Traffic in Haiti

I'll never complain about a traffic jam here.  Or if by chance I do, I'll mumble it under my breath.  I like to think of traffic in Haiti like a scene out of Mad Max.  The crazy tricked out tap taps, over weight trucks, bald tires, overheating radiators, vehicles dead and dying on the side of the road like no one ever owned them in the first place.  Rocks used as jacks.  There's definitely no emission testing here.  The smell of diesel fumes hanging in the air.  They choke me out and make me lightheaded.  It's a crazy place here on the road but somehow they all make it to their destination eventually.

People, motorcycles and anything else just weaves around to get ahead or to get across.  People sell food and drinks like they do at ball games.  They will even try to wash your car while you are sitting in traffic...lost cause.

This guy on top is sleeping.  He woke up so we knew he wasn't dead.



This was a UN convoy out of Uruguay on the right. 

They didn't help move the traffic along and we were quite a site for them since we were the only three white chicks for miles and miles 

Traffic lanes are so spacious and there is plenty of room to move.  There was about a foot of space between these two trucks.  Plenty according to Haitian standards.

But alas, they have to push the space issue to the limits.  My hand might have fit between these two trucks that's how close they were.

The police directing traffic actually makes it worse believe it or not.  I could have done a better job with my eyes closed and missing both my arms. 

 

You can start to see how much dust there really is.  It just coats your skin.

You just drive wherever to get to where you need to go

This is how worthless having someone direct traffic is.  Everyone pretty much still goes around and does whatever they want.  For whatever reason, my video is sideways.  Honestly, I didn't take it that way but it won't let me upright it. 

Real Haitians wear white, I cannot

I took a picture of this dog last year and was surprised to see it again this year.  I saw him and recognized him but didn't have my camera to take a picture.  Finally, today I saw him and took his picture.  I didn't think the shelf life for a Haitian animal is that long.

Last March

Iron market

This April

I saw my first hummingbird here in Haiti.  Actually I saw a few of them.  Another pleasant surprise.  We hired Son (Sp) and his tap tap to head down to the iron market.  I was in disbelief on how quick we made it down there.  Usually it's hours on end but today it was quick in regards to  Haitian standards. 

I love the iron market.  It's a very unusual place where I can get my fix of all things voodoo.  The stuff intrigues me to no end.  I'm not into voodoo but it's so artsy I can't help myself.  There's so much Catholic influence built in, it almost seems sacrilegious.  A guy was trying to talk me into buying a little, oh say 2-3 ft. tall statue of a voodoo doll made with a human skull.  "Oh, you can bring it on the plane" he tells me.  Yeah ok,  I want to be labeled as Hannibal Lector's daughter bringing home an intact human skull.  The he tries to convince me to ship it DHL.  No can do I tell him.  "Well you can ship them if you live in Canada.  Ok but I don't so I'll have to take a pass this time.  He seemed a little put out.  The statue/figurine looked like Tattoo from Fantasy Island.  Honestly some of it was really cool and other stuff kind of creeped me out knowing that there are human body parts involved.  I'll post pics of that later.  We wrapped it up, paid our pseudo body guards and off we went to lunch.



I have noticed since last spring that they are clearing out the old section of Port au Prince that was really hit hard by the earthquake.  It's all by hand so it's slow but it is progress.  I've seen lots of subtle improvements which is a good thing.

We went to lunch and I had goat creole with plantains.  It was very good as was the cold Prestige I was enjoying.  It took forever to order, forever, to get food, forever to get the bill.  Everything here seems to take forever.  We gave our driver some money to go get lunch and take a load off.  So finally after we settled up the bill, we decided we would walk down the street and head into the Star 2000 grocery store on Delmas.  We told our friend Oriol to have the tap tap meet us there.  We go hiking down the busy street, check our backpacks and head into the store.  We bought a mop, broom and dustpan.  I bought a big bag of puppy food for Life and another new puppy I called "After Life".   After Life is a little girl, Life is a little boy, this will be bad down the road.  After Life looked a little mangy so I bought some puppy shampoo too.   I know people were looking at me like the freak of nature I am.  I'm buying dog food and people are starving.  Again, I like animals more than most people.

I forgot to buy some roadies for me and Oriol and I went and grabbed those bad boys out of the cooler.  The sort of good thing in Haiti is that it's so hot, I can suck down beer and not really have to pee because I'm sweating my butt off.  You can never get enough water to drink here, just ask the people who live here.  We finish our purchases and go to the parking lot to meet our ride and they are not there.  So we wait and wait.  I crack open my beer, chuckle about buying dog food in a country of starving people.  Finally, Jamie's phone rings and it was Oriol,  apparently they went to the Delmas 2000 kind of across the street.  I don't know, Delmas 2000, Star 2000, you think they could spread them out a little farther down the street.  It drives Oriol crazy that we crossed the street in the first place like playing a virtual Frogger.  This is the only time I am thankful for Haitian traffic because it's easier to cross.

