impressed I’m about this missed land of America (whole continent).

I’m gonna share with you something about my experience as a traveler up to this first month in this country. I’m not that kind of person who watch the movie’s trailer before the movie, I like to discover it on the way. I didn’t know much about Trinidad and Tobago; the idea to travel starts because I wondered improve my english skills to apply to some jobs out of my country, a scholarship, and to close the english cycle to start learning another language. Moreover, I wanted to meet new places and be by myself.

To begin, I decided buy the tickets without see any map nor reference about the country. I just asked to a friend, who was once in Trinidad studying, to have a light panorama about my destiny. After this, I checked on internet, some local environmental organisations, asking them if they could allow me as a volunteer to develop some project or help with them, after some days trying to get some answer, the strategy worked. Apply my professional knowledge in Trinidad is my TrOb (Travel’s Objective).

I can’t travel to some place without an objective. I consider myself a bad tourist. I don’t care about fanciest places nor bigger — I’m not Statue of Liberty’s fan. I’m more than just a tourist (I’m a MoTh Traveler). Nowadays, travel is easy than in the past, there are many apps, websites, and organisations that makes easy to travel around the world, as long as you understand that traveling is more about immerse yourself in a real context, without luxury neither complications. Such a way, I found people who recived me in the country as if they had been invited me. Less than a 2 weeks I had traveled from the North West to the Center of Trinidad (understanding the scenario) without know what exactly I would doing here. But the good luck and my mom’s prayers always are my road company.

My debit card don’t work!! I’ve to pay the rent; What can I do to survive those three months? I just went out to try to get a job, even if they offer to pay me a few dollars, I would accept. My very first job was the first week, painting a chair. But wasn´t a real job. After I settled down in Tunapuna City, I went out to get a job around, so I asked to a Syrian who have a street fruit store if they could accept me to work with them, and he told me that I would be useful to help him putting galvanised roof on the new structure that he was building, and may be help in odd jobs. Honestly, I never trusted in the man, called “Tall-Man”; When I got to the place, the man was so high (marijuana), and told me to comeback next morning, but next day he wasn’t. So, I declined that job offer.

As can be expected, I started to be worried, “no money, no hamburguer”. I had a lot of time in my hands and I didn’t want to lose. I closed the eyes to pray as a last alternative and as magic, a friend* write me that she got a job for me, in a CarWash. I leaped excited. Next day, first hour I was there ready to work. I looked as an exotic car-washer latin lover. I learned how to wash a car properly (in and out), I met people, moreover I learned some slang from my workmates and finally I start getting money to live immersed in the real Trini context.

Alternatively, I was expecting to volunteer with the environmental organisation, even when they help me to find out a house in Trinidad, I had nothing to do with them, so, I ended up involved in a Sustainable Project in Mamoral, Caroni, Trinidad. In the bush, creating the project from the scratch, but the owners have a 5 years background working to do this.

Good news after two weeks working in the CarWash. In the same day, I had 3 messages in my inbox, I had an interview to work as a nursery attendant, planting-fertilising plants in a local planting business. In the other message, the sustainable project people wanted to me be able to work with them in their project and their organic compost enterprise. And the last one, was a message from the environmental organisation, they would give me some tasks to be involved in the network actively. I’m so glad about this, because finally I’m involved in different things doing the things that I love.

Ps 1. I’m also studying online every night, sometime playing basket ball with the neighbors and overnight, watching Game of Thrones. Today, I’ll start to watch the 3rd season. In other time, I’ll write more details about the culture and people in other post.

Ps 2. I’ve no camera. 🙂 But sometimes I draw the moments.

Thanks to:

Kim and her Mom (Indian-Chinese Descent). Leanna (Indian Descent) and Fabio (Italian), Vinita (Indian descent), Fidel (St. Kittes and Nives), Mario (Afro-Trinitarian), Gerry (Guyana), Dizzane (AfroT), etc… for give me the first push in TnT.

Vo. 17OCT15 – Escrito para el Blog http://mochiliandobyyourself.blogspot.com/ |Sin Publicar|

Joséle Estrada Arbeláez
Participa en proyectos de desarrollo sostenible, sistemas eficientes, agricultura urbana y construcción de país. Apasionado viajero, caricaturista y músico.