As expected, last night was an early night by our standards….unless of course you were less than 20 years old. As all us “old folks” were turning out the lights at 9 PM, Lindsay was suiting up in her best Under Armor to challenge the boys at 2 on 2 basketball. Once showered though, most of us were fast asleep getting much needed rest. I slept so well that I didn’t even realize I had lost an hour with daylight savings time….turns out Haiti decided to observe the time change this year. I awoke to the now familiar and cherished sound of roosters…so many roosters….sounded like all the roosters I have ever heard in Haiti just outside our windows…music! No matter, we all seemed to rest well and once treated to eggs, toast and fresh fruit, we were ready to load up for the journey up the coast and inland to Jolivert.
The ride was more comfortable than any of us had ever experienced – a 15 person air conditioned van with actual cushioned AND upholstered seats….truly a first for me….thought I was still dreaming. Many thanks to Angel Missions! Traffic was not near as thick as it has been, which meant Blaud didn’t need to play chicken too often either…that’s right, Blaud was in Port when we arrived and drove back home with us. The hits just kept rolling on as we made a stop in Gonaives and were treated to lunch with Kez and another old friend from trip #1, sweet Christine. And as luck would have it she had all her children with her. What a great treat and a truly touching reunion – we had not seen her since our 2012 trip.
Lunch was great and we had just enough time to get caught up with our friends, but we could have stayed all day. Alas, the “road” to Jolivert was calling and Blaud was on a mission to keep us on schedule in order to avoid traveling after dark. Knowing the path before us, I could not blame him, but it didn’t make saying goodbye to our friends any easier.
Once we left the paved road for the more challenging terrain we stopped to tighten the rope on our gear and then secure ourselves for the bumpy ride ahead. And as remembered, it was all that and more! Enough said!! Luckily, we had the entertainment of the new Project Starfish Choir and our special guest baby Charli…talk about cute…I think he wrote the book!
We have now arrived, tired and dusty and ready to unpack so we can get some sleep before we begin our week of work. We had brief use of the generator and were able to get our nets hung, snacks eaten and quick showers just before the lights went out. The dogs were barking already but we will be happy if we get through the night without any bear sightings. Wish us luck!
Will write again tomorrow and as always…Love to All,
Adam
I just read your first two posts this AM as I was frankly too sad about missing the trip to look over the weekend. It’s true that no trip goes off without some sort of hitch and I’m glad this one was solved with some overnight driving (Remember- it is so easy to catch up on your sleep in the peaceful countryside of Haiti!).
I miss all of you terribly, as does my son Caleb who was quite upset that this was not the plan for his college spring break (He wants to put more engineering knowledge to use!). So good to hear and see that everyone is doing so well. How did Josi miss being in a picture?
I too have fond memories of the drive to and from Jolivert. If I need to bring something up I can just play my 1 minute video of the van trip back to PAP. Memo to me- never start a GI bug on the morning of the van trip back.
My love and best wishes to all on this trip. HIke the hill and watch the sun set. Enjoy the company of those around you. Give a hug to a patient or child who needs it. Savor the taste of mango and perhaps some goat for breakfast. Let your cup runneth over…
Peter Whitehead, MD