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the_siobhanHaiti is as beautiful, colourful, boisterous and chaotic as I remember it.
Of course there are differences since I was here in 2007. It's chilling to see the sheer size of the tent cities in Potoprens. Thousands of people are still living there almost two years after the earthquake. I see rebuilding efforts going on but most of them seem to be around public or commercial buildings. Shoveling away the rubble and construction is all done slowly, by hand. There are also a lot of amputees, people who lost limbs under collapsed buildings.
Most of our week here is being spent in Jacmal, home of gorgeous sandy beaches and fresh seafood. The most harrowing thing I have encountered here is the motorcycle taxis. It goes against all my training and instincts to get on a bike without boots and leathers but I tell myself that the Haitians do it every day and the roads are surprisingly good here. Certainly better than the south end of Dufferin.
Today we are going exploring in town and I have to try not to spend the mortgage on artwork. It's hard to say no to people who could probably use the money, especially when everything I see is so beautiful and going for a song. I'm already trying to figure out if my luggage is going to be able to fit the stuff I've bought before today.
At some point I will have to post pictures of the guesthouse we are staying in. There is a peristile in the backyard.
Of course there are differences since I was here in 2007. It's chilling to see the sheer size of the tent cities in Potoprens. Thousands of people are still living there almost two years after the earthquake. I see rebuilding efforts going on but most of them seem to be around public or commercial buildings. Shoveling away the rubble and construction is all done slowly, by hand. There are also a lot of amputees, people who lost limbs under collapsed buildings.
Most of our week here is being spent in Jacmal, home of gorgeous sandy beaches and fresh seafood. The most harrowing thing I have encountered here is the motorcycle taxis. It goes against all my training and instincts to get on a bike without boots and leathers but I tell myself that the Haitians do it every day and the roads are surprisingly good here. Certainly better than the south end of Dufferin.
Today we are going exploring in town and I have to try not to spend the mortgage on artwork. It's hard to say no to people who could probably use the money, especially when everything I see is so beautiful and going for a song. I'm already trying to figure out if my luggage is going to be able to fit the stuff I've bought before today.
At some point I will have to post pictures of the guesthouse we are staying in. There is a peristile in the backyard.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-11 02:24 pm (UTC)There's always the old standby of wearing 3 layers of clothes on the plane back.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-14 02:48 pm (UTC)We do have a two-bag allowance, so it may just be a matter of buying an extra bag.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-14 03:30 pm (UTC)