February 28, 2011
Day 7
9:00am Travel from Hinche to Port au Prince
2:00pm Visit La Ville Creole for lunch
3:00pm Debrief and strategy meeting at WV Headquarters
7:00pm Supper at Karibe hotel restaurant
Ah, nothing like a proper Hinche farewell with no running water this morning J.
It is a hard farewell this morning, realizing that we are leaving friendships behind, but I am also ready. I long desperately to hold my own babies in my arms again, so much so that my heart actually hurts.
We are traveling by truck back to Port au Prince today and I am so glad we did. What beautiful country! Really I thought that all of Häiti was deforestation, but there are many beautiful views along the river. It amazes me just how vastly different one mile of territory can be from the next though. One moment it is green and beautiful, the next it is bare and dead looking. Different worlds right beside each other. Much like the contrasts we see all over Häiti.
The drive to the city is nearly as long as the drive IN the city because of traffic. Traffic is absolutely crazy here in Port au Prince. We sit at complete standstills much of the time and the heat is so much more intense in the city, we are just baking in the vehicle.
We arrive back at the hotel Karibe, it is so nice to be back in a facility that is clean and free of bugs with running water! I long to crawl up in a bed I don’t have to peer into and pray against before falling asleep! Our driver is late so we sit to begin our debrief with Janine. As we’re sitting in the café a host of reporters and photographers come running through and low and behold there is Bill Clinton quickly making his way with his entourage to the conference room. Mike waves at him, he catches his glance and trips. It is funny to see so many people scrambling around him, and I wonder what it must be like to have such excitability around you all the time. I am a bit star struck myself.
From here we head over to La Ville Creole for lunch. As I step out of the truck in the parking lot suddenly my mind is flooded with images, smells and sounds from the year before. As I walk through the grounds it is like a movie reel playing last years experiences back at me with fierce realness, and I feel it all again, or maybe for the first time. Last year’s experience was one of survival, there wasn’t room for feelings until we returned home and even then we had been separated from the experience. Today it was like the feelings met up with the space and I couldn’t control them. It was strange to be back.
Later in the afternoon we met with Jenine at WV Headquarters for a debrief and strategy meeting, how we might best accomplish our Freddylink goals in partnership and with proper WV processes. This was a great meeting, enlightening and exciting as we step into phase two of our partnership.
We wrapped up the night with a beautiful meal at the hotel Karibe’s restaurant (keeping an eye out for Bill) and now it’s time to call it a night. I shall rest well in my bug free environment tonight!
~H