With me on this journey were Rob, the trip leader, and Jack. Both older gentlemen from Maryland with open minds and a yearning to do good in this world. Through all the chaos of getting to Haiti we collectively kept our cool and supported each other from the start.
After landing in Haiti I quickly noticed the wet heat one my expect from a tropical destination. The humidity was especially stifling for me because I've been used to the cool, dry air of a Colorado winter. Slowly but surely we made our way through the various checkpoints at the airport. Once we retrieved our bags and headed out of the airport, our Haitian journey truly started.
With backpacks strapped tight and duffel bags over our shoulders we made our way to the parking lot through a mass of Haitians looking to help carry bags. The "red hats" were legit baggage handlers, but we really didn't need the help. Three grizzly looking white Americans were an easy find for Curt, our project manager. Curt swept us through the crowds to a white SUV where a driver was waiting. This whole whirlwind from airport to car was probably only two minutes long.
Port Au Prince is a city one might expect to see in a third world country, yet expectations had to be left behind because this experience was unique. Cars and motorcycles drove wherever they could get ahead and horns were used liberally. This made for a scary ride to Leogane. Buildings were dilapidated, demolished, half built, or sometimes new. Earthquake damage was clearly visible, and the Haitians preferred not to clear a fallen building, generally speaking, because it acted as a sort of memorial. We were told that some locals were upset about the capitol palace being cleared. We also passed the market where we encountered the most traffic. Motorcycles and tap-taps (buses) weaved and dodged to make any progress that they could find. I wish I had a picture of the market because the masses of stuff and people and half built sales stands was an amazing sight to see. We passed a tent city which housed displaced Haitians after the earthquake. They had nowhere else to go after so much was lost so they banded together in makeshift tents just big enough to sleep in. Just before leaving the city we passed an unofficial dump where garbage continuously smoldered and burned filling the air with smog and a lingering stink. Air quality is a problem all over Haiti. Even in the mountains locals burned their trash every once in a while because that's what is customary. There were also a couple of police check points on the way out of town where we didn't run into an problems. Images of Port Au Prince can be seen here.
Eventually, we picked up the pace was we drove further away from Port Au Prince. Just outside of Leogane is the Family Health Ministries (FHM) guesthouse where we spent our first night. FHM is an organization Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) is partnering with to eventually build a clinic. Due to logistics and property negotiations the project is on hold for now. The house had all the amenities one might expect at a hostel. The guesthouse was fenced in with razor wire trimming the top of the fence. A guard was always on duty to protect the guesthouse. He was always there to let people in and out of the compound with a shotgun slung over his shoulder. Here we dropped our bags in one of the bunk rooms, and soon headed out for dinner.
For dinner we went to a beach near Leogane where there is a restaurant run by an older French couple who moved here a couple decades ago. We met with the previous group of volunteers and Haitians who just finished a project. We conversed, swam in the ocean, and ate a glorious meal. I had the lobster. Just before dawn some locals could be seen pulling in their lobster traps.
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