Transportation around Haiti

Transportation in Haiti certainly deserves its very own post.  We arrived in the Port Au Prince airport with about 15 people and 25 or so bags, boxes, etc.  After making our way through the customs and immigration, we all gathered our belongings and made a quick trip out of the airport.  We were so excited Lala and Alex waiting for us.  Both Lala and Alex are Americans who have made Haiti their home.  They are both fluent in Creole and were able to assist with the excessive volunteers to "help with luggage" so that they could then demand a tip.  Someone loaded lots of luggage into a vehicle that I never saw.  Then we watched Lala expertly stack and stash and luggage into the back of her SUV.  Luggage in Haiti is like a life size Tetris game.  When I was sure that not another piece of luggage could fit, she made more fit!

You can see a few pieces of luggage behind us!

Youvendgy along for the lap ride!

Reminded me of "the circle" in Henderson when I was a kid

Finally after a few minutes, all of the people were strategically placed into a vehicle.  Let me say, I don't know what the seat-belt laws are in Haiti.  I would guess if they exist, no one else knows what they are either.  In Lala's 5 person vehicle (think Mitsubishi Montero Sport type vehicle), we had Amy, Kayla, Karen, Lala, Youvendjy, and myself, a minimum of 6 pieces of large luggage, and 4 stuffed backpacks.  As we leave the airport, I realize that the rest of the group is piling into the cab of a truck and the bed of the truck.  I don't even know how many people were in the vehicle Alex drove.  We headed out on our 2-3 hour drive from Port Au Prince to Gonaives.  About halfway to Gonaives, Kayla and I requested a seat change and thoroughly enjoyed out time in the bed of the truck on a real highway with 6-7 other adults.

9+ in the back and another 6-7 in the cab!

Let me take a moment to explain the traffic flow in Haiti.  Paved roads have a yellow stripe between the two directions of traffic.  However, you should know that at any moment, a car may pass you regardless of the oncoming traffic.  The road is shared between traditional vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and mopeds or "motos".  One of the first things we noticed with the traffic is the use of the horn.  Chad thinks I'm an "excessive honker" because I've probably used the horn on my car 25 times in the 24 years I've been driving.  In Haiti, the horn is not "Hey! Get out of my way!"  The horn in Haiti simply mean, "I'm approaching an intersection" or "I'm passing you."  It can also mean "Get out of my way!"  

When we passed through towns with street markets, the traffic was a little congested.  We could continuously hear people calling "blanc" and pointing at the white people in the back of the truck.  At one point, we stopped and the guy on the moto behind us did not.  He ran into the back of the truck and fell off his moto.  We drove on!  We later learned that it is unsafe to stop with a truckload of Americans even if he ran into the back of our vehicle.  The man was clearly ok and continued on his way.  

Just before they ran into the back of a car...just kidding!

Other forms of transportation were our feet.  We didn't walk as much in Haiti as I anticipated.  We did walk from Holly's house to the main road each day.  We also walked to get drinking water, etc.

Typical escort for Amy when walking to the main street

However, when we had a reasonable distance to travel, we used the moto "taxi".  This was definitely one of the most fun modes of transportation.  We rode three adults on one moto!

Holly, Karen, and driver

Sounds crazy, but we quickly realized that is a light load.  Apparently Haitians can manage up to 5+ people on a moto.  They can transport ANYTHING on a moto.  Think dining room chair, mattresses, eggs, vehicle tires, anything.  We even saw a moto with a driver and a rider pulling 6-8 pieces of rebar.  I'm talking 40 foot or longer pieces of rebar being held in the middle with both ends dragging behind the moped.  As in a typical American taxi, the charge for the ride is based on the distance traveled.  The negotiation is done before getting on the moto taxi.  There were times that Holly spoke with the driver and they did not agree on a reasonable fare, so she sent him on his way and flagged another taxi.

Clearly I was devastated with the moto ride each time

A less expensive form of transportation was the "tap tap".  A tap tap is a small truck that often has a camper shell and benches along the back.  The tap taps travel down the main road from one end to the other in a circuit.  You flag down a tap tap like a taxi and climb in the back.  When you approach your stop, you "tap tap" or bang bang on the back and yell "mèsi!"  When you exit the vehicle, you pay the driver or passenger at the window.

