Haiti day 1

Haiti day 1

Yesterday we flew into Miami. Had a really good time eating Cuban Food, drinking Cuban coffee, and just having a really good time. We awoke before dawn and on a plane by 8 am. My normal enjoyment of the sight, smells and heat was nonexistent today. It was not the tent cities or cracked structure of the airport I remembered from my childhood. I walked off the plane via jetway... I was half way down the jetway when I realized I was not out in the open air. It was short lived; as soon as we got inside we were escorted outside to a bus. From the bus to a hanger made into a make shift immigration station.

As we stepped out of customs I saw many of the familiar faces of those that work outside the airport. Some I've know for 15 or so years. Happy to see they were well and alive. I listened to their stories of how some lost some and many lost all. Everyone living in the tent cities. At the Haitian Governments recommendation most have left their houses to do the structural insufficiencies. Even those that still have houses right now are not living in them. Pastor Antonio's is pretty hard-core, he's not left his house. He still sleeps in his own bed. Though right now it’s all alone as his wife and children are still too scared to.
Pastor told us the stories tonight of the first earthquake. He was driving down Delmas when everything started shaking violently. Many fled the cars to seek safety in nearby buildings only to find that would be the last bad decision they would ever make. How often do we as people seek refuge in the things of this world only to have them cave in on us? A few days later there was a large after shock at around 2 am. Pastor was asleep in his bed when it hit. He stayed in his house, kneeled in the corner and began to pray.
I drive past the heaping piles of rubble. And I mean heaping. You shouldn’t throw 9.0 earthquakes if you live in a concrete house. Some houses are completely flat and I drive by wondering if there was someone's child inside. Other houses are deformed like a teeter totter broken at one end. Streets are filled with debris, dust and broken concrete. Yet as I look at the people they haven't changed. They are not broken. Instead they take it as they always have one step at a time. Trying to scrape some form of happiness in a place where it can be hard to find. As we eat dinner with friends that are more like family, I see the smiles, hear the laughter and listen to the conversations in Creole and I am happy. Happiness still exists in Haiti.

Haiti day 2

Haiti day 2

Sleeping like Bedouins in a brush arbor lean-to with beds. It was good, real good. Haitian countryside is still one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Amidst the death, destruction and piles of rubble, the mountains still stand majestic. The clouds circle around set aglow by the sun. One lone coconut tree divides the scene.
Ah a breakfast of pasta and hot dogs with a cup of Haitian street coffee and we're off to church.
Got some good video clips at church. It was great to be back under a Haitian brush and tin church. The praise, passion and perspiration. Praise hard, pray hard and preach hard all make for a killer combo at church. Sitting down to some fried bread and fruit before we head north and back to the unknown. Where will we go, where will we sleep? All good questions yet to be answered.
Wahoo... WOW!!! It is so many things about Haiti that I love. It's the Caribbean breeze on my face, blowing my shirt as I walk down the beach. Still dripping salt water from my shorts onto my feet. Eyes still stinging from opening them too long under the light blue sea. I look at the mountains and miss my childhood spent in this place. I look down at the sea and I miss my Tony and Boo. Watching them jump from ''the cliff'' into the water. I think to myself how quickly life passes and I miss my wife. Her with me in this place. It’s very easy to romanticize, after all I am still just romantic watching the sun set.
For dinner will it be steak or conch? I'm leaning towards the conch. As dad and I walk through the bar to the restaurant. Dad sees a guy at the bar looks like a guy we use to know and sure enough it was. Phil Synder from some 20+ years ago; wow now that's crazy. We spend a few minutes talking about the old days no one wanting to jump into the nowadays. Man some of my earliest memories of Haiti include this guy.
The moon is out tonight, its almost full. The waves break on the rocks below. They’re loose and rolling rubbed smooth by the constant push of the waves. You know it's very possible that these may be the same rocks that were here when I was a kid. As we talked to Phil he introduced us to a friend. This was a friend he'd had in Haiti since 1982. That makes me a little sad, seeing that I haven't ever had that. Hmm... Weird huh???

Haiti day 3

Haiti Day 3

Slept good last night, woke up in the morning and there were no extra bites on me... But the ones from the first night were still here. I had the thought that maybe the sun would help rid me of these foul red dots that plague my fore arms and ankles. It was a good thought and I was so white. It doesn't hurt... Yet!
drove past where our old house in Montrouis used to be. It’s gone now. So we drove on remembering places we'd been and things we'd done. A crusade over there, snorkeling there. These conversations lasted all the way to St. Marc. We drove by the Duane and harbor. I can remember the Son Ship and others coming in there. Then past the old Catholic church and made our way to the road Amy and Malinda used to live on. I could remember the most horrific bike accident of my young life happening when another guy (who was towing a girl I might add) lost control of his bike and slammed into me head on. Malinda's bike totaled. I still feel bad for busting her bike. As we went along and remembered our old house was down a street to the right. We actually stumbled on it. Wow the memories that came flooding back. The old pump where I'd spent countless hours now had a spigot. The little house was still there. Jenn and me shared the room in the front, dad and mom in the back. Across the drive lived the Bennett's. Scott was probably the coolest person I'd ever met at 10. He had an Atari and a motorcycle. He spoke Creole and had a pretty older sister. I told ya the memories came flooding back. Crazy huh.
Our first day we drove by the apartment where I used to live. Man talk about memories. We'd sleep up on the roof. I can remember conversations I had and watching shooting stars and sneaking out in the middle of the night. Mr. Adams lived right next door and everyone from Ricky, Carleen, Sopia, JJ and so many others in the apartments below. I met a MK that lived on the outskirts of Arcahaie. His family had been here for 8 months, he was about the same age as I was back then. I guess if I had any words of advice for him it'd be to enjoy it. Don't hate it cause you're missing out on McDonalds and Snicker bars. Everybody can have those things. But not everybody gets what you have. So don't hate it cause one day soon it'll be gone and you’re gonna miss it. I know you don't believe it now but trust me its true.

Day 4 Haiti

Haiti day 4
It’s hard to believe we're flying today. But before that there is a lot to get done. Ah we got time. Let's do an early morning swim and our video work then we'll head out. Got to get up to Kenscoff and the traffic is... Well the same as it always is, crazy. Stop, go, stop and stop some more. Three hours of traffic only to find out the reason I was headed up to Kenscoff was down in the city today. Ah that's alright. Got to eat some griot and banan pese. It seems like I spent most of my day in traffic. There's nothing like having three days of sweet Haitian memories only to sweat my way through three hours of Haitian traffic. Oh well life is good and I'll be touching down in Miami in a few hours. Funny this trip went so fast. I can't wait to get back. We've got a lot of work ahead and it's already begun.