Hiking in Haiti (Part 3)

This isn’t so much hiking, but more about our visit to Jacmel. We had been to Jacmel before and knew where we wanted to go first….the beach! After walking for two days our feet were tired, and we were sweaty and dirty. We got a taptap to the beach and within minutes we were swimming in the cool, salty water and burying our feet in the soft sand. We spent a few hours relaxing in the shade, swimming, and eating some fresh seafood. 

Bumming around before heading to the beach. 

Beach at Jacmel!

Lobster!

The beach wore us out....

The next day we decided to venture out to Bassin Bleu again. Three members of our group hadn’t been so we thought it would be good to go. After an hour of wandering around we were able to find a taptap willing to take us up the mountain and then wait for us to give us a ride back down. We arrived at Bassin Bleu, took a swim, enjoyed the beauty and clean water for a while then hopped back in the taptap to return to Jacmel. 

Captain (our host for the week) and Irene on the way to the beach. (Notice the shirt dad, I took this pic for you!)

One of the pools at Bassin Bleu.

I didn't get a photo of the big falls because I didn't want to drop my camera in the water.

That night we took our hosts out for dinner and went to bed early (after a few rounds of Uno) to prepare for our trip home the next day.

That next morning we were able to secure a van with enough room for us all and in record time our driver got us back home where we spent the rest of the day showering and relaxing. All in all it was an amazing trip with amazing people in an amazing place. 

Hiking in Haiti (Part 2)

Our second day started off fairly normal...well, normal enough considering we woke up in hammocks in the middle of a pine forest in Haiti surrounded by trees and fresh air instead of the usual cloud of smog, dust, urine scent, and noise of Port-au-Prince. The sun was peeking through the trees, the air was clean and chilly and smelled of pine. We rolled out of our hammocks, rubbed our eyes and were ready to greet the new day. Then, a man began walking out of the trees towards our campsite. We were the only ones around, and my heart started to beat a little faster as he walked toward us. He greeted us and began to talk with Irene, who is fluent in Creole. I picked up a word here and there, but couldn’t put it together. Irene thanked him and he walked away. She told us what he had communicated to her. He said that if we were staying another night we needed to move our campsite further from the road. He said that we were visible from the road and that, back in December a group of people who were camping had been robbed and murdered at night. We don’t know if that is true or not, there is no way to tell, but needless to say, we were both alarmed and thankful at the same time. Grateful to have made it through the night, we settled in for a breakfast of coffee, granola, and other snacks to fuel up for our hike that day. We didn’t know how big of a hike we were in for though…

Stretching out their sore muscles and getting ready for day two.

Stopping to check the map and figure out where we were and were we needed to go. 

After packing up camp and refilling and treating our water we were off. The day before we had hiked about 14 miles, but the nights sleep had refreshed and rejuvenated our tired bodies. The scenery of the second day was even more beautiful than the day before. For hours we wandered, mostly downhill, through fields covered in mist and fog. Green, lush farmland where crops were growing and farm animals were grazing was everywhere. Just after the town of Seguin, we entered an area that didn’t quite seem like Haiti at all. Throughout the misty farmland were rocks...not just any rocks, dark rocks that seemed to jut up from the earth like teeth, and they were everywhere! How did they get here? 

Crazy rocks!

They were everywhere.

Outside Seguin.

We had gotten a late start and were slow moving for most of the morning, but we stopped around 1pm for a quick lunch before getting going again. We picked up the pace in the afternoon and got faster and faster each time we checked the map. We were far from our destination and night was closing in. I don’t know how the other felt, but I wasn’t too interested in camping out again after the warning we had received that morning and with the attention we received as we walked through villages. 

Early in the hike, still in good spirits.

These ladies put us to shame walking in sandals with heavy baskets on their heads. 

Nathaniel & Josiah feeling victorious after finding a lake!

It isn’t a rare thing for us to get hit up for money and stuff in Port-au-Prince, but in the countryside it was a completely different story. Everywhere we went we heard people as small as one to as old as 60 or 70 shouting at us “blan blan!” (Means “foreigner” or “white person”) and then saying “Ban m ti kado.” (means “give me a little gift”). It was frustrating to see decades and decades of “white Santa Claus” played out in front of us. These people wouldn’t have been asking us for stuff if white people hadn’t been giving it to them before. We’ve all seen it, the North Americans come into the third world all “high, white, and mighty” and begin to make it rain on the poor of the third world with no regard for the harm it might cause to local businesses or harm to the dignity of those they are “blessing.” But that is another topic for a different day….

We all wanted to quit at this point in the trail....

The ocean in the distance was our destination...this photo was taken about 4 pm...Still a ways to go.

Later in the day we had picked up the pace significantly and felt as if we were “racing the clock.” We reached the bottom of the mountain and began a slightly easier walk on level ground heading for Jacmel all the while looking for taptaps (Haitian version of a taxi) to take us all the way into Jacmel. We wouldn’t be able to walk the whole way and were counting on a taptap to be there. Right about then, God totally provided. We looked up to see a taptap reversing at a frightening speed down the road to pick us up. We negotiated a price, climbed in, and he began driving us to Jacmel.

