Croix de Bouquets

I am home now and catching my breath, but want to finish writing about my last two days in Haiti.

Thursday would be a travel day for us. We would go to PAP with LaFleur and his family, drop them at the airport and then continue on to Croix de Bouquets, where the orphanage is that I am delivering the quilts made by the Berkshire Quilt Society, the cash designated for them and doing a performance!

The drive to PAP is beautiful in the crisp morning air. We left around 9 am, and it definitely felt cooler as we went up over the mountains. It was great to see all the corn hanging to dry. I had only seen it once on my trip in May, but now it was to be seen everywhere. Huge bunches of corn hang from 30 feet in the air, suspended from a crossbeam in a palm tree. I assume it is to keep it away from rats and other nibblers.

There were also the huge baskets of produce waiting to be picked up. They are so big, I can't imagine how heavy one is. I finally see one being loaded up onto a truck by four men, lifting it straight up 5 feet onto the bed of the truck.

PAP is dusty, crowded, smelly, and loud. Certainly makes me glad to be spending my time in Jacmel. But that is not to say I wouldn't go there!!

Our driver takes us to CdB, about a 30 minute ride. It is an outskirting part of PAP, but has a nice, more peaceful feel to it. We check into our hotel, Club Continental. It is clean and comfortable.

After a phone call to Gerald, the director of the orphanage, we are met by Chantal, a young woman from the orphanage, who is very nice and welcoming. We agree to meet at 3:30 to go for the show.

After a short rest, we decide to wander down the street. The address for the orphanage seems to be on the same street as the hotel. The street has a wonderful feel to it, very neighborhoodish. We are a little confused by the numbers, ask and are directed a little further down the street. I then spot a banner across the street with FRADES on it. We found it!

Behind a large sliding green gate, sits a newly built house where the children now live. They are waiting patiently on the porch.

I launch into my show. They are so attentive and receptive. Laughter soon fills the house. What a gift it is to me to be able to help these children add laughter to their lives.

After the show, I open the big bag and start to pull out the quilts to give to them. I take the first out and show it to them, the second, third, and then invite them to help me 0pen them up. Soon I am surrounded by the children who receive the offered quilt, and open it to see the beautiful colors and patterns put together back in February by a group of Berkshire women!

What a pleasure it was for me to be the carrier of these quilts.

I then sit on the floor with them and make some jumping spiders, hand out rubber bands and pencils. I explain to them that although there weren't enough of any one item, they all would get something. And more important was the fact that the laughter that they had experienced was theirs to keep, and there was plenty for everyone to have their fill.

We bid them adieu and head back to the hotel.

Robin, Shaun and I sit around the pool and have a beer on our last night in Haiti. As we have our dinner on the veranda, the rain buckets down again into the night. Lightning flashes, illuminating the street briefly to show the foot traffic that seems to pay no attention to the falling rain.