The Trip to Caco P's Houses

Finally I get to update my blog! I've been waiting for people to send me photos.

My last day in Miches was spent with Ina Vanderbroek, an ethnobotanist from the New York Botanical Garden, and Eliseo, a potential volunteer and a friend of Wilman. It was the only time every that I had visitors. I had been in touch with Ina since last semester because she has done research on botanicas in New York City and wrote a paper on botellas, which is the type of traditional medicine that mamajuana is. Unfortunately, I was never able to talk to her in person but was extremely excited that she was coming to Miches. It was a treat to spend the day with her and show her my project. All of these pictures are hers and I was extremely grateful to have her along because I haven't had a camera since the beginning of my stay in the DR (I blame the technology-destroying tropical humidy). Eliseo was going to be a volunteer in Miches and continue collecting data on the size and number of lobsters that are brought in as well as help check the lobster houses every other weekend, but he got a job and had to back out.

Here is a lovely photo of us in our dollar store hats. (From left to right: me, Ina, and Eliseo)

Me measuring the lobsters that we bought from my friend Watchiman, who is a nasa fisherman. Watchiman is his nickname and in English it means watchman.
Here is a photo of Caco P sporting his diving gear and his compresor he used to dive down to the houses. Techinically the houses are shallow enough not to use a compressor and he wouldn't be harmed if he had to rapidly ascend to the surface but he wanted to take his time down there to show the lobsters and the houses. Sadly I couldn't descend very far because I was recovering from swimmer's ear. I will never learn to use alcohol drops in my ears to avoid this yearly pain. No one else has to go through it! I blame my small ear canals.
Here is one of Fran's sons repairing one of Fran's nasas. A few of the nasas that we brought up were so damaged that there were no lobsters in them because they had all escaped. This nasa had lobsters in it but was due for some repairs.
For bait, the fishermen use rotten meat they get from carnecerias (meat shops) or by catch that people don't like to eat, such as this spotted sting ray that they are cutting up.
Another photo of Caco P silohetted against the sky. I like this photo a lot. Caco P is what Dominicans call an hablador, which means he likes to talk and usually what he says doesn't mean anything. In other words, he is a bullshitter. He asked me to bring back a scuba diving sit for him because his is falling apart. I wish I could but that is an expensive request. Maybe I can find an old on for free. I'm planning on bringing back stickers and those rub-on tatoos for the kids because they love that kind of thing and some baby clothes for one of the mothers.
This was really a magical trip. We saw a rainbow! Not just any rainbow either. We saw both sides and it reflected off of the water to form a complete circle. Stuck in my head for the rest of the day was Kermit the Frong singing the Rainbow Connection.
Here is a photo of Los Mameyes, the community I worked in. It's located right on the beach and every day people gather underneat the almond tree and hang out. Sadly I didn't get a photo of the almond tree, which is probably my favorite place in Miches. The breeze coming off of the ocean is fantastic and there are no jejenes (sandfleas that are the same size but worse than New England noseeums). The beach is covered in trash and their houses are small and dirty but I've never met happier people.
Every morning and evening trucks with coolers filled with ice would descend the steep hill to pick up the catch the fishermen would bring in. I was afraid to go down that hill and would always get off the moto and complete the journey on foot. The fish were actually quite beautiful out of the water, especially the parrot fish with their bright blues, reds, and yellows. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of them. I will take tons of photos when I go back to the Dominican Republic this winter.
Here is me showing Eliseo and Ina how to tell the difference between a male and female lobster. Female lobsters have modified pleopods underneath their tail that hold the eggs. This is a female lobster and I am pointing to her pleopods.
Currently I'm planning my return trip to the DR and looking at all of these pictures is making me miss the Dominican Republic all the more. It's going to be fun to go back! : )