Back of a Tap tap

First Tap tap we rode in

If we walked to the main road from Holly's house, we stopped a tap tap headed in the direction that we needed to travel.  Tap taps have a set price per person.  Some tap taps have open slots at the front of the camper.  Others did not.  You can guess the difference in the level of comfort when the wind could circulate through the camper vs. over the top of it due to closure.

Tap tap with openings for AIR FLOW

After a couple of tap tap rides, we had a better understanding of the standing Haitian joke:  How many Haitians can ride in a tap tap?  Just one more!  There were times we had so many people in the back of the truck that when they pulled over to pick up more we were sure they would change their mind and walk.  They did not.  They stood on the bumper and held on as we traveled down the road.  Let me clarify, people didn't begin to stand until you had multiple people in your lap and you were sitting so closely to others that your sweat became their sweat.

Tap tap after most people got out

Tap taps are one of the most affordable methods of transportation.  Each person pays 10 gourde per ride.  That's about $0.15 USD.  

One of our favorite forms of transportation was a privately owned vehicle.  I believe they belonged to Mama Jan, Lala, and others.  I honestly have no idea who owned them, but they had AIR CONDITIONING!!  The moped was fun, but a 15 passenger van with a row of A/C vents blowing on you when you've been out in the heat for hours at a time is a blessing like I could have never imagined!

Other forms of transportation that we witnessed were people on donkeys with packs and a couple of thin horses with riders.

lady on a donkey 

Aside from types of vehicles, we had some interesting transportation stories.  One of my favorite was the morning Kayla and I were headed out to work at Jubilee with the rest of the Texas Team.  Holly put us in a vehicle with a Haitian man and told us we were going to Jubilee while she, Amy, and Karen went to the market.  A few minutes into the trip, we were wedged into a congested area of town.  On a two lane road with cars parked along what would be a curb on both sides, we stopped moving.  With the crazy amount of vehicles, mopeds, and people at any given moment, this was not unusual. We immediately noticed the honking.  When the vehicle didn't move again, we started looking around.  I realized that the the truck next to us (Kayla could've touched it with her window down) was parked in the road without a driver.  Obviously the traffic behind the truck could not move.  We could not proceed forward.  Mopeds couldn't even get around any of the vehicles.  Drivers are beginning to get aggravated and yell and gesture.  Our driver...remember Haitian man who we can't communicate with at all...opens his door and begins to yell and gesture at another Haitian man sitting stuck in traffic from the opposite direction.  Naturally, the man behind him got out of his vehicle and joined in the "conversation" and gesturing.  Kayla and I were a little nervous about the situation.  It did not seem to be overly aggressive, but obviously we were a little unnerved as the white women in the vehicle who can't communicate.  After a short stand off, our driver backed up all the way to the prior intersection and allowed the other line of traffic to pass the parked vehicle and the typical flow of traffic could resume .  A typical traffic pattern is like Shriners in a parade with honking, swerving, near missing all while "taking turns" passing around stopped vehicles.

First...A/C vents
Second...The parked truck that caused the traffic jam

The day we went to the beach, we rode in the bed of a truck for several hours to get to a resort.  When we turned off the main road to get to the resort, we left paved roads.  The best I can describe the "road" is a treacherous rock and dirt trail that requires a 4 wheel-drive vehicle to navigate.

Road headed to the beach

 After about 20 minutes driving up, around, and over a mountain, I was sure that we had been Punk'd and there was no beach.  The entire time we could see the water about a 1/2 mile below us over the side of the cliff.  We passed people grazing cattle on ropes, men and kids on horses and donkeys, goats, people walking, etc.  I've never been "rock crawling" in a vehicle.  But I'm sure that's what we were doing.  In America people build special vehicles and do this as a pastime/sport.  In Haiti, we did this in the BED of the truck to get to the beach!

We made it in.  It rained while we were at the resort.  We had to "make it out" in the mud.  Go ahead and scroll back up and look at that "road" and imagine it after an hour of rain.  First of all, in a four-door truck designed for 6 people, we had more.  You know how many people you can fit in the cab of a truck when it's your only way home in the rain?  Just one more!  Seriously, we had 12 people, a booster seat, and a watermelon in the cab as we slipped, spun, slid, and prayed for safety for the 30 minute trek back out of the resort.  I can't recall the name of our driver.  However, he was amazing.  Aside from the roughness of the terrain and the one time we slid toward a side rail of a cliff, it really was just a squished, calm, yet comical ride.  If you know Kayla or Karen, ask them about this ride home.

