Monday, October 26, 2009 Day 2
As the sun broke over the horizon, it shone in our faces as we were sleeping facing the East. We really never knew what direction we were facing until that moment. We were unaware, but later found out it was about 5:45 in the morning, but we weren’t tired. We greeted the day anyways. We all looked at our fans sitting still and the rooms still dark. We flipped light switches but nothing happened. We turned water knobs to shower, but nothing came out. It was as if everything was dead. It was!
Being the poor country that Haiti is, they do not have electricity around the country 24/7. In Jacmel, electricity is only used from 1 PM until 1 AM. Therefore, every morning there was no electricity. Even into the noon hours, it was blazing hot, and no relief was offered by a fan. No need to mention from an AC because I do not think they exist in Haiti. Only in the extreme rich parts, which still is not that wealthy.
We all got around powerless and waterless, then went to the breakfast table where the Haitian breakfast of bread, avocado and soda awaited us. Being gluten free, the chef had kindly prepared eggs mixed with peppers, hotdogs and onions, which quickly became everyone’s favorite for breakfast.
After the dishes were cleared, we all got back in the car and took out for Port au Prince, down the long bumpy and chopped up roads. Remembering the experience from only hours ago, I was not excited, but we needed to go the capital city to find a doctor. We made the trip to Haiti to open a clinic without a working doctor, only the one we recruited from New York that was leaving on Thursday. We drove and drove until we finally reached the city again, still as dirty and smelly as we left it. The sense of being unorganized soon began to come to our heads as no one really knew what to do. We were crammed into a car with no breathing room and were sitting around Haiti in the hot sun. The two native Haitian men with us were inside doing stuff we never found out, but that is not the part to take not of. However, five of us were in the car, with it running allowing the AC to try and keep us cool for not 1, not 2 but 6 straight hours while we were unaware of where our bodyguards were. And let me tell you, not knowing the language while sitting in a car with everyone looking at you because you are white, saying the only English word they know, “money” and getting angry when you shake your head is a kind of scary event. To top things off, a group of men with dreads (which in Haiti means they are trouble makers) was only a short distance away harassing people as they got into their cars, were gradually creeping closer and closer. We saw something that had to deal with drugs as they attacked a man getting into his car, and then broke in and jumped in as he drove off. Those left behind were even madder and decided to come right next to us and yell about their problems. As sly as I could without attracting attention, I edged my finger up ever so slowly and locked my door.
Finally, our guys came out, yet, stood and talked outside for about 2 hours while the dreaded men continued to meander near by. When we all came together in the car, we headed down the street to where George grew up and he was reunited with his mother after about a year or two. It was so fun to get to see them all so happy to hear about the arrival of the long lost son. The hard part was, he was only allowed about 10 minutes before we had to head back toward Jacmel.
On the way back, we continued to see the scene of poverty and the sights that make your stomach hurt as you think back to your computer, mp3 player and water knob on your shower labeled, “hot” and wonder why God blessed you instead of these people. Eventually, after telling the leaders that we are hungry, they pull over to the side of the road. Out of nowhere, about 20 people come with pots and pans. I had not seen one person there before we stopped, and how they all knew to bring food instead of souvenirs I do not know, but it is like they heard us somehow. Maybe Haiti is super advanced, but just acting poor. Maybe they have all the rental cars bugged to all the people in the streets, telling them everything we are saying, and then they act poor to get our money. We will continue to pretend this isn’t true though. The story will be better this way. Anyways, we buy plantains, pikliz (shredded cabbage, carrots, onion, habanero peppers, lime juice and salt), raw conch, muffins and sugar cane. It truly was a feast, filled with poisonous germs to the stomachs of Americans. However, I ate it as if I was starving to death and then just waited for my digestive tract to notice the red flags and make me pay the price. It never happened though amazingly.
Once again, we head down the bumpy road, continuously whacking our heads on the top of the car after hitting, not potholes, but large craters in the road every five feet. Driving there truly is an experience you will not get anywhere else except in a bull riding arena. We soon enter Jacmel in the dark, not knowing where we are due to the lack of light, but find our way home.
For the second night in a row, we lather up in bug spray, cover up in our hot extra think blankets, and try to sweat, I mean sleep under the stars. With five of us out there together, we try to talk and share stories, but we are super tired and have to close our eyes. Before we do, we hear the news from Florida as Mr. Beauregard called home that it really is only 7:30, which was our bedtime every night. But we close our eyes and go to sleep.
Come 1 or so in the morning, the mentally handicapped roosters see the moon, believe it is the sun, and crow like crazy the remainder of the night. Since we can’t sleep, several of us notice each other is awake, and all observe the stars together, talking about constellations. Since they are so bright, due to no lights being present until the Dominican Republic, the stars are just glowing. Suddenly something catches my eye. It is like a shooting star that doesn’t go away, but I soon remember watching the stars with my father and him pointing out a satellite. We were watching one of Earth’s satellites go right through Orion’s belt. What an awesome sight to see.
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