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...