What a way to begin.
An early start from a strange bed, a long flight, and remunerating for
eleven hours in the air on all the challenges that lie ahead. This takes its toll and when one finally
rolls off at the other end in an uncomfortable time zone and unforgiving
humidity, strange swarms of baggage handlers and surly officials there’s little
energy left to face the questions and the insanity of such a trip. And yet the weird uncertainty of it all mingles
with holidays makers in the same queues and palm trees. We had fifteen bags at the journey’s start
and we went from taxi to hotel, then bus and taxi then to another bus with
little time to rest between each relay. It
was one surreal jolt after another. It
seemed as though there was some conspiracy against such an endeavour,
everything incurred extra charges, everyone wanted to know where we were going
and why, in broken or almost indecipherable noises and actions. If we paid the asking price then things we’re
done with such speed and certainty – but always the price was extortion. Dollars streaming away, each step exceeding
the mental arithmetic and the financial limits we try to set based on some
rational view of what things should cost. Though glad to be through each
stage. Then passing through two borders,
the first, the Dominican Republic was uneventful. The second, the Haitian border, and we were
mobbed by young men who said they’d check our immigration cards and asked for
$10 entry fee, which turned out to be a scam.
Even the’ legitimate’ officials seemed to know it was going on – and as
few of the officials on our bus plainly said it was wrong, they still seem
complicit it in all by not speaking out against it. It’s a fragile world this one – and rocking
the boat might get you into deeper water or worse.
And then we arrived.
Friends met us and the ordeal was over. We were welcomed into the convent and had a
great night’s sleep. Worries washed
away. It was safe and quiet – and the one thing we
wanted was possible; sleep.