And then one picture that just made me giggle at the moment I realized what I was seeing.

Teacher parking at the school

  

Eats and Drinks in Haiti

I've been pondering how to share this trip.  Each evening, the girls and I would sit and discuss the things we saw, tasted, felt, and experienced during the day.  As I've looked through the pictures, I find so many stories to tell.  My original plan was to share one day at a time.  However I feel like I need to share the "things that were different" so that I can later share the experiences that have changed me.

I'm not a "foodie".  I'm that person who can go to NYC and eat at McDonalds or Subway three meals a day and not feel like it was a crime.  I am not an adventurous eater either.  I will try most things, but I don't love most things.  For example, I don't enjoy seafood, and I can only read two things on the Olive Garden menu: fettuccine Alfredo and lasagna.  My palate is content with Diet Coke and peanut butter.  I was traveling with Kayla who had very strict rules about food.  She says you can't eat anything that you could get in Henderson, Texas.  And guys, she ENJOYS food.  She enjoys all kinds of foods!  It was so exciting to experience foods and drinks with Kayla's enthusiasm.


Here are some of the highlights of our eats and drinks in Haiti!!

Plantains--fried and salted like a potato chip

 We decided they are like a banana and potato cross that is salted and fried like a potato chip.

Goat

The goat was amazing.  I didn't order it, but Holly shared so we could taste it.  Next trip I will be bold and order the goat.

BBQ Chicken

 The BBQ chicken was very similar to the American version.  The fried potatoes were an unusual pairing.  The salad looked amazing but we were advised to stay away from uncooked vegetables.

Mashed and fried plantains

Mashed and fried version of the plantain.  They were "packy" but decent.  I preferred the strips of salted and fried like chips.

Legume--maybe it's not spelled correctly

This dish was one of the spicier things we ate.  It was plain rice with a vegetable "stew" like mixture on top.  It was good, but not one of my favorite.

Rice and beans

Rice and beans and then beans and rice.  It was delicious.  Occasionally we would find an orange vegetable.  After much discussion and days of eating this dish, we realized some were carrots and some were potatoes that had absorbed the seasonings.  Regardless, it was fabulous!

Hatian Spaghetti

Buttery sauce with chicken served over pasta.  It was very different than our spaghetti, but it was good.

"American burritos" and bananas

Ahhh...by Friday I was excited to see a tortilla and cheese!  The banana was just bonus.

Very rare Diet Coke

Watermelon soda

Kayla talked about this watermelon soda all week.  She bought it the first day and looked for them all week.  Finally, Saturday night she found more and bought a six pack so we could all experience her joy.

Carosoul

It looked like an over-ripened pineapple.  It had a mushy texture.  It was not terrible, but definitely not a favorite.  The Haitian people told us their dogs won't even eat it. 

Fresh Coconut

Very refreshing fresh coconut that is often "hulled" by a young kid with a machete.

Kenip

These little things were good.  There's a large seed inside.  There's not much fruit to eat but the flavor was refreshing.  Someone on our trip has previously debated smuggling in seeds to try to grow them locally.  Rest assured, she's honest to a fault and didn't do it.

beans and rice and fried chicken

And Saturday night we had American pizza.  Apparently I was so exhausted and excited to eat that I failed to take a picture.  Use your imagination.  It looked exactly like our pizza here.

Haiti: The Almost Trip

A friend and colleague of mine has a daughter who serves as a missionary in Gonaives, Haiti.  Amy and I have been tossing around the idea of me going with her to visit her daughter, Holly, for about a year.  This spring, a trip with a large group from Longview was coming together.  After much consideration, Chad and I decided I should go.

In typical Shannon fashion, I didn't really consider the dates of the trip until after I was committed.  The end of the school year was fast and furious.  In recent years, we've gone to school until the first week of June.  However, this year, our calendar fell differently.  On first glance, it was glorious.  Students were out for the summer May 23!  The part I didn't consider was that all of those "end of the year" activities had to be squeezed into about 5 school days instead of 10-12.  Professionally, that was a challenge.  Personally (with four kids' activities) that was almost unbearable.  All of that to say that my anticipated departure for Haiti was Friday, June 1 following a week of a holiday, campus level professional development and district level professional development.  I emotionally wasn't sure I was prepared for the trip.  I felt as if I was just surviving one day at a time.

