Who is Tilo Kruse? Backpacker’s journey across the world

Twenty-year-old Tilo Kruse is on day four of his walk between Toco and Icacos – a pilgrimage he decided to take to prove that he could sustain himself on food and shelter provided by well-meaning Trinidadians.  

He first arrived here in early April after hitchhiking on a boat from Cape Verde. Tilo did not film or disclose whether he underwent the mandatory immigration screening upon entry into Trinidad and Tobago.  

From there, Tilo goes on to live his very simple life in Port of Spain, sleeping in bushes and interacting with other homeless people. In his final YouTube video before his walk from Toco to Icacos began, Tilo said he found shelter at the Boy Scouts Headquarters on St Ann’s Road, Port of Spain.  

It’s not clear how Tilo gets to Toco to begin his walk to Icacos, as his stories then migrate over to TikTok. So far, all the posts there are of his daily recaps on the road, small preparations and the now infamous video of his recount of allegedly being attacked on the Toco Main Road. 

This journey, however, isn’t Tilo’s first attempt to make such a trek. In checking out Tilo’s YouTube page, where he often posts of his adventures, Tilo discloses that he once walked 2,000km from Germany to France in October 2022. He also allegedly did this journey with no money and on foot. 

He said his decision stemmed from finishing secondary school and not being sure what he wanted to do with his life. 

A few weeks later, Tilo found his way to Spain from France through walking and couch-surfing. In one of his videos, he is seen purchasing food from a local grocery store. 

From there, he talks about hitchhiking to Berlin, becoming homeless, pillow fighting for money and dumpster diving. Following another pilgrimage between Germany and Spain, it’s not long before Tilo’s adventures become nautical. 

He begged his way from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde and then from there, he finds a boat operator who agrees to take him to Barbados for free.  

Somehow, the boat operator detours to Chaguaramas, Trinidad, where Tilo hops off beaming with excitement.  

Tilo said that despite the alleged attempted robbery on Wednesday, he will be continuing his journey to Icacos, reiterating his belief that there are more good Trinidadians than bad ones.