Departing day

Well today is the day.  It's the day I am leaving.  I'm going to miss the kids and the people that's for sure.  I will not miss the heat, the dirt, the blokis', and any dead bodies I may stumble upon.  I am looking forward to walking the kids to school this morning and holding onto Michael's hand. I went with Brynel (sp) and his dog.  It's funny how no one says anything when I walk with a Haitian man.  Yeah, so keep your comments to yourself people. Your not so big anymore are you?

Getting ready for the walk to school.  Michael is the one on the right.

Road?

 Hopefully by the time I make it back here, five kids will be U.S. citizens by then.  Somehow, I'm not sure about that.  Their system for adoptions is unbelievably slow and difficult for anyone to understand.  It's frustrating.  I was thinking that sometimes the government people down here do it because it's really the only thing they have power or control over.  Since they can't control anything else here, they might as well make it difficult for everyone else.

There is a group here from New Hampshire who are doctoral students and this is their summer class.  It's not a vacation and their teacher has all sorts of work for them to get done on top of homework.  No beer drinking for them!  You can see the determination in their eyes and this will be a good experience for them, actually for anyone to see what it's like here.  I talk with people and they tell me how they want to come here.  I secretly chuckle thinking, there's no way in hell they will last here.  If you are a princess, this place is not for you.  I try to be one but, I don't care about getting  dirty.  Besides, it's a much better story if there is blood and guts or in my case, dirt, tons of mosquitoes, serious heat, urine, and spit involved.

Jamie and I walked to the church to see if the priest was there so I could drop off a donation.  They had envelopes last week but I didn't have money.  They are trying to rebuild their church which was destroyed in the earthquake.  We were in luck and he was there.  He was very grateful and told Jamie that he would make an announcement on her last day of her being able to attend mass.  Now she has to go.

We passed a Helping Haiti truck in the area and they stopped to ask if we needed anything, like a ride and then told me to put my phone away.  I typically walk with it because I need it for those unexpected photo shots that you must witness first hand.  And any pictures I take, they do not do the photo justice as like it is in person. 

When we got back home, I decided to unload some extra money to some staff that I dealt with the most.  When you give them money, you feel like you are doing a drug deal or something illegal.  They look around to make sure no one saw them get the "handout".  It was really weird and sad that they have to be so discreet.  One of the cooks kissed me on both cheeks and got all teary eyed.  It made me sad to see her so emotional.  I think one of the nannies saw something and later was all friendly with me and wanted to carry my bags and was trying to be so helpful.  She never did one thing before now and they usually do not do anything above and beyond in any capacity.  But for the about $2 a day, what do you expect?  I wouldn't do anything either for that.

Corner of the old guesthouse

We asked Sony if he would be willing to take us out to the site of the new school which was the old guesthouse that was destroyed in the earthquake.  It's somewhere I think Jamie said Delmas 33 area.  The only thing left of the guest house really is the foundation which includes the basement.  A family lives in a tent on the property and makes sand.  This is the place where the new school will be built.  I know Gertrude thinks it will be done sooner than later, I think it's going to be later than sooner.  It still has to be cleared out, and the money, and someone to oversee the project and finding materials and reliable workers and all that.  Things get done so slowly here.  I see all the things Jamie has told me where they will go on the property.  I'm typically a visual person more than auditory, but there's so much clutter here it's kind of hard to imagine some of the parts.  I hear the passion in Jamie's voice as she tells me all about the future here and possibly hers.  I couldn't live here, no way.  I could visit or maybe do an extended stay, but live, count meout.                                                                                                      

The sandman lives here

I would want to walk at night, go to Walmart to see all the hillbillies, ride my Harley all over without feeling the need to dodge traffic as my life depended on it.  I would never really feel safe.  You can't go tell your kid go out and ride your bike with your friends and check back in an hour.  You can't accidentally forget to lock anything.  I would miss green grass and trees as well as all the seasons.  I would have a killer tan though.  A girl spoke Spanish to us probably thinking I was from the DR.  The kids want to know why I'm brown and Jamie is white.  

Roof top view

This was the first floor of the guesthouse

We stopped at the store so Jamie could get some food and some industrial strength band aids for that nasty wound on her leg.  I think the band aids alone were like $20.  This is not a place for retirees.  It's expensive here.  Plus there are none of those bus trips to fun senior destinations, no casinos, no big buffets or restaurants, no professional sporting events, just not really much for them to be entertained.  And the sidewalks are not even so they'd end up tripping and breaking a hip eventually.

When we got back, I loaded all my crap into the back of the truck.  I thanked Gertrude and told her I'd see her again soon and off we went to the airport.  Traffic is way different in the airport in the middle of the day than it is in the morning.  There were people everywhere.  I hate when people start touching my bags like they are laying claim and so I must tip them.  I tell them that I didn't tell them to touch or do anything with my bags and go away before I unleash the fury of Rhonda.  After several subtle hints, I had to be blunt about it. 