Karen, a lady from Henderson, had a passport complication.  The weeks leading up to departure, we were all praying for delivery of her passport.  After many prayers and phone calls, her kind mailman was able to dig her passport out of the mail before beginning his route on Friday morning.  She literally didn't know that she was going to be able to go until several hours before leaving her home.  It was amazing to watch things fall into place!

So, Friday, June 1, I gathered up my crew, a.k.a. "Hendos" in the minivan,  and we headed to Longview to meet the rest of the group.  After a time of weighing bags and shuffling items to keep all the bags within the 40 pound weight requirement, we took a couple of group photos and boarded the bus.  We departed the church parking lot at approximately 1:10 P.M. headed for DFW airport.  Under normal driving conditions, this trip is about 160 miles of mostly interstate and should take approximately 2.5 hours.

We were all excited.  Us "Hendos" were busy meeting the other people in the group.  We were all chatting about where we work, etc.  Both groups included multiple educators.  Within a few minutes of departure, we realized that the bus was warm.  As competent adults, we all put the windows down and enjoyed the "breeze".  The first hour of the trip was pleasant although a little warm in the mid-afternoon Texas heat. 

Somewhere along the way, the bus stopped.  I don't mean broke down.  I mean stopped in traffic/construction.  According to Accuweather, the actual temperature in the area that day was 99 degrees.  If I had been asked at that time, I would've guessed the temperature inside the bus was closer to 158 degrees.  Looking back at my text messages to Bob, at 2:55 PM I tell him "We are sitting dead still in traffic with a wreck ahead.  I am melting."  He jokes about preparing us for the heat in Haiti.  After what seemed like forever, the bus moved again.  We rolled along for a short ways and stopped again.  And then again.  And again. 

During this time, I'm talking quietly with Kayla and texting with Chad.  I'm a realist folks.  I can't even tell you how many times I used maps on my phone to predict our arrival time at the airport.  Our bags were supposed to be checked by 4:23 at the very latest.  I sent this to Chad at 3:52 PM:  "We are an hour away according to google maps which doesn't know that we are in a bus that can't go over 60 mph."

I was struggling with my Type A personality and sense of punctuality.   I kept wanting to ask, "Do we have a Plan B?"  However, this was a mission trip with a bunch of people I didn't know.  I was afraid to be the ONE person in the group to verbalize that I was thinking we would  not make the flight.  Seriously, Karen got her passport that morning.  We all left the church feeling blessed and ready to take on Haiti!  I couldn't be the party-pooper in the group.

About 4:55PM we park the bus in the remote parking at DFW.  Have you ever seen bugs crawl out of a burning campfire?  That pretty much sums it up.  All 27 of us crawled out of the "hotbox" and gathered up our luggage.  A shuttle bus came to get us.  27 people and 40 bags off the bus/out of the trailer and onto one of two shuttle buses.  At the airport, 27 people and 40 bags off the shuttle and up to the counter.  I do think it is important to note that at this point I recall not one single complaint.  I joke now that the bus ride was the closest I've ever been to hell.  It was hot.  It was miserable.  We didn't have water.  But it truly was complaint free.

It was 5:32PM when the second shuttle of people arrived at the counter to check luggage in airport.  You can just imagine the rush of all the people with suitcases, backpacks, etc.

Granted, our flight wasn't supposed to depart until 5:50ish.  However, it was an international flight with a group of 27 people and about 40 checked bags.  Obviously, we missed the flight.  We immediately started discussing other options.  At one point, there was discussion of getting on the bus and driving to Houston to catch a flight from there Saturday morning.  My first thought was "Can we even get to Houston by morning on this bus?"  And then I thought "at least it will be cooler in the dark!"

After several hours of discussions and options, we were able to rebook our trip.  At 9:18 PM we pulled out of the airport.  We stopped and enjoyed a nice meal on the way home.  I believe I fell into my bed at my house about 3:30AM knowing that we were going to try more successful launch in about 15 days.