As everyone probably knows by now, our home was broken into on April 16.
We have been working with friends, acquaintances and the police…and I use the term police very, very loosely.
In most first world countries, when you encounter crime, you expect certain investigative processes. Those include formal statements, finger printing, maybe some pictures and some follow up. The wheels of justice move backwards here.
So, through on-lines news articles and a website we follow, we found out that three individuals had been arrested pawning a large number of computers, cameras, electronic equipment etc. So, because we hadn’t heard back from the Policia, we took it upon ourselves to do the follow up ourselves.
Last week, Ross went to the Polica (equivalent to a security guard at a private parking lot except these guys are carrying an assortment of weapons). The Policia advised that the arrests occurred in Santiago but many of the confiscated items were in Puerto Plata and that we should go to Puerto Plata today to see if anything was there.
This is where the story gets really interesting…..
So, first stop, the Justice Palace in Puerto Plata. We march up to the entrance to be denied access. Why you ask…well, our friend Trevor, Ross and myself were wearing shorts and sandels. Okay, so when you go to an “official” government building or church, men must be wearing long pants and closed toe shoes. Women can wear pants or skirts, dress sandels (not hooker type shoes) and women’s shoulder’s must be covered.
Okay, it was about 30 C today…..probably more like 40C with the humidity….I had sweat running where I have never had sweat run before…..
So, off we went to La Serena and purchased what we thought was “appropriate” clothing. Ross is now sporting a new pair of jeans and some strange looking dress shoes that the bottoms look like a slice off a slightly used tire. He did not wear socks in these shoes that I am pretty sure weren’t leather. The same was true for our friend Trevor…but the best part….THEY GOT THE SAME SHITTY SHOES!!! I got a lovely tropical looking sundress and some dressy type sandels. Now, they didn’t tell us about the cover your shoulders thing so after getting my new outfit, I still couldn’t go into the court house. When we made our second trip to the Justice Place, a young security guard had a good laugh at our shopping expenditures….little bugger could have warned us. But that didn’t really matter, they sent us off to the central police station.
So, we arrived at the police station. No formal clothing required here as this is the “lockup” place. So, we have to pass through a security gate where this guy who looks like he was about 17 was holding an impressive looking rifle.
So, the wheels of justice are still turning. We presented all of our documentation (compliments of the internet and a colour printer). Trevor did a great job of being our translator….we are almost done with the pleasantries of retelling our story for the third time and we are told that everything is still in Santiago. But, they will make some phone calls and get back to us
I feel another trip to Puerto Plata coming in about a week or so…just in case they lost our phone number…
Ross and I played bingo today…it’s a charity fundraiser…I think the only reason the guys go is to have some male bonding time…and an excuse to drink beer in the middle of the day! Nope, didn’t win a thing but, Ross got to use Mary’s “dabber”…
I think that made his day….