I'm glad I got to the airport when I did it was a madhouse.  Security is a joke and over rated here.  People just leave their bags, go off and do something and come back for them.  Or they put them in the line somewhere up ahead so they don't have to lug them around and eventually catch up with them.  It's weird.  I see everyone taking crap out of one suitcase and shuffling it to different bags and giving it to other people in their group.  It's chaos and the line is moving so slow.  We are going in an A-B pattern.  First Miami then Ft. Lauderdale and back and forth.  My back hurts from my already overloaded backpack and a fully packed suitcase.  Finally my turn about an hour and half later.  I hear the bad news,  step back and you have to take stuff out of your suitcase because it's too full.  People are staring at me like you dork what do you think we were doing before you got up to the counter.  They are irritated and so am I.  Now I have to wait again and wonder where in the hell am I going to put this extra crap.  Now I do look like a poor indignant  with my grocery bags full of dirty clothes and other misc. items I now have to lug.  I passed the weight limit and I go with all my bags to the security.  They direct me and a bunch of other travelers to go to the right. 

The security is nightmarish and after I finally made it though, I realized I was not in the American terminal but the Spirit Airlines one.   What the hell?!  I told an employee that I am not supposed to be here and he said you right.  Now I have to go through security again but on the other side.  I am so irritated and know my flight is leaving in a half hour.  So after you go through security you go up the stairs and go through security again but with a pat down.  This is just in case you may have tried to pull something from the 100 feet you just got done walking.  It's so strict is ridiculous.  First, who in their right mind would want to bomb the airport in Haiti?  On a worldwide scheme of things, it would be low on the newsworthiness scale and some might say it was a blessing.

Finally, I made it to the gate!  My joy is quickly diminished when I see they the flight before mine is already an hour behind and they haven't even boarded yet.  I go find beer and food.  I got a cheeseburger but it tasted like a burger with mayo.  It was gross but the beer was exceptional.  My flight was at least an hour late before we even took off.  And then somewhere along the line, I realized in all the chaos, I lost my new Haitian hat.  I didn't want to go back downstairs and go through two security checks to find it.  It took me a long time to find that hat and now I'm bummed.

You have to go through Customs in Ft. Lauderdale and I'm wondering if I am going to miss my flight that is going to be leaving very shortly.  It's taking forever and then you have to go outside and walk way around to the American counter to get checked in again.  They are looking for one more person to show up.  Again, I am met with jubilation that I didn't miss my flight but the flight before me hasn't even boarded yet.  Here we go!    I want to be home at this point. 

I'm a little hungry and there is only one piece of pizza and the guy asks what I want.  I asked him do I have other choices?  He said no.  I just looked at the sole piece of pizza and pointed to it.  They were closing he said.  The pizza tasted like crap and after a few bites it went into the trash.  I called home to say, I don't know when I'll be home.  I am starting to see lots of delays on the screen.  Needless to say, after we boarded the full plane, it started to storm and so we sat for 2 1/2 hours doing nothing except watching a whopper thunderstorm.  The pilot in his nicest voice says that each time we see lightning we have to wait 15 minutes.  I fear we are not leaving.  I'm feeling slightly claustrophobic and know I can't get out.  The guy in the middle is big and taking over part of my seat.  I feel like a small child next to him.

Raining cats and dogs!

Regardless, we did get in around 1:30, nothing is open and I'm wondering if I can stay awake long enough to drive home.  I made it home around 3ish.  I know my day is going to be worthless and non productive.

I'm going to write one more blog with my closing thoughts and pictures I didn't post.

I took this picture for my dad in case he ever wanted to buy this bank and move down here.

Beach time

My trip is about to come to an end so today our plan is to go to a beach.  I haven't visited a beach before here.  We are taking Rosie for her confirmation.  Actually we are taking her after her confirmation with cousin Sofi.  We are also taking Sony and Roberto.  It's about an hour away which seems like a short trip in Haiti. 

We missed going to Rosie's confirmation.  I was awake but Jamie was totally passed out and I told Rosie I wasn't going to be the one to wake the sleeping giant.  I kind of felt bad missing it but later I think it was a good choice.

Hot and barren

Gertrude said it would be a couple of hours, but we weren't thinking it was on the Haitian time scale of "a couple of hours".  I think they got back after lunch some time and they left at 7am.  I was getting a little stir crazy because the kids you could tell were going stir crazy.  They were like typical brothers and sisters fighting and bickering.  Occasionally, I would chime in and exercise my authority since the nannies could care less what was going on.  We were going to go out and find beer since after all it was at least noon.  Just as we were getting ready to leave, they got back, figures.

We told the girls to get a move on and lets get going.  I think that's the fastest I've seen Haitian people moved by motivation.  We crammed 4 into the back which seemed spacious to cramming 5 in the back.  The way to the beach is opposite to the way we usually go so this was new stuff.

