Day 9

[Sorry it took so long to post this one. After a return trip that was a day longer than expected and many other minor calamities, I am finally home.]

Happy Sabbath! I attempted to make huevos racheros this morning. It was a huge failure. I can’t even cook backpacking food. ):

Today we were privileged to go on an expedition into the mountains. Our driver somehow found us a megavan that fit 16 of us AND was air conditioned! We drove through several cities and villages, including Port-Au-Price and Petionville, and ended up near Kenscoff. It, like the drive from the airport, was a fascinating road trip. We got an eyeful of a completely different world. In Port-Au-Prince, we saw fat pigs rooting through the trash in the streets. I saw a lady dragging around a chicken by its feet. There are barbershops everywhere, usually housed in trailers or very small buildings. Instead of real pictures or posters, they have paintings of peoples’ heads painted on the front as examples of their hairstyling capabilities. On the way back we saw a wedding taking place at a church with barbed wire around its walls. The bride was dressed in pink and talking on her cell phone.

Quite a few of the taptaps are themed. For instance, we have seen an “under the sea” taptap with fish all over it, “love” themed taptaps plastered in painted hearts, and even a Vegas themed vehicle with cards painted on the windows. Many have depictions of Jesus dying on the cross, walking on water, or performing other miraculous acts. I recognized the faces of Lil’ Wayne, Barak Obama, and Justin Bieber on a few taptaps.

Dr. Dietrich has his own taptap! It’s an old white truck wit ha festive top over the bed, where you sit. He is planning on painting Bible verses on it and adorning it with a plastic bone and  Green Bay Packer paraphernalia. He is also considering painting on the faces of Aaron Rodgers, Dr. Scott Nelson, and a Haitian friend.

There are a few signs of progress within the city: we saw some carpentry “shops” along the way. Also, there were caterpillars and backhoes digging out a channel. Dad said that particular channel was so full of trash last year that you could walk across it.

In Petionville, we stopped for the Dietrichs to buy some fruit, which they shared with us tonight. The watermelon was heavenly, so red and so sweet. When you get into Petionville, you can start to see evidence of slightly more wealth. There are nicer cars, taller buildings...there were even some asphalt roads when we got farther into the mountains. It seemed that they were less affected by the earthquake, although poverty and rubble piles were still present. There were a few mansions surrounded by huge stone walls, German Shepherds, and even a police car in one case. There were a lot of paintings for sale in Petionville, but I am happy with the one I have.

Continuing our drive upwards, the city gave way to jungle. The trees, flowers, fern, and vines growing from crumbling buildings were reminiscent of Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. The roads got steeper and more broken. It was significantly cooler in the mountains, thank goodness. It was a perfect temperature, so refreshing. We stopped and got out of the van part way up the hill. It was an adorable village that included a playground, a tiny hospital, and even a zoo! We ate lunch in the van. After hearing of my vegimeat withdrawals, Dr. Dietrich kindly gave me a piece of his Leanie. (Summer and Tim, his daughter and son-in-law, brought some vegimeat from the States when they arrived yesterday.) He informed me that I am one of the few people in the world that can say that they have gotten a bite of his precious Leanies.(: At another stopping point, we had a great view of the valley all the way down to the ocean. The smog partially deterred our view, but it was still cool. We walked up the road at this point, to stretch our legs and get a better view of the area. We walked between crops of corn, onions, and potatoes. The dirt is red clay in these mountains. (I got some on my pants.): ) The Haitians tie their goats and their cows and their horses by the side of the road in seemingly random places. We drove a bit more, and soon came to a cliff looking over a gully. It started to rain, so we took shelter under the trees are watched the lightning. The raindrops were huge! It really started to pour as we were leaving, and with 16 of us in the van, we couldn’t make it up the slick, muddy hill! Our driver wasn’t super aggressive and his approach was to try creeping up the hill. Once we convinced him to gun it with a running start, he finally made it up the hill. Meanwhile, however, we all piled out of the van into the pouring rain. When he saw us huddling under some skinny trees, a native opened his gates and let us seek refuge on his roofed porch. Or maybe it wasn’t his, and he just opened the gates anyway. I was thankful that we kept traction on our ride back down the steep mountain. We only traveled 30 to 40 miles, but it took us around 2.5 hours, one way. This was due to the wet roads, gridlock in Port-Au-Prince, and one stop. I am SO glad we got to take this trip into a different part of Haiti! I was not expecting such a wonderful surprise. It was priceless to be able to see all sides of Haiti from the slums to the jungle. Today’s trip reminded me how beautiful Haiti truly is. It’s gorgeous! It could be such a paradise. (not a proper noun.) Just on the other side of the island, in the Dominican Republic, there are hoity-toity tropical resorts. But alas: no such thing in Haiti. Poverty runs rampant.

I am surprised by the lack of road rage here in Haiti. Everyone honks at each other, constantly, but they never get mad or yell. I’m also surprised that there are so few injuries due to traffic accidents. People dart across the street whenever they please, and people drive like complete MANIACS.

I was looking through the pictures I have on my computer, and a Haitian girl came up behind me. Her name is Christina, and she loved looking at the pictures I have of home. She especially liked the cheerleading pictures I have of our PAA Spirit Squad, and she thinks Zachri looks like Brad Pitt.(: I tried to explain the difference between skiing and snowboarding to her, but I don’t think I did a very good job of it.

There are still frequent brownouts here at the hospital. That means that I won’t have wifi until we get to Miami. I’ve noticed that the microwave really affects the power issue: whenever someone uses it, the lights flicker and dim, and eventually go off. I’m hoping that the power stays on through the night, so our fans will continue to blow on us. It’s sweltering without them. But I reckon that since most people will not be using lights or other power sources, the power will be enough to keep the fans on.

I am looking forward to coming home. I’ll finally be able to get a good night’s rest! I’ll be able to put the toilet paper in the bowl and eat ice. Seeing my friends, family, and pets will be a welcome experience. And Gramma Minnie’s pool sounds divine right about now.(:

However, I have enjoyed my time here, immensely. I loved the Nursing aspect of it; it reinforced my interest in the career. I loved the mission aspect of it; handing out those shoes was such a blessing. I loved the foreign aspect of it; excepting a day spent in Vancouver, BC, I’ve never been out of the US. I loved the tropical aspect of it; despite the heat, I have enjoyed being in the Caribbean, especially seeing the jungle part of the island.

We leave the hospital tomorrow morning at 5:45 am. Yikes! But at least the sun will be up, so we can see Haiti one last time before we depart. Dad says airport security takes forever in Haiti, with multiple metal detectors and grumpy TSA employees. Just another exciting Haitian experience!

I am determined to return to this country. This trip has been such an incredible blessing. I am so lucky to have had this opportunity to see God working in a different part of the world. Thank you again for your support and prayers, church family. God is good. Haiti is hot.(:

Vegimeat, here I come.

-Chloe