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