Well, we're here. Our night flight to JFK got in on-time at 6am (oof) and we got away pretty much on-schedule, despite SOMEone having to be dragged away from his breakfast to get on the damn plane. In my own defense, this headcold kept me from popping my ears during the descent, so I couldn't hear the, ahem, multiple calls for me [by name] from the gate. So embarrassing. I guess it's part of my punishment that I didn't get breakfast. More to this story if you want it, centered around efficiency and customer service New York area airports. That's whole blog in itself.
The rest of the flight went off without a hitch. I was particularly entranced by the clouds over the Atlantic, which consistently formed long lines. Not sure what that's about. I was also intrigued by the distinctly spiral path of our descent into Port-au-Prince (or PAP, 'cause I'm already sick of typing it all out). The captain explained on touchdown that, since the PAP airport has only one runway and no taxiways, you sometimes find planes where you shouldn't. Ah-ha-ha. Good to know. Don't tell Mom that part.
Our journey through the airport and customs went, compared to other years, very smoothly and within a half hour we were loaded up: 1 SUV, 1 van, and 1 flatbed truck with 42 bags and three of us. It's worth noting there's seating for 3-4 on top of the cab. Don't tell Mom that part, either.
The drive up to Mountaintop was...instructive. Mari Kay commented that much of what we saw had been rubble after the earthquake, so it's quite encouraging to see how many shops have sprung up. On the other hand, the traffic rules are really more customs, as you might expect, and are governed by horns (sort of) and inches (or less). Fun, though, and made me think a lot about how many believe safety goes up and injuries go down when traffic slows down and is less predictable. Haitian traffic definitely fits the latter, and it felt like the former, though, to be fair, the guy who was pulling away at a breakneck pace....was doing 45mph. Everything's relative, right?
We spent the middle of the day shuffling supplies around at the house and resting up from travels (some folks got stuck next to .... family unpleasantness...and slept not at all). It's really beautiful out our backdoor, with a view of the mission across the valley. You can see that the track leading up to the mission runs at a 45 degree angle: innnnteresting. But it also sounds some exciting new programs and initiatives are in place there. Tomorrow is the first day at the clinic, so I'll have more details soon.
Meanwhile, it's pretty well dark (it's 7:30) and blissfully cool (it'll be low '60s tonight; we're up a bit). No luck finding a local bird or plant list, unless someone out there can make a recommendation. I'll be quite intrigued to see what, if anything, is indigenous.
I would, I guess. Be well, all. The adventure continues....
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