I should mention here that the reason we had our spring break last week was to celebrate Karnaval break. Karnaval is supposed to be like Mardi Gras on steroids. Drunken rowdy people doing drunken rowdy things with some (or a lot) of voodoo influence on the purpose and celebrations. One popular part of Karnaval are the Rah Rah bands. Essentially a Rah Rah band is drums and other marching band instruments, people, and a whole lot of rum (and potentially drugs as well). It can get rowdy. It can get really rowdy if you are in the middle of one, in a tap tap with white skin and a whole lot of bags. On our taptap ride from the town where we were picked up to Jacmel we drove through about 6-7 of these bands. After the first one someone wisely said we should lean forward and try and show as little white skin as possible. This was good advice and we were clearly protected because nothing happened as we drove through each of these crowds. (We have heard of people driving through these crowds and their cars being shaken back and forth.)

Our sleeping quarters in Jacmel. 

We made it through the crowds, through the little villages, and into the cute town of Jacmel. We were staying at a Salvation Army church and, after a tour around the town looking for it, pulled up and unloaded our belongings. We set up camp on the roof and settled in for a loud night. The church was having a camp and this was the last night. So we had church camp + Mardi Gras + normal Haitian night sounds (roosters, dogs, car horns) all mixed together. We were able to piece together a few hours of sleep, thankful to have arrived at our destination safe and sound. Thank you God for your protection. 

Hiking in Haiti (Day 1)

When discussing what we would do during spring break (here it is called Karnaval break and coincides with Mardi Gras) we decided that we would attempt a hike we had heard a lot about. We wanted to go to Cap Haitien or the Dominican Republic, but those trips were too complicated or too expensive or both. So, we opted to save some money and have a bit more of an adventure and hike from Port au Prince (well, we started significantly south of the city) to Jacmel (the place we drove to earlier this school year). We had heard many different guesses on how long the hike would take and how difficult it was, but we assumed it would take about two days to get to Jacmel and we would camp just outside the small mountain town of Seguin. 

On Monday morning nine of us began the journey. Katie, her friend Lauri, myself, Jill, Josiah, Nathaniel, Damon, Robbie and Irene all loaded up into a taptap to begin the climb up the mountain to begin the journey. An employee at the school owns a taptap and graciously agreed to give up a few hours of sleep on Monday morning to drive us an hour up a mountain. Each minute we drove uphill was less that we would have to climb….or so we thought. We began the hike in the small suburb of Port au Prince known as Kenscoff. The air was noticeably cooler and some of us put on jackets to begin the hike. For the next few hours we hiked uphill and then downhill with the views getting better and better the longer we walked. We talked, we snacked, we stopped to use the natural restroom, we shouted “bonjou” at people we passed by who returned the greeting with a look of confusion on what these nine blan were doing walking up a mountain with huge bags on their backs. 

Around the Kenscoff/Furcy area.

Ayiti bel!

The long hike uphill...

Beautiful view from the top.

This plant looks like something from Dr. Seuss.

Walking on the edge of the pine forest.

The first day we hiked a total of 14 miles with a total increase of 3,300 feet in elevation. After hiking up and up and up and up a hill, we reached the top and were greeted with a site you wouldn’t expect to see in Haiti….a pine forest. We had heard of the pine forest, but it wasn’t what we had expected. I expected a small grove of pine trees but instead saw a forest stretching far and wide filled with tall pines, their needles scattered along the ground. A dirt road cut through the forest and the cool, piney air was all around. What a refreshing site, but one problem stood out...we were almost out of water. It was getting around the time when we would need to set up camp but we hadn’t found a good water source. We had heard of a pump near where we were, but hadn’t found it yet. We stopped for a break and saw a small structure a few yards up the trail. Katie and I went to check it out and yippee, water!! A cement structure was pumping water from a nearby river and we were able to fill up our water bottles. We found a campsite nearby, hidden in the woods and set up camp. 5 hammocks, 2 tents, and a small camp stove later we were ready for the night. I’ll take a second and note the blessing that the Pruitts were on this trip. They are experienced hikers and backpackers and we honestly might not have survived the trip (at least not well) if we hadn’t had them. Robbie doctored our feet along the trail when we were developing “hot spots” on our feet from ill-chosen shoes (ahem, me…), they had water purification drops, camp stove, trail mix, and many other fabulous camping supplies that made our trip much more enjoyable.

We found water!!!

The hammock set up.

Robbie in his cooking chair.

Delicious dinner.

Jill and I stacked our hammocks...she was very close to me.

After a great dinner made by Robbie, some tea, and some laughter, we climbed into our hammocks and tents at the early hour of 7:45 and settled in for the night. After hearing that the air was much cooler in the mountains we were prepared with sweats and socks and other warm clothes, but I still spent much of the night curled up in fetal position trying to stay warm. The night was fairly quite in the woods compared to the bustling noise of the city that we are all used to. No cars, no horns, no people, fewer roosters. Sleeping soundly, no major injuries, all nine of us still accounted for….our first day was a success. 