The weird thing about going this way is that it is like a completely different environment.  This way is like going into the desert.  There are barely any trees, the landscape is totally devoid of all good and green life.  There is absolutely no where to seek shelter from the sun unless you go into your tent or other self made structure.  I get hot looking at it.  I feel bad for all the critter tied up out there in the sweltering heat.

Wahoo Bay Beach

By the time we made it to the resort, we find out that the price to come in went up $5.  I'm thinking I wonder if I will notice major improvements with this new fee.  It's now $20 to hang out for the day at the beach.  At least there is food and liquor to tide me over.  I am so looking forward to having a good meal.  I wanted something Creole but the thing I wanted they didn't have so I settled for the Lambi which is from the conch.  You know those big ass pink shell you can hear the ocean with?  Yeah that.  It's like a giant snail but you cook it first then eat it.  It took over an hour to get our food.  I was so hungry and beer wasn't cutting it.  Jamie's food came and we all sat and watched her eat.  She was rubbing it in to boot.  It was torture.  I took the two girls to find them some chips or something since they didn't eat yet at all.  Didn't find anything so I bought them another fruit punch at least.  I got a rum punch and man was it strong!  I think I grew at least three chest hairs from drinking it.

When the food finally came, it was like the best food ever.  Did I mention that it was good.  I didn't like the wait though.  We went back in the water but didn't wait 30 minutes after eating like I had to do as a kid.

For some unknown reason I decided to bring my trusty and expensive pedometer with me just to see what kind of activity I do each day.  I wanted to humor myself into making sure I got a least my 10,000 steps in a day.  Most days I did well over.  Well I forgot to take it off and hopped in the water only to realize about 5 minutes later I had it on.  I was thinking there goes $100 down the toilet.  I took it off hoping it would dry out in this hot place and work.  It didn't.  Damn!

A guy was trying to sell all sorts of those souvenirs that you don't need.  I told one guy I didn't have the room for that big conch shell.  Plus, it doesn't fit in with my decor at home.  I told him to try to find me some sea glass.  I found a few pieces and was scouring the beach trying to find more.  About 30 minutes later, he came back with a whole cup full.  What the heck?  Where did he find all of this when I could only find a handful of glass.  Was there a secret glass spot where it is hidden?  He told me I didn't have to pay but to think about the shell.  I don't want the shell.  I saw him leaving the resort a few hours later and whistled for him.  I ran over to him and gave him a couple bucks.  He said I didn't have to pay him.  He wanted me to tell people back home to come here and not all Haitians ask for money.  I told him to take it anyway and so he did.  I could never find a cupful like that.

Jamie's burn from her motorcycle looked really disgusting after getting in the water.  I didn't even want to look at it.  It looks like a giant raw hickey.  And of course, I have to hear, oh it's fine.  Yeah ok, when your leg falls off.  She could have a gaping wound and she would still say it's not that bad.  I bet if there were maggots in it, she might change her tune.  I don't think wounds and Haiti go hand in hand,  it's just my thought on that.

I brought back all sorts of strange garbage stuff hoping to make some sort of artsy collage thing from all the stuff I have found down here.  I have a lot of strange things.  Lots of bottle caps, tiles with all sorts of patterns, colored concrete which I'm sure some was from earthquake.  I have part of a hair roller, part of a toothbrush, a cute little rusty can. I found a rusty letter "E".  I told Jamie she could make a lot of money on the cool cans if you turned them into a pot or a container.  I have to scope out Pinterest for garbage art from Haiti. 

It was nice seeing a semi nice beach for Haiti.  Wouldn't be my beach destination spot but I'm not going to complain.  It was a good day!

 

 

Because every President dreams of having a beach in Haiti named after them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long return

Driving is Haiti is bad enough.  Driving in Haiti from halfway across the country is way worse.  Gertrude was adamant that we could fit way more stuff in the truck than humanly possibly.  We begged her to take the grill out.  We also begged to sit in the back which is not something most women do in Haiti.  We thought it would be better than being jammed in the cab.  We shared the back with the pig, a large bunch of plantains, a box of fruit from the priest, a couple huge bags of charcoal (it's not like the stuff at home), a big cooler on wheels, and numerous packages with who knows what.  Honestly, there wasn't much (safe) good room for us to ride, but we figured we'd take our chances.  I was filthy in about 10 minutes while attempting to strap myself in.  Little did I know that it was going to be a long day.

Mountain area

I forgot to mention about our school gathering mission.  Some of the kids are 29 years old and still in H.S.  Can you believe that?  It's not because they are not smart enough to graduate or go to the next grade, it's mostly due to money.  So a family has no money, well then little Billy misses school that year or maybe a couple of years.  It's kind of sad knowing that these young adults are so screwed and they are stuck in the middle of exactly no where.  Seriously, there's nothing here.

