Surreal Moment

Yesterday I accompanied Emily to an appointment. Sitting across from us in the doctor's waiting room was a man wearing what I've come to recognize as a uniform here: beige (occasionally OD green) vest (link to similar one) with pockets. That means he's likely a bodyguard/driver and definitely a paid personal employee. Sitting on the table next to him were three cell phones.

This was all fine, until I happened to notice the music playing in the background: the theme from The Godfather. No, I'm not kidding. A few minutes later a couple in their 50s or 60s emerged from the doctor's office and the guy in the vest immediately got up and left the room, no doubt to pull the car up.

I've seen these vests before, you see. While on our way home from the grocery store recently, we were passing through Centrito in San Pedro. Suddenly a car on our left stopped and a guy in a beige vest hopped out and hurried up onto the sidewalk in front of the juice bar. I then noticed that not only had that car double-parked, but another car had done so ahead of him. This was a case of the bodyguard (in a separate car) reacting to the employer's decision to stop for a drink. In all likelihood the employer was a local "narco" (drug trafficker), although it's possible he was simply one of the many wealthy people of San Pedro.

A few weeks ago a small group of us decided to visit what was reputedly a Swiss restaurant. Emily and I walked, as we do to any dinner or party we think is walkable (we can each have a drink, no parking issues, we need the exercise, etc.), and as we arrived we drew the hard stares of two guys in OD green vests. As we entered the restaurant, I spotted a third bodyguard. Our party discussed them, but we were never certain where their employer was. Best bet was the spa upstairs or one of the expensive furniture/decoration/kitchenware stores in the plaza. Given we were eating on Gringo time (before 8 or 9 PM), it was unlikely anyone in the restaurant.

So, I can now add these vests to the maid/nanny uniforms (some much like hospital scrubs, some more "maid-like") for quick reference. If you spot the vest, stay alert: at the very least there is someone wealthy and (at least in their own eyes) important in the area, possibly someone dangerous.