Haiti - Into the Heart of it All

It's been a bustling week and a half! It began with Patrick Murphy and I boarding a 6AM flight and the Albuquerque International Sunport (with final destination of Port-au-Prince, Haiti) and ends with me writing this post during a packing break for Mozambique (I leave Monday at 6.30AM).

But, first things first: Haiti.

 I want to begin by saying that the media has done a HORRIBLE job of accurately portraying the country, and its skewed image has only been exacerbated by visitors who fail to do their own research and branch out. Many sources would make you think you were entering a war zone. It's not the case. I did plenty of walking around alone and spoke with many local people and a few things become apparent: 

1. The people are amazing. They are upbeat, kind and have a great sense of humor. They are interested in interaction and are extremely interesting to interact with. 
2. Common sense and street smarts go a long way. Further than a private driver to cart you around does, especially if you're interested in actually experiencing the country 
3. Poverty does not translate into violence and danger. Haiti's murder rate is many times lower than the neighboring tourist destinations of Jamaica and Dominican Republic
4. It is not some deathtrap for Americans (even though it maybe should be after our history with the country) and the majority of people who spoke with me on the streets simply wanted to practice their English or chat with a white guy, and did not even mention money

Now I don't want these to make it seem like the country is not poor or that there are no problems, but they pale to those portrayed by the media, ideas propagated by mindless consumers in the developed world. 

NOW ONTO THE TRIP 😃 After a 10-hour layover in Atlanta that turned into a 24-hour layover and no sleep (our flight was progressively delayed hour-by-hour before being finally cancelled at 4.30AM) Patrick and I arrived in Port-au-Prince at around 16.00 local time. The cultural crash course begin immediately in the airport as almost a dozen airport workers rushed about trying to find the owners of the baggage parcels they had already quarantined in the corner of the room and then ask the owners for a tip. Patrick's bag was not there, so a man pointed out where the help desk was, then asked for a tip. We finished the paperwork then walked outside to look for our ride. Some men helped us find him, then asked for a tip. Tipping would be a common theme and point of semi-contention throughout the rest of my stay, as we were constantly trying to judge which services merited a tip, how much to give, what was expected and who needed it most. 

Our driver, Dade (pronounced DAH-d) took us to the Healing Hands for Haiti Guesthouse, where I stayed for my week and a few days and where Patrick will stay his entire 7 weeks. Like any of the other more well off places, HHH was in a compound with a wall all around its perimeter; there was a guard at its gate. The house was amazing inside and the food, breakfast and dinner daily, would prove to be unforgettable. Breakfast was usually fresh fruit with eggs and toast. Dinner varied daily but always included a meat in some form and a salad. Both meals came with fresh fruit juice. 

My room at HHH Guesthouse. Patrick was in a separate
room, so yes, I had my choice of beds each night 

The living room/chill area of the guesthouse, the door by the TV went out to
a balcony which Pat and I spent a bit of time on. There was also access to the
roof, which we would also utilize during the evenings 

The kitchen/eating area 

An example dinner at the guesthouse 

The clinic was just as impressive as the guesthouse, and honestly much more. It was part of the same new building and was connected to the guesthouse via a skywalk. The clinic was 3 stories and included 3D printers to print its own prosthetics, pediatric care, cafeteria, tech room, recycling and repurposing center, offices, PT session rooms, checkup rooms and surgery capabilities. Most of the staff was trained in either Cuba or the Dominican Republic, as Haiti does not yet have a certification program. In the country of 8 million, the number of PTs given is 54. 

The clinic from the top floor

Patrick heading to his first day of volunteering at HHH (this
is the passage from the guesthouse to the clinic)

And you know that first day went well! 

Outside gate to HHH

Once Patrick started working, the Monday after we arrived, I spent the time going on a walk each day. He usually worked from about 7.00 to 15.30, so I would manage to get in a 3-hour or so walk and then have a little time to rest and eat before he finished. I didn't take too many photos while walking around, as it is hard to get a photo that doesn't include people and I did not feel comfortable spreading images of their personal poverty. However, Patrick and I also went on a couple excursions during my time there. One was up to an observation point on the summit of one of Port-au-Prince's mountains and the other was to a city called Jacmel in the south of the country. Here are some photos! 

One of the iconic photos of what the majority of housing looks like in Port-au-Prince, and likely a lot of the rest of the
country as well. 

On one of my walks I found one of the only traffic
lights in Port-au-Prince. You can see how well it's
working

I saw a lot of beautiful graffiti on my walks. These are painted on the outside
wall of the National Cemetery 

A lot of the foreign aide promised in the wake of the
2010 earthquake hasn't shown up. Parts of the city are still
in the same condition they were left in after the disaster

This is what Dade described as the national judicial
 building

This was the little van we did most of our exploring in. When driving, it
is impossible and I imagine fatal to try to do so on your own. A Haitian
driver is absolutely necessary

Our first sortie was to the tall mountain overlooking Port-au-Prince, from which one has a fantastic view of the city and
the bay

On the road down to Jacmel we were able to fully
appreciate exactly how mountainous the country is...and
what that means for a stomach, especially with a Haitian
driving the vehicle 

At the hotel we stayed at we were able to get our fresh seafood fix for lunch upon arrival

The town of Jacmel is known for its artisans, and we toured
many 

Dade's family comes from the countryside near Jacmel, so
we visited them on our way out of town. This
consisted of parking on the side of the highway and
walking...

...up the side...

...of a mountain

Upon reaching the house one of the children climbed one
of the palm trees nearby and threw down half a dozen
coconuts for us to drink the water and then consume the
meat as a tasty little treat

While there, Patrick looks at the wrist of Dade's father,
which had been bothering him for some time. This
exchange consisted of translating what Patrick said into
French, for Dade, then Dade translating from French
into Creole 

After long days or trips, it's important to pop open a local
lager and relax on the rooftop as the sun goes down