LA Traffic got Nothin’ on This …
As planned Deann and her team arrived around 1:30am to the departure gate where everyone got quickly acquainted and then just as quickly went about “bedding down” in one way or another….that is to say, either successfully or unsuccessfully. And as expected, Miami airport is a ghost town after 10:30pm…not to mention it is freezing!! We did our best to steal a few winks and stay warm, but before we knew it, it was time to get a bite and board our flight, which was speedy and efficient, arriving 20min ahead of schedule. We even managed to get through Immigration and Customs with minimal delay and no “lighter” than when we arrived! Unfortunately, that is where our luck ran out…The Team right after leaving the airport parking area:
Turns out a group of students in the Martissant district of Port au Prince decided to demonstrate in the main road, which is to say the only road, leading to the National Highway that takes us to our destination. They are unhappy because teachers will not come to their school to resume teaching. So, the students created a blockade in the road, snarling traffic for hours. The Police were needed to resolve this issue but as you can imagine, it took hours more to untangle the knotted traffic.The Team after nearly 3hrs in the traffic jam – not even out of Port au Prince yet:
Guess those few hours in the airport were mostly unsuccessful…
Shout out to Garry, Marriot, Lèon and Nora for staying in regular communication to ensure the team’s safety at all times, but the prize clearly goes to our most patient driver, Marriot…no surprise he is Garry’s brother! He is one Cool Customer!!…and no sooner than 4hrs from the start of our journey, when Les Cayes would normally nearly be in sight, we were just slowly approaching the next city – Carrefour, which is still just an extension of the urban area that is Port au Prince.The blockade cleared, we found ourselves driving into the usual crush of business day traffic…and this is one bustling center of commerce!
Once the crush was cleared, Marriot transformed into a Formula 1 racecar driver and he was clearly driving a “Magic Bus”. Any other tour bus would have come apart at all suspension joints and the wheels would have come off for sure. I am happy to report all arrived safely and no casualties amongst other drivers or pedestrians either! We pulled up to the pier at 6pm with the sun setting – fastest unload, boarding and setting out for Ile a Vache ever!! And for another First, we were treated to a combination sunset / moonlight cruise across the channel. One constant, most were drenched by the time will pulled up to shore.
We made the crossing quicker than ever under the light of a half moon. Timizou piloted us with skill. We were met by 2 trucks and were quickly off to the quest house where Adeline and Gislene had prepared a delicious meal of chicken, rice & beans. The team is definitely a bit worse for the wear after such a long travel day(s), but we will get settled and sleep tonight before we dive into preparations for the week of clinics ahead. There has been no medical team here in nearly a year, so clinics will likely be very busy.
I too am exhausted tonight so that is all for now. Please pray for a successful week and continued progress on the Peter Y Whitehead Memorial Clinic!
More later!
Love to All,
The Team
