June 17 - catching up

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Today is a "slow" day for me. Last day in Haiti, so have no assignments (at least for now). Therefore, I'm going to try to catch up with some blogging and pictures.

It is time to show you where I have been staying. This is a hotel called Coconut Villa. The Salvation Army has had standing rooms reserved here since IES arrived shortly after the earthquake. I shared a room known as the "Palace" because it contains two full size beds with Major Hertj for a few nights and then with Heather Rossouw, from South Africa, who is Camp Management Support. The beds are comfortable; we have a small refrigerator, which actually freezes the bottles of water (but this is a good thing, because they stay cold longer in the heat); a bathroom with a shower that usually runs quite cool (also a good thing when you consider we drag in hot and sweaty, so it feels good). There is also a pool, which I couldn't enjoy because I certainly didn't consider bringing a suit! There is a large open dining area, where we ate breakfast and dinner. Breakfasts choices were spaghetti (made with a very garlic sauce and hot dogs), porridge (which I usually selected - actually very good), scrambled eggs & ham (thin slices of what we would use for a sandwich). Dinner choices were more ranging, from fried fish (whole and really tasty), chicken (legs only cooked in a sauce), tasso (goat), lambi (conch), and a beef dish they called goulash; all served with the ever popular beans and rice. I really like beans and rice, but I suspect it will be a long time till I make it again! Here are some pics. There is a generator, which gets used frequently, as the lights go out a lot all over PaP. There is wireless internet service, which is extremely dicey, probably connected to the erratic electricity outages.

There have been a number of mission teams and relief agency teams that have come and gone during the 4 weeks I have been here. Several I have had the privilege to sit and talk with about their missions; what they are here for; what they are trying to accomplish, such as the medical team I have previously posted.

Now that you think I'm been vacationing in paradise, I'll post the pictures of the neighborhood. Immediately after the van pulls out through the gate, we face the reality of what a significant portion of PaP looks like. It is a stark reminder of what has happened and why we are here. It also signals to us how fortunate this hotel was to sustain no structural damage and to be place where the team can be housed.

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Photos

Coconut Villa
Entrance to lobby area.

Hotel Pool
Pool where other team members took a dip daily, after arrival and before the team meeting.

Dining Room
Where we ate two meals a day

Hotel Generator Room
Brightly painted mural. Generator runs a lot, because lights go out often

Neighborhood 1
What we see immediately after pulling through the gate.

Neighborhood 2
Surely people died here.

Comments

[Kathy Clements]

Spellbinding
Hi Myrtle, I can't believe your 4 weeks have passed so quickly. I've followed each link as soon as it appears. You have surely been a blessing to each person you meet. Your reports have opened my eyes far beyond the evening news (which has lost interest by now). God bless and safe travels home. Kathy