Cite Soleil

We have wanted to visit the notorious Cite Soleil for some time. Before the election, it was not considered safe to do so.










One sees the rows of tin housing from the plane as when you approach Port-au-Prince from the air. However, you get a different feel as you stroll amongst the houses on the ground - if indeed they can be called houses.
Six of us had the opportunity to meet some of the residents of this part of the city Sunday as we walked amongst the crowded shacks.







We met children and adults but as usual I enjoyed meeting the children the most. The children here do not have difficulty with childhood obesity like many in North American do.








This is the area closest to the water - usually the preferred location for real estate. Somehow in this city, it does not meet the criteria for most preferred housing.










Instead of playgrounds and yards, the children play on garbage remains. When it rains, all the garbage from regions higher in the city runs down to the water's edge and - you guessed it - right into this neighbourhood.










The children were curious about us - and those that knew some English tried to start conversations - we did not get asked for money once - they simply wanted to be our friend. I noticed runny noses and productive coughs - we heard that there is only one doctor for 1000's of residents.

The only animals that seem healthy are the pigs that you may notice in the water behind these children.



No doubt Janine is wondering just how to feel about everything she is seeing.

I know I am.









In the afternoon, we visited 2 friends further up the hill. One lives in a penthouse apartment and the other in a house along the ridge of the mountains much like this one.










The higher one goes up into the mountains the bigger the homes are. Security becomes more of an issue then as well.











This is an indoor garden that is common in many of the homes here.












This home is a spacious, multi-bedroomed 3 level home. One can't accuse the owners of not caring about their fellow Haitians - both are working to improve the standard of living for the less fortunate. One has a large school in Cite Soleil, one is working with peasants in rural Haiti.
The problem of poverty has never been simple.








On another note, I happened to come upon two scenes in the "staff lounge" (laundry room) this week that I thought were amusing. I peeked around the corner of the door one afternoon to catch Henri with a pile of feathers on the floor, calmly plucking a small bird clean. I gasped and hurried out but later returned to catch him on camera. He is always ready to laugh at my reactions.




The other time involved the women calling my
name as I walked by one morning. They wanted to show me their "new clothes" and the fashion show that they were having. So we took pictures and laughed at them strutting up and down the room in some of my clothes and shoes. You see, I am packing and giving away some things that I don't need. It's true - I am leaving tomorrow - back to Canada to resume my job in St. Catharines. Waldo will stay another month to carry on assisting at the Guest House and will keep us informed of his adventures here until the end of June.