The Clinic staff showed up at the house at 7:30am, I was pretty tired after essentially no sleep, but was excited to get started. Hanania, Enock (very quiet accountant for the clinic) and I hopped in the red F250 Heavy duty truck with Edrick driving. We negotiated our way out of the "neighborhood" avoiding the children walking to school, parents going to work, motorcycles with passengers and cargo and of course the ever present potholes. At the bottom of the hill we picked up the "pharmacist" and "lab tech" and continued on our way. It is very busy on the road most of the time, but especially so in the morning. There are many Tap Tap's (smaller trucks with a lifted topper and a wooden plank on each side in the back for people to sit on. Usually 6-8 on a side and then people hanging off the back.) This is public transportation in Haiti. It is highly questionable at best, but there are no other alternatives for people. Any way, we continued on... horns honking, large trucks heading straight for us and then swerving at the last second, driving on both sides of the road to avoid potholes, having motorcycles weaving in and out all around us ...while simultaneously avoiding bikes and pedestrians. I have seen some amazing feats on motorcycles... it is not uncommon to see a dad with two or three children (little children too) on the motorcycle navigating their way to school. I have seen the driver and two more adult passengers with their large shopping bags on a single motor cycle. The cargo that is hauled is incredible, huge bags of charcoal 5' long and a diameter of 20+inches. 4 or more on the back. I have pictures of a motorcycle with two 12' by 14" planks, crosswise on the back of the motorcycle trying to get through traffic. Never has the statement "where there's a will, there's a way" been more true than in Haiti! I could tell you many other stories, but I'll leave it for another blog!
We continued on our way into Cap Haitian. We then stopped and picked up the Nurse and the Doctor as we squeezed alittle tighter. (This is 8 people in the cab of the truck if you are counting and FYI, no air conditioning) The air is dusty, smelly and in general would never be allowed in any city in the US, but... this is Haiti. We eventually make our way out of the city area and move into the more rural. Edrick stops at one place where there is an air compressor by the roadside to have the front tire inflated more... we continue a little further onto
another smaller town and we pick up the garden/English teacher...(up to 9 now)...and then we look for what seems to me to be mounds of straw, in reality they are ice chunks for the coolers at the clinic. We pick up 2 chunks and move on. Our last official stop is for bags of water (yes, bags...they are called Culligan and it is purified water in an 8oz bag. You bite the corner to get it open and then squeeze.) Now we are out in the more rural countryside between smaller towns. The road has been paved here in the past two years and there is a speed limit of 50 which is routinely ignored. They put in speed bumps (called Dos Dane which literally means Dead Policeman) to periodically slow the traffic as there were many fatal accidents when they first completed the road. There are official traffic signs which picture two cars, a red one on one side and a black one on the other to remind drivers to stay in their own lane, also largely ignored. The honk, "I'm coming" serves as warning to the many pedestrians, bikers, and motorcycles who also share the road. Another interesting road sign pictures two children running, yes, running across the road. (I hope to get a picture of it onto this site as it is classic.)
People will stand on the side of the road, wave their hand in an up and down motion and we will pull to the side as they scramble to hop in the back of the truck for a ride to the clinic. (this is also how you hail a Tap Tap) We generally stop 2-4 times to pick up additional passengers. We finally make the turn to head out on the dirt road to the clinic. It used to be very bad, but the Mayor put new dirt on it when the clinic opened. We pass by the huts, the donkeys, the kids waving by the cactus fence that serves as their yard marker until we come upon the clinic. A simple, but functional building that has brought healthcare to thousands of people who otherwise would have nothing. We are greeted by the neighbors and the security guard (if you can call him that!) and the patients sitting on the porch waiting for our arrival. It is now about 8:40am and time to start the day!
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