But anyway back to the story, we finally depart and the sun doesn't feel so sweltering like it usually does, but we are flying down the road.  I won't call it a highway, it doesn't seem appropriate.  The scenery is actually nice.  Not as much garbage and filth like Port au Prince. 

I still can't find a safe/comfortable spot.  I have no idea what I am sitting on but it's not comfortable and there are many angles poking into all over.  Gertrude tells us before we leave, not to hang on too tight to the tie down, it's not safe.  Boy that was comforting knowing that my life line is not safe.  There's nothing else for me to really hang onto except for the garbage can containing the dead pig.  We rode in the back for at least 4 hours, that is until it started to rain.  Pretty much sucked.  Gertrude let Jamie in the whole front passenger seat...totally lucky.  I drew the short end of the straw.  I got the five people in the backseat spot.  I'm pretty sure my ass occupied approximately 2.75 square inches of the corner of the seat.  I would define my position as the "one legged fetal position".  The door handle was in my back and the window crank felt like the proctologist checking me out.  My knee was about 2-3" from my chin.  Hey, but only two hours to go. 

I started singing  99 bottles of beer on the wall in my head to distract me from the contorted state I was in.  I think rigor mortis would be setting in I'd say in about an hour or so.  What seemed like an eternity as well as at any given moment going stark raving mad.  Suddenly we stopped.  Yeah we stopped!  One of the other guys, cracked first and could no longer take the bone crushing either, he got in the back.  He really didn't care and one of the other guys went with too.   I'm glad it wasn't me, even though there was no way I'd be able to ride like that for 2 something hours.  I was so very happy.  I had Gertrude's uncle who is in 70's next to me.  I had to have been crushing his old body.  He was the killer of the pig and I'm sure he was spent as well after sleeping outside so we could sleep inside.  That's a pretty nice person.

We got stuck in several other hour long traffic jams which are not fun on a Saturday night of Flag Day...big holiday lots of revelry underway.  I think we made it back around 10 or 10:30pm.  I was so tired and so dirty.  I think I was dehydrated because I did not have to go to the bathroom once which probably explains my pounding headache.  Jamie said since I was the dirtiest, I got to take a shower first.  I felt like a total water hog but I had no choice, it took that long to get the grime off of me and get the snarls out of my hair.  I hit the hay pronto!  I hope that is the longest ride I will have to do.

Shoes and a tire are the best toys

Flag Day celebration

Fr. Jack and crew

Waiting for dresses

Bad traffic ahead

Dirty leg

Today started out about like every other day.  The same routine we’ve been doing on a daily basis.  I did get to go visit Gertrude’s nephew’s orphanage which is nearby.  Jamie does some therapy on one of the kids there.  They really don’t have much and none of the kids are in school mainly due to lack of funding.  We took some dresses over there and some of the boy’s underwear.  Boys really get hosed down here as far as getting clothes.  No one really brings boy stuff. The girls were all excited and you could just see the disappointment on the boy’s faces like “this is so lame, whoa, a pair of underwear how exciting!”  I told Jamie that we would have to go find something for the boys to redeem ourselves.  We did go back after lunch and took some of the school kits I had brought down.  They were much more pumped after seeing the goodies inside.

Today was also the day we were to go to Les Cayes.  Gertrude said we would be leaving at 2pm. We didn’t.  We didn’t leave at 3pm either.  Finally, by nearly 4pm we leave.  We finally got clarification on what “a couple of hours” actually means in Haiti.  When people down here say a couple of hours, it’s actually about four hours.  Why can’t they just say four hours then?  Time really has no meaning here for the most part.  At least if someone said you only have a couple of hours to live at least you get a few bonus hours to live it up before you die.

Gertrude loaded the truck up with all sorts of stuff to bring down and five of us will be sitting in the cab.  She tells us we should be to Les Cayes by 6 pm.  Jamie said how about 6:30 just for giggles.  Boy that was a big lie.  After we got out of town we asked to go hop in the back of the truck mostly because we couldn’t move our legs because of everything she packed into the cab.  The back was better.  Better scenery, air, albeit not the freshest and we could move our legs.  We knocked to come back in when it got dark out and our best guess is we had about an hour or so to go. We asked Gertrude where we were and about how much longer.  She said, oh we’re halfway to Les Cayes.  I felt like someone totally burst our bubble. By then it was between 7:30 and 8ish.  And we had learned earlier that we were not actually going to Les Cayes, we were going to a small remote village called Damassin.  Damassin is about an hour and a half past Les Cayes we were told.  Talk about buzz kill.

The bad thing about today is we were only able to have fruit and toast because they ran out of eggs.  We also discovered that we had no water and the pump broke.  No water with about 50-60 people at any given time is not going to result in anything good.  No flushing toilets is ever a good thing and with nice hot temperatures, it just adds to the “roughing it” part.  They need water to make the food, water to do the mounds of dirty laundry, and to flush the toilets.

