Thursday, July 24, 2008

We got to the site yesterday, ready to do a bit of posthole digging, to encounter the whirring blades of a military chopper, and a group of national narcotics police – dressed to the nines in flak jackets, automatic weapons and helmets. Thinking we had surprised them in the middle of a drugs heist, we stayed in the truck and intended to make our way to Belto’s house for refuge until the nasty men had gone. They hollered at us to stop however, and not being fans of Dominican uniformed, weaponed men, we stopped.

“Can we borrow your flippers?”

“Can we borrow your flippers?” ?? We checked the translation with Erlend (fluent Spanish speaker in the team), but yes, the narco police had indeed just asked us whether it would be possible, please, to borrow some flippers and a snorkel. We stared at them incredulously - had they forgotten to pack them in the heli when they left Santo Domingo that morning? I mean, sometimes we forget things too – the finds list, a spare trowel…

We ate some melon at Belto’s, and as soon as the heli departed, went back to the site. After a bit of a fly and a swim however, they came back and lounged against the fence (see pic, check out heli in background) and asked for telephone numbers and offered a hand with the digging. We spurned their offers and eventually they got bored and left. Meanwhile Kelin and Manolo turned up with that morning’s catch – far more impressive behaviour.

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