By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Apr 1: A German couple is ‘grounded’ in Kuching with their caravan until the Movement Control Order (MCO) is lifted.
Matthias Tischler, 30, and his partner Sonja, 30, who have been travelling around the world since leaving Germany two years ago in their green caravan, arrived in Kuching sometime March 2019. They then went to Indonesia before returning to Kuching in December.
“When we returned to Kuching in December last year, we decided to park our caravan near a friend’s house. Then we flew to Australia and stayed there. We flew back to Kuching sometime early March this year with the intention to pick up our caravan before we headed back to Indonesia.
“However, four days later, on March 18, the MCO came into effect and now we are stuck here. We cannot go anywhere, so we will just have to wait until the order is over and the border reopens,” Sonja said when met at Reservoir Park.
The couple decided to park their caravan at Reservoir Park because it is an open area, and near the city centre where they can easily purchase essential supplies at supermarkets or convenience stores.
They also felt they should just stay in their caravan instead of their friend’s place as social distancing is highly encouraged during this time.
“We can easily buy raw, dry or fresh food every once in few days. We can also cook in our caravan. So there is no problem with food. We also bought two bags of rice. Sometimes we’ll walk to the nearest restaurant of cafe for takeaway,” she added.
Describing Reservoir Park as a nice place with trees and shade, Sonja said a few people have approached them.
“They are nice, they asked how we are and how did we end up here. The Red Crescent building guard was also very kind to allow us to use the washroom and give us water,” she added.
When asked if they had contacted their German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Sonja said not at the moment because they did not think it prudent to return to their country of origin due to Covid-19.
Meanwhile, when DayakDaily visited the couple, a team of police officers from Kuching District Headquarters was also there to check on them.
The officers also told the couple to stay safe, use their facemasks and sanitisers, and should they need any help, just go to the nearest police station located at Padang Merdeka. —DayakDaily