I’m no princess but I would strongly want water.  I would be ok without power for an extended period mostly for personal reasons like the internet.  A bed with a comfy pillow is strongly desired because I sleep like crap most nights.

Anyway, we are really hungry because we really didn’t have a lunch.  Jamie keeps eating the equivalent of Goldfish.  I tell her to stop eating because we don’t know when our next meal will actually be.  I am really hungry though.  I figure it’s good to know what it feels like to be hungry while in Haiti.  I know I won’t starve to death or at least I hope that doesn’t happen.  I’m not sure but somewhere along the way, Jamie started getting car sick.  I occasionally piped in some comment and she said every time she fell asleep I would start talking.  Seriously, it wasn’t on purpose. 

I heard one of the most feared words uttered in the English language, “Please pull over, I think I’m going to puke”.  She’s in the middle and I’m on the door.  I see her put her hands over her mouth and since the car wasn’t stopping, “I yelled, stop the car, she’s going to puke!” It was in my most authoritarian voice as in “drop the weapon”.  I knew I would be on the receiving end if the car didn’t stop.  I think I freaked them out because they never heard me yell like that.  The car stopped on a dime and I already had my hand on the ejector seat ready to bail.  I was out so fast; I’m surprised I didn’t launch myself over the side of the guardrail.  The event was over in a matter of minutes.  I said lets pee because we have a long way to go.  I never peed on the side of a Haitian highway before.  Of course, I’m pretty sure many have peed before me in this very spot.

Speaking of peeing, everyone pees here whenever and wherever the urge strikes.  I’ve mostly seen men whipping it out nearly in every public place I’ve been.  Today was the first day I got to see women pee.  I’m not talking about me either.  There was a big truck tap tap taking people somewhere. They must have been traveling for quite some time.  We were stuck in a traffic jam and numerous women hopped out and just squatted on the side of the road. No one even notices or pays attention, well, except me.  I had to take a picture strictly for reporting purposes.  Now I know why they all wear dresses…and no undies.  Gross!  One young gal really had to go I was like whoa, that’s a lot of pee.  One lady took some tissue with her.  I am hoping she was just more of a hygiene freak than it being something else.

After the vomitus exodus, Gertrude realized we might need some food for the starving occupants.  We pulled over and two of the guys went and got some Styrofoam containers of BBQ chicken.  It was hot.  So hot, I felt like I had an injection of that filler junk you put into your lips.  My hands were so dirty and I had nothing to even try to clean up with.  Then I add BBQ chicken on top of fifthly hands and no napkins, driving in the dark, makes for a very interesting meal. I just didn’t know what to do with my hands they were so gross.  I did eventually find some spray hand sanitizer just to get the stickiness off, they were still dirty.

At 10:30 we finally arrive and now we have to go meet with the priest and eat dinner to talk about what we have to do the next day.  I was barely coherent.  I felt bad for the staff that they had to start cooking food at 11pm.  We went there because we were going to take photos and gather information about some kids that could potentially be sponsored to go to school in this poor village.  Typically, some of the organizations sponsor a handful or so of kids to get them through school.  Gertrude asked about how many, very nicely Father Jack said 150.  I thought I was going to fall out of my chair.  Really, 150?  Is that the whole village, seriously?  I found out there is actually between 4-5 thousand people in this region.  I only saw a few hundred where we were and most live in the more rural areas.

I had an obligatory bowl of soup since they went through all the trouble but I didn’t want to crash with a belly of food, that’s gross.  I did suck down two glasses of wine though mostly relax me and prepare for bed whenever that was going to happen.  We left Father Jack around 11:30 and headed to our waiting accommodations.  We pulled down a little path and the headlights provided us a glimpse of a little tin roof building, we gave each other the look of “oh crap”.  Gertrude said no, not there, this one.  It was several steps up thankfully.  I was singing praise and relief.  It was a little concrete house with two bedrooms that are packed with bunk beds.  There is a bathroom, yay, and power.  I describe it as a rustic cabin in the woods back home.

Honestly, I was so tired and so happy just to have a bed, I didn’t care.  Gertrude gave us each a little battery operated fan to blow on about 6” of any given body part.  It felt like someone blowing on your face that was about the extent of the cooling action. 

This village is so quiet you hear nothing.  Really, nothing, that is until the roosters start their crap at o’dark hundred hours in the morning.  Come on roosters cut us some slack will ya?  Roosters really tick me off.  Honestly, I slept really well until they chimed in. 

In the morning Gertrude informs us that we must butcher the pig. I’m thinking I didn’t sign up for that excursion.  I’m not going to be part of the pig killing experience.  She then says no worry my uncle is going to kill it.  We told her to tell him to get the show on the road so we can leave by 2pm.  I don’t want to think about the pig.

We go to the priest’s house and have a good breakfast. It’s really nice on the church grounds.  It seems like there is a school there for priests in the making and one for nuns in the making and one for kids who just want to go to school. I think if you want to be a priest or a nun in Haiti, it’s a good gig.  A place to sleep, food, a job and all that seem like a good thing to me or to a Haitian.

