Over the Hill!

Wow, what a day! We started in Port au Prince and then traveled over to mountains to Jacmel where the Canadians are stationed. We saw them guiding traffic around the fresh landslides. There is good reason to stop: your traffic control officer has a machine gun!

Jacmel is a beautiful town on the coast, a tourist destination with a few good looking hotels. We were there with Thor who is supporting an artisan project to get the talented people back to work. Everything takes longer here--including lunch!--so it was 2:00 before we started to Grand Goave. The road follows the mountain ridge for most of the way making for spectacular views but a bit of a scary trip with the road all cracked up. All in all, these are some of the best roads I have been on abroad; better than Saskatchewan!

We stopped briefly at the Haiti Arise camp and met Mark and the Samaritans Purse team (more on that later.) Driving home we passed many tent camps, but you should know that when I say "tent" I mean everything from sheets on sticks to air conditioned army tents. There is aid here, but it is not getting out like it should, partly because organizations are having to cycle their staff in and out. If you do not have a strong spokesperson, your camp is in trouble. So let me put another plug in to any UBC administrators out there: find a way to keep your guy on the ground in Haiti! KEEP MICHAEL (THOR) BURNHAM IN HAITI!! (Carole, this is your chance to help. Surely you have a contact?)

It is raining as we speak, and I am inside. Our host family has gone outside for the night as they will still not sleep in their house. Eric sleeps next to the door. I am not so worried for myself, but I know what is happening in the camps tonight, and it is not good! The rainy season is upon us very soon. Tomorrow I will draw up a few options for transitional housing. We can't put permanent housing on the tent sites but there is nowhere else until some rubble is cleared. These people can't live in tents. The cheap farmer in me is working on a solution for about $1,000.00/family. Materials are more expensive here than at home, but labor is cheaper.

I am falling asleep at the keyboard. Well, that is not true, but my mind is wandering back to cheap shelter, so I will quit for the night.