Things you don't see in North America

This UN soldier is taking his guns for a ride up and down the grocery store aisles - here they were whining for a drink in the liquor section.








This man had just heard the command "Take up your bed and walk!"







This "guard rooster" lives down the block from us - we are fortunate that he is tied on so that he doesn't attack us when we walk by.







Pizza for Me! (P'am literally means for me in Creole)








This strange looking tree ornament is how farmers dry their corn while keeping it safe from rodents and other thieves.

This police car is a little rough around the edges. Those are real bullet holes not just decals! We feel that the police here really earn their salaries.

Jacmel - a Paradise Beach

This past weekend we piled into an "ambulance" (that's what they call a long van here - mainly because that's what they are used for when the situation warrents) and left Port-au-Prince at 0530 hours for Jacmel - a small town on the southern coast of Haiti. We travelled on a winding road high over the mountains, stopping to buy papitas (a sort of potato chip made of plantains) bananas and mandarin oranges along the way. This is a view of the bay as we came down the mountain into
Jacmal. The destination was Hotel Cyvadier overlooking a small cove. We couldn't wait to dip our toes into the warm Carribean water. The point that you see farest out in the Bay (middle of the picture is where Waldo and I snorkled several days. This beach is also where the kids built huge sand castles complete with moates, towers and flags.
Waldo and I were asked to spend 2 mornings with the children of the group we were accompanying, in exchange for a free weekend. Considering the fun we had with them, we definitely got the better part of the deal!

This picture shows a waterfall and very blue fresh water pool that we hiked to the second day. You may see a number of people climbing the rocks and jumping into the pool 10, 20 and 30 feet up.




This is the view from the outdoor restaurant where we ate our meals. The early morning sunrise is beautiful especially when you are sipping a cup of aromatic, dark but ever-so-mild Haitian coffee. And the sunset exactly 12 hours later is enjoyed with an equally tasty cold beverage of choice as the sky displays its multi-hued rosy splendour.



We watched as these young men pushed their wooden boat out into the water armed with a net and a spear. They rowed in to shore a few hours later, carrying a number of different types of delicacies, including lobster. We sampled the lobster at the evening meal.




This is the river we crossed with our vehicles on an afternoon excursion. Notice that animals, machines and people all use the river for a variety of purposes.






This is the entire group present at the MCC retreat. (Notice that Waldo is once again missing from the picture - that is because he keeps offering to be the photographer!).
MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) is a non government organization funded by both private and government funds and exists to address issues of need in many countries of the world. Here in Haiti there are 12 people presently working through this organization and they are involved in human right issues, health research and reforestration. We were impressed with the caliber of men and women who dedicate their time to live and work in this sometimes extreme country.

You may wonder why we call Haiti an extreme country when you have just seen some beautiful scenes which resemble a paradise. However,Haiti has a duality, a two-sided existance which sometimes leaves one bewildered at its perplexities. Visitors to Haiti do not necessarily see the entire spectrum. We shall point out some of the complexities in future entries.

Mailing Address

We received a pile of mail this week, some from as far back as August. So we have a new mailing address to give you. It goes to our parent organization - PCH and is delivered once a week.

PCH
c/o Waldo & Pam Pauls
Box 407139
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
33340

Beauty in Port-au-Prince

This week on our day off we explored the grounds and properties of 2 of the upscale hotels in our city. They are the El Rancho and the la Villa Creole. They sit side by side on terraced grounds overlooking Port-au-Prince with rooftop views of the beautiful surrounding mountains. Brilliant flowers bloom amongst lush greenery in the many gardens and terraces. The multi-tiered levels lend to the feeling of spaciousness and intrigue as there is always another lounge and another garden. There is no definite beginning or end to the indoors or outdoors as rooms open up to a terrace or a pool area and doors and windows are optional. This is the unique privilege of architectural designs in the Carribean!!

Gardens, interesting architecture and beautiful flowers!



Picture yourself here! Prices range from $120 to $160 U.S. a night for 2.








We also attended an artisan's fair - tables and tables of crafts laid out by the artists, much like the before-Christmas Craft fairs that I like to browse through back home. I especially enjoy the tin art that they have perfected here in Haiti. Waldo was very fortunate that he hadn't brought much money along. We admired alot of things !!

We finished out the day at Epidor, our favorite place to eat when we get hungry for a hamburger and fries. It tastes just like home!

I hope I haven't spoiled your idea of how hard we have it here!!

A Visit to Champs de Mars

This week we visited Champs de Mars, a huge park in downtown Port-au-Prince which has a number of historical interests and sights within walking distance of each other. Speaking of walking, we tease our Haitian friends about not wanting to walk for recreation. They spend much of their life walking and do not see the point in "walking for fun"as we North Americans do especially when we have a vehicle sitting there waiting to drive.

I think I will never tire of seeing the palm trees!







We are sitting outside the Musee du Pantheon National here, having just taken a tour describing the history of Haiti. The museum uses graphic depictions, starting from the indigenous people (Indians) to the present. Did you know that Christopher Columbus first sailed his three ships to the northern end of Haiti? The original rusting anchor from his flagship, the Santa Maria stands in the museum along with a number of other artifacts.

Much of Haiti's history is very sad as it involves the transportation of 13,000,000 slaves (2 million of which died enroute) from the western shores of Africa. They were subjected to cruel and harsh treatment and were considered as mere property by the rich colonial land-owners who used them to work their plantations of sugar cane and cotton.

In 1803, Dessalines, a former slave, led a rebellion and helped to obtain independence for the country of Haiti, making it the first black republic. Independence was declared on January 1, 1804 and the people celebrated by eating pumpkin soup, a delious stew made from pumpkins, which the slaves had formerly not been allowed to eat. We serve it at the Guest House sometimes, taking care to explain why this is a significant dish for us.




It was at that time that Dessalines took the French flag with its red, white and blue vertical stripes and ripped the white out from it, signifying that Haiti would no longer be subject to the white man. He flew the blue and red colors horizontally further making it their own.


Unfortunately, the battles did not end with Dessalines and many bloody wars followed, along with many dictators. Abuse begets abuse, it seems. Duvaliers (Papa Doc follwed by his son Baby Doc) are some of the leaders from this era. There was great hope in a more recent leader named Aristide, a former priest voted in by the first demoncratic process. However, absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the saying goes, and this leader was ousted by the people - twice!

Here we see a tower that borders the Champs de Mars park. It was built by Aristide to illustrate his power and significance. Huge billboards plastered with his picture covered the landscape around the city a few years ago.





This building stands on the other side of the park. It is a three- domed palace (Place des Heros de L'Independence), fashioned after the White House in Washington, DC. The winner of the upcoming election in Haiti will be the next offical occupent of this building.
The electoral process, which is being monitored by UN troops from all over the world, has given a mileau of unrest to Haiti. Foreign powers have imposed processes which at times seem doomed to fail. However, the Haitians we speak with, have expressed hope that their country would reflect peace and stability in the future.