We started with the kids, which some are about 29 years old and in high school.  How sad is that?  I was thinking they were born when I graduated.  It’s not because they are dumb it’s because they don’t have money to attend school and when they get it then they can go.  It’s honestly really sad.  There are a lot of smart kids really wanting to learn but where they live there literally are no opportunities for anything.  It’s so remote here there is nothing for them to work towards.  There are no stores and everything they have basically they have to raise as far as food.  Obviously, medicine does not grow on trees or money for that matter.

The people mostly are nice and friendly and I’m sure they were waiting for us to show our faces in the morning like we were the circus coming to town.  I don’t think white people make it to these parts very much.

It was all fine and dandy until Jamie got sick and Gertrude was worried sick.  Due to HPPA, I will not be discussing the illness/ailment.  The staff was all worried and made a bed for her.  I wanted the bed mostly for a quick siesta.   She declined and we came up with a game plan to get the kids done in the most efficient way.  It was overwhelming in the beginning but it got better as it went on.  We even had a reporter show up with his cassette recorder to capture this white person moment with this village…later he really wanted money for his radio station.  He was quite official looking, well sorta but he got every detail we were taking.  We went through so many people my head was spinning.  No one smiles.  I tried to humor them and make them but it was like a booking photo.  I told Jamie who wants to sponsor a kid with such a serious look; they need the puppy dog eyes. I got most of them to attempt a smile.  It’s like a fake smile and it looked like it hurt them to smile as well.  Come on people!

After a couple of dead batteries we were finally finished. Phew!  Ok, now let’s go.  It didn’t happen.  The pig came back mainly in large chunks.  And all the inners came back too.  That was a little gross for me.  Gertrude brought some big bags of rice and some rice packets as well to help this village.  They looked like a bunch of free loaders.  It was a crazy mob scene only topped by us handing out some clothing which made it worse.  Father Jack didn’t help suppress the chaos and was like oh well.  A few women would be perfect in America, total freeloaders living off the government taking anything they can get.  She kept grabbing her boob which later meant she had a little child.  Well I have a child and I’ve never grabbed my boob to convey a thought or message.  You can tell she is the village idiot for sure and it was confirmed by Gertrude.  Unfortunately the people there are really deprived of a lot.  It was sad.  I took to a few kids that just were clinging to me like take me with you please.  It broke my heart.

We find out the pig needs ice and then they cook some pig parts and people eat them.  I took a pass big time.  Jamie thought they were eating raw pig.  They’re not total savages. Gertrude passed out chunks of pig fat and gave it to very willing recipients.  I was not digging all this pig stuff.  Apparently, when you kill a pig you burn the hair off of it.  I am hoping it was dead before they burned it.  Haitian’s are not very animal-friendly at all.  Honestly, it makes me really mad how they treat animals.  I just don’t think they get it and they only live in the moment and don’t think about the future.  Regardless there were more pig parts than I could identify.  I took a picture of me with a pig foot.  They literally will eat each and every piece of a pig.  Seriously.  I’ll take a pass. 

So the pig has been dead for a couple of hours and people are still pissed at us for taking the clothes away because they weren’t being very nice about the whole process.  It was obnoxious, to say the least.  We are ready to go but Gertrude is still passing out pig parts and they are packing the truck like we are moving across the country.  We find out that we are adding two more people too.  Ok, like there is any more room.  There is not.  Jamie and I beg to sit in the bed of the truck even though there is no room but it beats 5 to a seat in the back.  She’s bringing in more crap and we tell her it’s not happening.

It’s so hot, I want to go and the villagers are getting restless.  They pretty much want everything we own and for us to go back naked.  I’m thinking I will get a killer tan and sunburn in some areas.  I’m thankful I can dummy up.   So five people down and 7 going back home it totally makes sense in Haiti. 

I will post pictures when I can get an opportunity.  I have been having serious technology issues.  More to follow and stay tuned for the ride home.

I just wanted to report that we made it back safe and sound after our grueling fully loaded truck ride across the island.  It was adventurous to say the least and I will write all about it when I can stay awake long enough to write.   Highlights were vomit, travelling with pigs and lots of waiting around.

Tomorrow I doubt if ill even wake up for church and it is also a girl named Rosie's confirmation Tomorrow is a day of rest and recovery and a beach...hopefully.

Last night it really rained quite a bit.  It was ironic since we still had no water for showers or to flush the toilet.  It actually got rather chilly which I never thought I’d say in Haiti.

I took one of the buckets from our room and used the garbage can bucket to go get water for the toilets.  Since it was dark, I couldn't see where the most direct water was hitting.  It was taking forever or so it seemed.  I took one of the buckets up and came back to get the other one when I realized that there was a crack in it and it can’t actually hold water.  I felt so gritty I just wanted to rinse off.

