This Week

Saturday, April 17, 2010

I can't remember the last time I updated and the internet isn't working well enough for me to check so I'll start from the beginning of this week.

My plans were to head to Cote-des-Fer and Bainet to work on Zafen.org stuff with Jenny and Dominique on Monday, sleep overnight in Jacmel, work in Jacmel that morning, return to PAP, and then drive to Saut d'Eau on Tuesday night to meet up with the Chemin Lavi Miyo people (see Fonkoze's website/Zafen.org for explanations of these programs). So how'd it go?

Monday we spent something like 12 hours driving. When we were asking for directions on a gravel(ish) road someone said that we needed to head two hours down the road, get out, and walk...maybe there was a river crossing in there...can't remember. I suggested that we should've taken the Fonkoze chopper, which of course doesn't exist. We skipped out on this group only to find out later that they had prepared a feast for us. "Feast" may have been peanut butter on bread, but at that point in the afternoon we were all starving.

We met with the first group and someone showed up with fresh tamarins from a tree. Had Georgina not introduced me to them at NM, I would've been confused when I was handed them.

We headed through the mountains and saw beautiful views, none of which I attempted to capture from the moving/shaking/jostling car. How people make a living on the side of a mountain is beyond me, especially since the soil is bright red in certain areas.

Somewhere around 7pm we were taking a mud road where car tires had gouged tracks deep into the road. We were in the middle of nowhere and the sun had just gone down. I know that only because when we got stuck in the mud, a guy with us said "this is bad because we're in the middle of nowhere." Over the next 45 minutes we saw only three people, all on one moto, which stopped to help. A storm in the distance worried me, but we were able to get out before having to deal with rain.

Tuesday was filled with a lot of driving and some quick photography on my part. We stopped in a market on the way back where Dominique and Jenny gave me a hard time for attracting so many people to the car. They laughed when they heard one woman ask me for 10 gourdes and then go to our driver and ask for 5.

We returned to PAP late. The new plan was to leave Wed. morning at 6am and drive to Mirebalais where I would be dropped off and link up with my ride to Saut d'Eau. This plan assumed that gas stations in Haiti would have gas. This is where the plan fell apart.

From 6:30-8:30 we drove around PAP, out to Carrefour, and back without finding gas. We gave up, postponing our projects outside of the capital for the week. Vivian kindly took me back into her house where I've mostly stayed since Wednesday night due to the gas shortage.

I'm a bit backed up on posting photos, but I will when I have a decent internet connection.

The gas situation only exacerbates problems this week. There have been protests over President Preval wanting to extend his term by 8 months and over forced relocation plans. Conversations seem too often to trail off into phrases like "this country..." and "god..."

Today alone I heard of an attempted suicide, a 7 year-old being raped in a robbery in nearby Fermathe, and predictions that the gas shortage will last for another 9 days. The Fermathe story is the reason there are now a number of armed guards patrolling outside the house. A couple of hours ago I went next door to the store to buy a coke and a man with a shotgun escorted me there and back. I'm at least used to shotguns at banks, gas stations, and a variety of other public places, but certainly not where I live. It's a strange reality.

I bought the coke preparing to watch Heart(s?) of Darkness, the documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now. I brought a few dvds to watch while I'm here and I'm running low now that I'm through The Wire S4. Summary: Actors doing a lot of drugs, Francis Ford Copolla pays Marcos in the Philipines to use his helicopters, Martin Sheen aged 36 has a heart attack, Marlon Brando shows up fat and, well, Marlon Brando-like. It's definitely worth a watch if you enjoy the film.

I'll leave you there for now. I'll have some random photos soon. Some from a new video project I'm working on, some random ones from hanging around when I'm off of work. Also, I just wanted to say thanks for anyone dropping an email once in a while. I appreciate it, even if I don't get to write lengthy responses.

Labels: Jacmel, Port-au-Prince