We've been having the hardest time posting pictures.  I've waited over 20 minutes for just one.  It's maddening!  I'm aging minute by minute wasting my life away sitting in front of a computer.  It's like carrier pigeons of the Internet world delivering messages.  Needless to say, pictures will sadly have to wait.

We were supposed to head up to the tin market but about an hours worth plus of literally bumper traffic, we scrapped the idea.  Besides, I had about enough dust, smog and diesel fumes to last a lifetime.  I was perpetually dopey...more than usual.  I felt the thick coating of dirt and dust and who knows what else.  It kills me that Haitian can get away wearing white and I wear it for a half hour and it's filthy.  I don't know how they do it.
The UN was out in a full force caravan and they were giving us the look of crazy fools.  I'm sure we were the only white chicks around for miles and miles.  I'll have pics of that whenever as well.

Tomorrow morning we are walking to Chedner's to drop off the stuff we bought him as well as some surplus money for the orphanage.  It should be fun carrying the bad of dog food for a mile through the hood.  I'm also looking for the perfect tee shirt to buy off some sap's back.  I found a few ones I wish I would have got so tomorrow I am going to be on the lookout.  Now mind you,  I won't be wearing it until it gets washed.  Ok,  I'm technology drained from lack of cooperation by the Internet.  I'm tapping out.

Chasing bacon.

Today we took the kids from Chedner’s place to the beach.   We took all but two of the young boys mostly because they are significantly disabled and we didn’t have the accommodations to transport them or wheelchairs to boot.  Four of the big boys that came in from Cite Soleil that currently live at the orphanage did not go either.  Cite Soleil is basically the equivalent of a project area in Chicago, minus living in a building but about 100 times worse.  There are no addresses there, no power, no running water, no nothing.  It’s hell gone awry basically.  I could never take enough pictures to accurately portray what this place is like and there are no words to describe it. 

This is everyday travel

Some of the kids we loaded in.  I couldn't fit them all in the picture

Wahoo Bay

We loaded up in an over-packed rented tap tap which was a van we rented for the day.  This is overloaded according to US standards.  Now in Haiti, it would only be considered half full.  I have yet to actually be in a fully functioning vehicle here.  The lifespan of a vehicle here is short.

It took I think an hour or hour and a half.  I don’t wear a watch so I just go with the flow and follow the crowd.    We passed the Obama beach and hotel on the way.  They had a little kiosk to the side registering Haitians for healthcare.  Ok, I’m kidding about that.   I’m a smart ass, I can’ We finally arrived at Wahoo Bay resort, paid the money and went on in.  We had fitted the kids during the week with swimsuits that were donated.  Unbeknownst to us, many of the kids did not understand the concept of the whole swimsuit thing.  Half of them had their underwear under the swimsuits.  It was an ordeal to get them all suited up and ready to go.  Once we did though, they were ready for action.  I was very surprised that they were going gung ho to hit the water.   Honestly, they did much better than I expected.  We had a really good time, I ate some fish creole and gave the rest to the kids to polish off which they appreciated.

We were able to find a guy to take us on a boat ride, not coast guard approved by any means.   The kids wore floaties like it would save them if we capsized.  It was actually very picturesque scenery along the shoreline.  There are not as many people in this region, unlike Port au Prince.  They may be there but if they are, they are spread out.  It’s very desert like over by this beach area.  There is hardly any garbage washing up as there was last year.  I’m a little miffed because I’m looking for that rare garbage find for my art, but I found none.  Yesterday, I found a part of a ceramic statue and l have is two sets of girl legs with black shoes.  So far, those are my favorite things.  I have a Barbie arm too but those are a dime a dozen.  I had to leave with no little treasures.  On the way home, the sliding door only opened once, which is a good thing since I was next to the door and not a kid.  We hit rush hour on the way home and made it back around I think 5:45 or 6ish.  I was happy to be back, I felt like the Coppertone chick.  A little crispy feeling.  It’s been seriously hot here.    Like if you died, you would bloat up in no time kind of hot.

These swimmies will not save lives

Tomorrow we are going in the tap tap to the iron market for my voodoo dolls.  It’s going to be an ordeal to get there and then pay to have a guy keep the “heavies”  (not sure if that is the correct way to spell it for the definition) off of us while we peruse the market.  I know to bring snacks because everything seems to turn into a big ordeal wherever we go.  Then I think we’re going to lunch and then to the iron market.  It will be fun regardless.  I’m getting quite comfortable here about getting around, not sure if that’s good or not.  Either way, it’s not as hyped up as they make it to be about not coming here.  Haiti kind of gets a bad rap.  There’s a lot of bad here but there’s a lot of good too.

There was a fire across the street so we thought we’d go check it out to see if it was something reportable.  I was looking for the keeping the man down rally, or the million man march to nowhere rally, or power to the people protest.  It was none of them, it was just a pile of burning garbage.  Total let down.  I suggested wieners and marshmallows.  It’s too hot to have a fire in Haiti.

That’s all I can report on today, I think I burned my brain.

