Fast Ferry Fun and Fury

So here we are again needing to send 12 boxes to Fogo. We went to the Fast Ferry window that morning and paid for the shipment and were told to be back at 1:30 sharp when the truck would be there to load the shipments. We arrive at the designated time but could see that the truck had yet to arrive. But the minute we start to turn into the parking lot a guy starts banging on our van. It is some fellow that has helped us before. He wants to help again. He needs the money. Robert nods to him and he grabs his friend to help. We park and they unload the van near where the Fast Ferry truck should be parking, any minute.

 So the wait begins. The parking lot looks like this, people everywhere waiting to receive packages or load them. Then not one, but three trucks roll off the Ferry and into the parking lot and the bedlam begins.

This is our helper.... #50 Foley....not his real name!!

You can see our boxes here at the bottom.

You have to understand it takes a while to get everything off these trucks. They are packed high and with anything and everything. Take a look below at what was squeezed into the side of one of those stacked high trucks for the three hour trip on the ferry. A mama goat ....

And four babies.

So after all was unloaded, the loading process begins. This is when things got dicey. We had made a verbal agreement with our two guys who had waited patiently with us and were now shouting to get our stuff on the first truck. But that truck was going to Brava, the island beyond Fogo, so they went to the next truck and started the negotiations of what order your shipment is placed on the truck, which really amounts to who can yell the loudest or who knows the guys on the truck the best. Our guys were holding their own and it looked like we would be the second to load, when all of the sudden the guy we call, "I you best friend" that had helped us a while back spots us and starts trying to negotiate for us, but we don't need him. So our two guys and Robert tell him we don't need him but he still elbows in and grabs a box or two of ours to help finish getting all the boxes on the truck. Then he turned around to someone else to get their business and Robert paid the two guys. We start walking out of the crazy crowd when "I you best friend"comes up behind Robert and starts demanding he be paid. Robert told him several times we didn't need or ask for his help and he isn't going to pay him. He starts yelling and making a scene in this already crazy crowd and I get nervous. I was ready to run. But Robert rises to his full height and leans over this guy and yells right back. Now I am really nervous, but the guy finally backed down and we got safely to our car. I told the missionaries Elder Mathews nearly got into a fight and they thought it was so cool. Sigh. Boys. I think we are going to bring a couple of big missionaries with us to help with the loading next time. Or as our German visitors suggested we might hire a broker to do all the pick-up and shipping for the mission. They aren't sure how much it will cost but after this experience, I don't care. I'm all for it.