Notes from Haiti
Random notes during my trip to Haiti
First impression-- small airport, walking on the tarmac underneath a plane to get to the gate. A band of musicians wearing greeen Western Union shirts are playing and singing-accordion, banjo, drums and guitar. Immigration and Customs was a matter of two minutes to get through. Guard meets me at the exit. Armored suv that has obviously been shot at in the past, passenger window cracked but not shattered.
Roadside stands selling many different things, many appear to be used recycled or just rusted metal things. It looks like people spray paint what they are selling on the fences and set up "shop" there.
Trying to remember what little French I took in high school to be able to communicate with bodyguards but i'm tired from the flight and can only think Spanish-how ironic.
Car broke down partway through trip. Pulled over - looks like alternator is bad. Stopped in front of a place called Quality Hotel but name may be a little overambitious...have to wait inside "for safety"... definitely ambitious. Clean though and beautiful tilework on the floors.
After we start up again we head up hill. I can tell this is a swankier direction, some of the buildings are painted and the things for sale on the side of the road are art and pottery instead of used car parts. There is advertising posted on the side of buildings for things like cellphone, banks and an upcoming election.
The humidity is humid even for humid. Got to hotel and checked into room-ahhh, air conditioning! Outdoor restaurant here to eat at before I crash-I wonder if the water is safe to drink. This will be a neat hotel to explore when the sun is up-they have a fancy pool complete with barstools in the water and tennis court. Some f the lights are flickering in the hallway some are out-interesting counterpoint to what I think the rest of the place looks.
It hits me-of course everything is open and tile and iron-that will stand up to a hurricane better than walls and carpet and wood. And sure enough, the sections I thought were artfully done with stonework embedded into the bricks in areas must be where damage was repaired, the grout is a lot newer and bricks replaced in odd places.
In the morning I go to the buffet breakfast. Still outdoors but the humidity is less thankfully. Eggs, pancakes, ripe bananas that look fresh-picked. Ants walking on the food tables but I don't think there's any way to avoid that here. Service always with a smile. This seems to be a popular tourist hotel it's full of people downstairs with maps spread out and backpacks for their water, snacks and whatnot.
Since it's outdoors (and not the US) people finish their meals and light up cigarettes at the table-surprisingly I can barely tell with the air moving slowly away from me.
I just realized there are no stop signs on any street but traffic (generally) seems to flow well in the area i'm riding in. The streets themselves -wow. Pothole doesn't even begin to describe it. Many streets were paved at one point but you can see how they have be ground back into gravel and huge holes that you have to drive aroud or lose your tires.
There doesn't seem to be decaf here at the office or the hotel. Drat.
Power outage on my side of the hotel for about 5 minutes. Other side is still lit up. Not much else here to report tonight.
No one has been in the pool that I've seen so far. Doesn't make me eager to be the first one in. I don't have time anyway-it gets dark here early and I'm working until about 7 back to hotel for followup work a quick check of home email. Getting up at 6:45 to get checked in with email, eat and be ready for the car at 8:15 is enough for me thank you.
The roads are filled with small beaten up pickup trucks converted into "buses"- a bench on either side and a can cover holding as many as 20 people in them at a time. I've seen every type of person in them even business types with laptops. The poverty here -and this is a better off area!!!- is amazing.
Weird night. The dinner table is set with napkins folded over the water glasses looking like nothing so much as a Klansman hood-I find that creepy. Small lizard runs across the railing on the restaurant deck-that's much more amiable.
I fly out in the morning. This has definitely been an experience.