Even Odds

22 May

We are up and ready to leave the hotel at 5:30 to lget to the airport in PAP. But there is no bus to pick us up! He was to be there at 5:15 so we would leave by 5:30. Zangmo, our taptap driver, arrives at 5:45. We still have gobs of time. The trip should take more than 3 hours and the groups flight leaves at 11:30. We hit horrific traffic coming to Jacmel, so everyone is a little nervous about time. \

We zip along the early morning roads, lots of Saturday markets bustling with activity already at 7 am. We are doing fine unt8il we hear a hissing sound. We have a punctured tire, having skewered te tire with a 3/8” bolt! We all help and are back on the road in less than 15 minutes. Still doing fine for time. And then suddenly, one of the team is sick and about to vomit in the van. We quickly stop and she disappears into a ditch, returning a few minutes later looking a lot less green.

We again encounter the horrible road conditions approaching PAP, huge craters full of water, the only way to judge the depth is to watch the vehicle ahead as they plunge in. We bottom out badly in one and we all hold our breath to get to the other side safely. Fortunately we are following a bus with Maitre de Impossible written over a huge painting of Jesus across the back of the bus, it gives us all faith that we’ll make itl. And make it we did, even stopping along the way to exchange the tire for a good one. I dash out and grab some bananas, eggs, and fried patties for everyone’s breakfast.

We arrive at the a\airport to see huge long lines standing outside the American entrance. The team is flying American. We say our goodbyes and then look for the Delta entrance. Fortunately, the line is much shorter there, Sarah is taken early to the front, in the shade and even some steps to sit on. It is just 9 am, and they won’t start checking people in until 10:25. We say our goodbyes and I leave her in the hands of a nice Canadian couple also on the same flight.

I easily find Zangmo, and we head back to Jacmel. But silly of me, why would he drive back with just me/ We go to a local bus stop and get in line to pack the bus with Haitians Jacmel bound. Otn the trip to PAP Zangmo had been the one Haitian with 10 Americans. Now I was about to be the one American with who knows how many Haitians will fill the bus!! We have to9 wait for a bit, so I hop out and wander around the busy bus stop. There are many of the big buses, all gaily painted, standing in a long row, waiting their turn to be filled and dispatched. And everywhere there are vendors, very portable since they have to keep moving out of the way of the buses. They sell drinks, food, soap, bread, you name it. One woman tries to sell me three cans of condensed milk. What an opportunity, how could I refuse? I juggled them for her. A crowd gathered. A magic trick. They were loving it.; I looked and saw that the bus was full except for the front seat where my bag was, so I wrapped up, grabbed my condensed milk, and hopped in for the ride back to Jacmel.

On top of the mountain there was one UN excavator pushing back the recent mudslide. In the next few kilometers we passed over 100 men working with shovels and wheelbarrows doing the same work. The Haitians have an incredible work ethic. Whoever I watch, whether it is someone preparing food, wielding a shovel, mending shoes, fixing flats, or selling wares, there is an amazing attention to detail, no make that minutae.

took a wander around the market after I had a great lunch of poulay y maiz moulay, Had fun buying some rope from a man, also picked up a couple of mangoes. They are so yummy.

As is my way, I always like to explore new streets, so I picked a new one. I thought I knew where I was, but it seemed that for a little bit I was olost… had a general idea where I was and where I neede to go, but for a while, I was just strolling along, greeting people along the way, and enjoying my walk. Eventually I came out on a road that I had been on back in March, it looked a little3 familiar, and sure enough, it took me back to where I knew where I was. Is that called wanderlost???

After a rest to make up for the early start, I wanted to go out and play at the nearby tent city called St. Helene. I hadn’t barely entered the camp before I had a crowd gathering. Again all ages were present. This was the first time I had gone out totally on my own, Sarah has left, and there was no Haitian accompanying me. I wondered how it would go, it went fantastic. Gain by the end all ages were present, and probably about 100 strong. They love that I play the national anthem for them. Children wanted to know when I would come again. I said maybe tomorrow.