This morning we were informed there was water but I was already still feeling dirty and sweaty.   I figured I’ll suck it up and shower tonight.   My turn is next.

Morning

I am happy to report we did not see any dead people today.  I saw that they put some stuff down where he bled all over the ground.  Today we hopped on the back of a motorcycle actually we had to take two and we went to New Life Children’s Home. My friend Shawn’s wife Jessica will be there next week.  I was supposed to meet up with her but the scheduled changed and we will be passing as I am leaving, she will be coming.

Our field trip to New Life

A woman name Renee gave us the grand tour of the place.  She knows Shawn and Jessica very well.  We also met a man named John who flies a helicopter and rescues sick people from the mountains.  It was cool seeing his helicopter on the grounds.  It’s a pretty big and well-run organization.  It’s nice seeing grass there.  Some of the disabled kids were sitting under the trees hanging out.  We saw some guys trying to tap into a well by hand.  Yesterday they went 80 feet.  It looks like a merry go round with mud and water coming out.  It also looks like a hard job.  They have a little tilapia farm, chickens, rabbits, and other farm animals.  All in all, I think I would stay here too.  We walked back about halfway back home and then caught a motorcycle.  I guys pretty much expect we will come.  They’re just a little more obnoxious than I’d like.

Little fishies

After the lunch hour, we decided to hoof it to the Apparent Project via various means of public transportation.  It was so hot out.  I think the people think we are nuts because we like to sit on the outside in the sun and they go inside.  I found a few trinkets.  I became aware that I was getting a headache.  I don’t know if it was because I really didn’t eat any lunch, thank you crazy guy for taking two days of beef jerky from me.  My headache could have been from lack of water.  I don’t know about that one because I don’t go anywhere without my water bottle down here. 

How to drill a well

We figured we walk a little until we found someone to take us back to Delmas. About 30 minutes later, we were lost and finally flagged down a sole sucker to cart us back to the main road.  I was like the meat in the sandwich.  I was packed in nicely.  I always crack myself up when I hop on with these motorcycle drivers.  I’m clinging to them like we’re high school sweethearts.  Is it wrong to cling to a sweaty black man in a foreign country that you don’t know?  I’m over their sweaty body and lack of proper hygiene.  You honestly can’t escape it so you might as well embrace it.

Tomorrow we have some morning errands which mainly include going to a nearby orphanage that Gertrude’s nephew runs.  Then in the afternoon, who knows when we are supposed to take a trip to Les Cayes.  Either way, Gertrude’s family is from that area.  We are supposed to take pics and gather I guess some information about kids there for some sponsors.  We’re staying at her relative’s house so we both have no clue or expectations about our accommodations.  I’m secretly hoping they have a lot of money and I won’t have to sleep on the floor or use outdoor plumbing.

So, there’s a good chance I won’t have any Internet till sometime when we return at an unknown time on Saturday.  Here, you can never assume anything.  I also never comment if something is going well for fear we will jinx it.  It always happens so I just figure I’ll enjoy the moment while it’s good.

I don’t know if a little video I took on the back of a motorcycle will actually download.  You can see first hand why I don’t like Jamie to drive me on the back of the motorcycle.  I get a little nervous with our kamikaze drivers as it is.

Since my headache is getting the best of me I can’t write anymore.  Hopefully, I’ll be reporting back to you Saturday night on the weekend festivities. 

A rarity here

Haitian Rabbits, who would have thought?

My not so ordinary day

Today started out like any other day in the Haitian hood.  I woke up way too early for one thing, no coffee was made yet so I put myself in isolation until it was made for fear I would unleash my fury.  For those who know me, you know how imperative it is for me to start my day first thing with coffee.  When I used to go on motorcycle trips, a sacrificial cup of coffee would be left at my door with the unlucky participant who got the short straw to run as fast as they could from my door.  It’s like an offering of sorts.

Wolton on his way to school.  He eventually will call Michigan his home.

So we took the kids to school like our normal routine and then got 4 kids ready for horse therapy.  No Paco this time sad to say.  Nonetheless, it is so nice at the equestrian center you actually forget you are in Haiti.  The horses are so beautiful there and very well taken care of there.  Jamie and I hopped in the back of the truck mostly because there was no room in the cab and I didn’t want to sit with the kids.  I like standing up in the bed like a local and sucking in the dust and diesel fumes.  I’m so glad I don’t wear contacts.

Thoroughbred beauty

On the way to horse therapy

Th

Jean Daniel my other little buddy

The kids did great as usual and I was so happy to see that the kids have really progressed.  Maryce and one of the nannies were off to the hospital to get her cast changed on the way after we were dropped off.

My nemesis, Cade

We made it back home much later than we were thinking but then again time does not revolve on any half-hour system only on the hour or more time zone.  I caved and we decided to take the motorcycle to the Sugar Cane Museum.  Hey, American people visiting Haiti, this is a really nice spot for lunch and it’s directly across from the American Embassy. Ok, I was not really comfortable going on a bike but hey I figured I’m only living once and maybe one day someone will want to write my autobiography and this way it would make a more interesting storyline. 