Me enjoying Life.  The dog's name is Life.  I'm, Me

Hot n' Humid

One thing always say when I come to Haiti is “boy, it’s good to be back on Haitian soil” Then I start chuckling and think does Haiti really have soil?  There’s plenty of dirt but I’m doubtful of the soil part.  We were also wondering why the bathroom is hot and steamy after a shower but there’s no hot water?  It’s true but I can’t wrap my mind around how that really happens.

We walked over to the orphanage to finish up the painting.  I’ve been wearing the same clothes since Sunday.  They are taking on a life of their own at this point.  Sweat, dirt, paint and who knows whatever else I’ve come in contact with.  Probably bodily fluids and puppy germs too.  I figured I’d only trash one outfit while I’m here.  Maybe we’ll have a burning party at the end of the week.

I feel like we are fighting a losing painting war here.   We paint, the next day there are dirty marks and scraped paint on the wall.  This afternoon I went a little crazy because an unknown child colored with crayons on one wall.  I gave a tongue lashing in English to the kids but I am positive they knew exactly what I was yelling about.  After lunch we came back and low and behold, someone painted over and repaired the crayon wall.  I must have made my point.

I think we finished but we're not entirely sure since Chedner wasn’t there to tell us if he needed anything else.  I was about done mentally anyway too much chaos there and I was longing for some serious quiet time and a cold beer.  It’s super humid because it’s rained cats and dogs pretty much every night.  In the morning it’s like navigating a whole new course because of all the flooded areas.  I am not a fan of walking in puddles here. 

There’s a little puppy at Chedner ’s place named, Life, I think that’s a pretty cool name for a dog in Haiti It’s kind of an oxymoron.  I brought down a few little sample-sized bags of pet food and gave them to the kids taking care of him  Haitian’s don’t really keep dogs as pets or really keep anything of a pet nature.  The puppies are so cute and if I could smuggle one home I would.  People are so mean to animals down here and it pisses me off to no end.

Life

There have been some infrastructure improvements since last May.  They’ve been working/building roads in the neighborhood and working on improving drainage.   On our way back to do more painting, some smartass punk grabbed a Ziploc bag out of my backpack.  It was in a side pocket.  He thought he got the mother lode of who knows what.  Then he realized it was a bag of garbage I’ve been collecting while here.  He looked at me like I was nuts and why I would even have a bag of crap. It’s garbage in the sense of art.  Cool bottle caps, old broken tiles, hair barrettes, a roller, just a variety of bizarre things I will eventually make into art.  Needless to say, I got my bag of stuff back.

Infrastructure has not been down here

I think tomorrow I will be able to wear new clothes.    We are taking the nannies and the kids from the orphanage to the beach tomorrow.   We’re also meeting up with our friend Oriel who hopefully will be able to come for a visit this summer to the U.S., Of course, these kids have ever seen the ocean but they all have suits now and can at least sit by the water in the sand.  I know the nanny is ecstatic about going. 

Storms a brewing

April Fool

I’m several days behind on important news forecasting from exciting Haiti.  It all began with not sleeping for a few days which all but sent me over the edge.  I was close to my breaking point.   Then I was having computer issues and wrote numerous posts that I couldn’t publish or I would lose or just wouldn’t cooperate and go with the program.   Finally, last night I got some sleep.  I woke up when I got bit by a mosquito between the eyes.  The mosquitos are bad here, but what else would you?  I’m thankful for my anti-malaria meds because the stuff these bugs land on gives me the hee be gee bees.



Before



The last few days we’ve been working at the orphanage cleaning up and painting.  It’s finally looking pretty good.  If we just keep the kids from touching the walls, sanding the walls, scraping the walls, they’d look much better.  It’s so much better than the old pea-green and mold color it was before. It’s been in the 90’s but actually, it’s not too bad inside mostly because we are surrounded by concrete.  We’ve put in full days of hard work and it’s starting to show.  We gave Chedner some money to get the kids some “nice” clothes for church.  I actually hope we can finish up tomorrow.  My limbs can’t take any more painting.  The paint here is crap, to say the least but we don’t have many other choices.

Front entry in progress

The plans we had for the week slowly keep changing because stuff comes up but I think we’ll make due.  We’ve been getting up around 6-6:30 every morning and are ready to work by 8am.  It’s about a mile walk to get to the orphanage and during the afternoon it’s quite toasty out when we walk back for lunch.

                                                                     In progress painting

I haven’t seen any dead people this trip thankfully but supposedly there was a dog that didn’t get out of a car/trucks way in time.  I didn’t even want to look at it.  I told Jamie and Susan I like animals more than people.  Mostly because they don’t lip back to you and love you no matter what. 

Front entry nearing completion



I’m hoping the power will eventually come on so I can try sending this out tonight otherwise it will be yet another failed attempt.  There’s also some pictures of the last few days.

 

The little kid's bedroom

The boy's bedroom before

This is one of the in-progress pics

Child Labor at it's finest


Thinking of bringing this back as a germ-laden souvenir