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 It is Monday morning. I actually had to double check this! After the live rock concert on Saturday night and the sumptuous opening ceremony on Sunday night the body clock was losing track a bit. And before you think it, only one of my drinks was not spiked with alcohol!
At 6 am it was off to the dock for me to get 29 teams over to the main island. I was nervous, but Peter and I had a plan, and it went like clockwork. I could not understand a word the competitors were saying so I pointed and gesticulated with an air of authority I did not feel. Mercifully they all thought that I knew what I was doing and just did as I asked. Could not see that working in Kingston, Jamaica, but it worked a treat here!
There was one hairy moment, however when it seems that the military had spotted on a satellite photo, a significant group of men and women with equipment and boats packed in camouflage material massed on the banks of the lake, and they rolled in with troops and equipment to have a look! I received a long hard stare before they realised that it was not an invasion, and in fact we were on an inland lake. Thankfully they rolled on! Phew! Turns out they were lost and just coming to the lake for a bar-b-que!
14:00 hours local time, and after the countdown the tournaments starts with a bang, literally. Flares and explosives signal that the race is on! The military guys who were keeping an eye on things joined in the fun and helped kick the whole thing off. Had a chat with their commanding officer between his limited English and my worse French it transpired that my military bearing at the docks, reminded him of Toussaint L'Ouverture! (For those of you not around in the 18th century you can see who that is here:  http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm) After a convivial drink though, we are now friends.
There is a buzz in HQ, barely 2 hours into the tournament and word comes through on the radio – the first fish has been caught!
Before I could spool up my excitement level though, it is all over. The fish has already been released after gorging on bait, being reeled in and having its photo taken. Sounds like a whirlwind courtship and wedding to me, but I am no angler and quite averse to weddings involving me......but that is another story.
At the peg draw, some anglers were visibly disappointed with their draw, but so far it seems as if the fish are being caught in unexpected areas, so it is game on!
William Bramble |
