Just returned from "sightseeing". Before we left, we decorated the classrooms with alphabet lettters for the first graders. We left in tap-taps to first see the fallen Cathedral in the heart of Haiti. Along the way, we passed through our neighborhood, Terre de Noire. Trash is piled everywhere. Goats running wild. The tents are everywhere. The roads are so bumpy, it's hard to hang on.
When we get to the Cathedral, there isn't much. Some pillars stand. Other pillars hanging there. There is still some stained glass in the wondows. Other pieces just lay in the rubble. Several people are digging through. Most ask us for money or food. One man is with his 2 children and asking for medical advice.
We head over and see the white house. You can still tell it was once a beautiful building even as it's half collapsed. Across the street there are the tent communities. Naked children on the street.
We then start up the mountain on these very steep hilly roads. Almost makes me think of when I had to go up the auto road when I worked on top of mt washington. These were by far, much worse. We constantly swear to avoid potholes or other oncoming cars. There are no speed limits, no dotted yellow lines. No rules at all. We did drive through a "nice" community. AFter a long drive, we reached the top. You can see all of Haiti and the coast. You can see the tents and houses built into the mountains. From teh top you can see Blanchard (our compound), City Soleil, the Cathedral, and the White House. Bought some souveniers for Brianna and Breally. Then we went to a lunch at a "safe" Haitian restaurant, Mission Valley Baptist. I had cheese pizza and Coca Cola. How American can I get? There was a group "Wings of Hope" who help mentally challenged kids. We sat next to 2 boys, Tony and Sam, both handicapped who love to smile and eat french frieds. They were adorable.
After lunch, we couldn't go to the orphanage so we went to stop to get Haitian ice cream. As we traveled home, you could see down power lines and frayed ends. Haitian ice cream (vanilla) tastes like cinnamin and is delicious. The women carry everything on their head - giant tubs full of pots and pans - even saw one man with a basket of chicken. When we got back, we took a tour of our compound. We saw the church where we are having our clinic. We have church tomorrow at 6am for 2 1/2 hours. They have people here who sew and make garments. They have a small gift shop. Tyring to still process my thoughts.
Much love to my family,
Brit
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