Our Next Adventure

Yes, yes. It has been a while since I've blogged, or at least it feels like it. But, in a week I will hopefully have another adventure to post about. In the morning 9 of us are leaving for Jacmel. I posted about our last adventure there back in October. This time, instead of driving we are hiking. It is a 1-2 day hike (we have heard various estimates on the length and difficulty of the hike) but are planning on camping along the way. We will spend two nights in Jacmel and then return. We will go near a small town called Seguin and camp around there. We will return (si Bondye vle) on Friday with interesting stories of camping in the Haitian countryside.

One Year Later

One year ago today I was on a plane that left Dallas, took a pit stop in Fort Lauderdale, and finally stopped in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I was anxious over what I was leaving behind. As a first year teacher in the middle of the crazy season of preparing my students to take the dreaded state tests, I wasn’t sure if leaving for a week was such a good idea. I had a great sub and, thankfully, was able to leave that part of my world behind for the next 9 days. Good thing too because I had no idea what God had in store for me. 

At the Port-au-Prince airport, when you land, you deplane onto the tarmac (or whatever that is called) and then get on a shuttle to go to the building that houses customs and immigration and baggage claim. When I stepped out of the plane I felt the hot, steamy Caribbean air and saw the mountains that lie behind the airport. It was weird, but in that moment I knew that this short week in Haiti would not be my only experience in this country. I didn’t know how or in what way, but somehow Haiti would be a part of my life in some form or fashion. That may seem weird if you have never experienced it, but its the way I felt. But even then, knowing I would somehow be connected to Haiti, I didn’t know the specific how. Looking back a year from now, I remember those feelings. The excitement of the possibility of being involved here coupled with the uncertainty of knowing how. 

But here is is, one year later and I know I am right where I need to be. I’ve said that probably 754 times, but its so true. Yesterday I met my friend from Dallas at the airport here in Haiti. She is co-leading a team from Watermark (my church in Dallas) for a week here, partnering with Mission of Hope. It was weird to think back to me being in that place this time last year. I wonder what this week will bring for their team. What they think about Haiti and what God is going to do in their hearts this week. I am meeting another group from that same church this Thursday evening and riding with them out to Mission of Hope to spend Thursday night and Friday night. How fitting that my first visit out there since my first trip to Haiti falls right around the one-year later mark. 

I’m filled with joy when I think about what God has done in my heart and in my life in the last 365 days. One lesson of many that I have learned is to really trust God with his plan for me. He knows best, I just need to get out of the way most times. 

The Power of Hello

Ok, let’s just get this out there now. I am white. I am also American; and I’m not just “born in America” American, I am born, bred, raised (trained) American. When I walk I either look down or look people straight in the eye. I don’t make a conscious effort to smile at someone when I walk by. It’s not that I am mad or closed off or trying to appear tough, I just usually go about my business and don’t think about the people I’m passing by. 

When I go to the grocery store in America I will sometimes say “Hi” to the person at the checkout line, and I will always return the obligatory “How are you?” with the equally obligatory response, “Fine, thanks. And you?” But that response comes more out of 24 years of training than it does from a deep seated place of caring about that person. I wouldn’t describe myself as cold or rude, and I don’t think those that know me would either, I’m just American. Busy, in a hurry, American.

Now, I’m an American living in Haiti and I’ve learned some valuable lessons. Don’t drink the water. Always wash your vegetables twice. Ants can infiltrate the microwave to eat your food. But I think the most important lesson I have learned is the power of hello, or bonjou if you will. This is a lesson I didn’t learn until mid-November, 3 1/2 months after I had arrived. In our Creole lessons our instructor doesn’t just teach us Creole, he also teaches us about the nuances of Haitian culture. One of the things he told us was the importance of saying hello and greeting people before you ever ask for anything. It is an extreme sign of rudeness to just walk up and ask for what you want without saying “hello” first. Not “how are you,” you must say “hello.” Simple right? And I bet you’re judging me for a)thinking it took me three and a half months to figure this out and b) for being a heartless person who never says hello. However, before you judge me, think about how many times you are at a restaurant or a store and you just ask for what you want without a smile and a “hello.” Now think about having to buy that thing or order that item in a different language. Trying to translate what you want in English into Creole all while counting out your money and converting the money from gourdes to dollars in your head to see how much it costs! It is easy to forget the “hello.”

This revelation has done so much to change my outlook. Before I walked down the street and got hard, cold stares and felt intimidated and unwelcome. I felt like the marchans (ladies selling produce on the sidewalks) were annoyed with me purchasing items from them. Now, as I walk down the street I throw a small smile and a bonjou (or bonswa, depending on the time of day. Bonswa = good afternoon/evening, bonjou = good morning) and without fail I receive in return a warm, friendly smile and a similar greeting. Where I once felt unwelcome, I now feel like I belong in a culture I don’t quite fully understand and one that doesn’t fully know what to do with me. But, with a little smile and a small greeting, I feel more at home. 

It’s amazing the power one can find in “hello.”