After all the fanfare of getting the motorcycle out and getting it started, we were off.  Within oh, I’d say one minute, we both see something I’ll just say unsettling.  It was a dead guy in the street.  Yeah, I said a dead guy in the street.  I have the pictures to prove it.  I secretly wish we were going the opposite direction so I could show you his eyes.  We immediately drove around the block and went back to the orphanage.   We asked one of the older guys there, hey, there’s a dead guy in the road, do we need to stay in hiding.  The answer was, no, don’t worry about it.  The police shot him last night.  There was no crime scene tape, no nothing; just a dead guy in the road like it was no big deal.  I haven’t seen any police with handguns only shotguns.  After we found out it was “safe” to go out, we had to in for a second look.  I took the second picture.  I was a little freaked that all the school kids had to walk by it and stare.  It’s in the mid 90’s here and that is not good for someone who is dead.  We were thinking either when we came back, the guy’s family claimed him and took him away or we would find him burning.  I’ve seen dead bodies but no burning bodies before.   I’m pretty sure there was no internal investigation going on for follow up.  It’s more like 10-8 no report kind of thing here. (For my cop friends) I guess you get shot if you steal, or rob, or burglarize.  I made a mental note to do none of the aforementioned.  The dead guy picture will be the last one so you don't get blindsided and you and avoid it if you want. 

So onward we went.  Now, I didn’t like at all being out cruzin' per se on National #1, way out of my comfort zone.  I gave Jamie pointers the entire way of the fine are of motorcycle riding.  How the clutch is your friend and is one with the bike and all that crap.  I believe my total of white people encounters was five as of yesterday and a handful today only because where we went for beers was across from the embassy and there were a big handful of whiteys there but other than that, no more. 

Beautiful grounds at the sugar cane museum...mostly outdoors.

We’re toolin’ down the road and I hear sirens in the distance and they are getting closer and closer and I just don’t want to turn around because, for one, I’m trying desperately to not draw attention to the two white chicks out on a motorcycle.  My efforts were a solid F grade.  We got pulled over.  Yeah, my disbelief too.  Seriously what are the odds of the millions of people that I am riding along with?  I got off and just backed away from the bike.   Thankfully it was UN and we got a tongue lashing for being white girls out on a motorcycle and how this is just not normal.  Really, you think?  It was funny because the guy is lecturing us and I’m looking at the guy like I told her.  Jamie did not appreciate my antics and preceded to dime me out for not wearing helmets.  Eventually, we went on our way.  I would be more fearful if it was the Haitian police because they just do whatever they want.  I’m hoping to get a tour of a real Haitian PD even though I know it was far from state of the art and they get paid nearly nothing to do whatever it is they do here.  It’s not like the police at home.  We protect your asses and assets so be thankful people!  Plus we just don’t shoot you and leave you in the middle of the road on a 90 something degree day.  That’s just gross!

We enjoy our beer at the sugar cane museum and have our regular agree to disagree conversation and move on.  We're like yin and yang.  I trust no one she trusts everyone.  We coexist and I tell her I will go out kicking and screaming.  I'm kind of silly that way

I’m also happy to report that there were no cockroach sightings last night so he may have been acting alone.  Also, ever since I reported how happy I was with the power situation, the power has been out.  So who knows when it will be back on.  We are trying to figure out how to take a shower without water.  I will not be happy because I am coated in dust and dirt. 

I’ve had many messages about my voodoo dolls.  First voodoo stuff here is unexplainable for me to describe.  Many of the voodoo dolls and figures have the Christian relics added to them.  They adapt Mary, Jesus and many other Saints and crosses added into their work.  It’s kind of hard to explain.  I can tell you it’s very artsy looking stuff and for some weird reason I’m drawn to it.  I’m hoping that the piece I got, I don’t have to return to get rid of back luck.  I’ll be really mad.  And I told people it’s not the easier place to go.  You need to find someone to take you, drive for an undetermined amount of time, take someone with you to fend off the vendors and help negotiate a price.  You then pay a guy to again give you added protection from the vendors and steer you from bad things.  I would not recommend taking any children.  It was an adventure to say the least and I learned a lot.  I’ll see what I can do people but it may be a miracle if I can get back there. 

American Embassy

The heat, the lack of power and water are getting to me.  That and the sound of about 20 incessant crying children.  I feel like a chicken breast dredged in egg and flour and waiting to be fried.  My motto is if I drink more I will care less.  It's semi working.

Storms a brewin'

Free Range Bovine

Tomorrow we are off to another orphanage and maybe to the earthquake memorial wherever the heck that is in the afternoon.  The days are going by way too fast and there is much to finish up and see while I’m here.

Departed...in 90 plus degree weather.  Obvious head wound.

Adieu for now.