June 17 - Street Scenes

---

This entry will be focused on street scenes. The sights and sounds of Haiti are so different than home. I have mentioned about the process of removing rubble for example. Individuals and also groups in the Cash for Work programs are busy at work moving rubble from the building site to piles in the streets for removal by large trucks. Individuals may be working to clear rubble from their own homesite, whereas CFW are hired to clear rubble from identified sites. Several NGOs, including SA, are funding CFW programs in an attempt to aid the debris clearance program. As these piles of rubble accumulate, the impede both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Coming upon a pile in the street unexpectedly, means swift maneuving of vehicles and a melding of several lanes of traffic. Certainly part of the challenge of driving in PaP. I know it's difficult to perceive this from the pics, but remember they're being taken from the van window...I can attest the rubble is in the street and we are moving around it.

I have some pictures showing this in process. CFW's always wear bright color-coded shirts to provide visibility from traffic and to clearly identify the workers in the group. Some of the pictures I've taken, I am certain as they clear the rubble, they will find bodies. I cannot imagine what this will be like for these Haitian men and women. However, their work at this point is essential to making progress in PaP and other cities where the damage is significant. Reconstruction cannot begin until the debris is cleared. The next major issue with debris clearance is where to put it. For now, debris is hauled outside the city and dumped, so huge mountains are already forming. Short term it provides a place; long term, something will need to be done again with the debris.

The traffic, as I've mentioned before, is a nightmare. All kinds of vehicles from regular cars, taptaps, buses, trucks laden with rubble, trucks laden with produce, motorcycles weaving in and out, and, of course, pedestrians. Personally, I think motorcyclists and their passengers (sometimes two at a time) must have a death wish! They come out of nowhere, darting in and out. Truly scary.

Everywhere, people carrying things on their heads; even weaving in and out of the traffic with things for sale - mostly sodas, fried plantains and huge bags on their heads containing small bags of cold water for sale. I once saw a man carrying a full sized door on his head!

Then there are the animals wandering along - usually goats, but one morning there was a huge hog wandering along in the traffic. We wondered if he became somebody's pork chop dinner or maybe everyone feared hitting him because he would cause some significant damage!

Then there are the street vendors....everywhere along the sidewalk. Everything you can imagine for sale. Mostly, there is some kind of speciality: one might have sneakers; one clothes; another a stack of tires; another soap, shampoos, etc.; food being cooked for sale; on and on, it goes for blocks. Generally, this pushes pedestrians closer to the curb or even out in the traffic lane.

Sometimes the collection of street vendors congregate in one place, making a market. Then between the stands edging out into the streets, along with the pedestrians wandering about shopping, traffic is reduced to a single lane, vehicles weaving in and out, trying to avoid stands and pedestrians! I remember telling about almost taking out the old lady's bread stand on the way to Jacmel. I have to give these drivers credit - it's so scary to traverse a market without hitting someone!

One of the sad things I have seen was the number of 'Lottery' stands all along the streets in PaP but also scattered through the countryside. Must be the Haitian version of 'A Dollar and a Dream', but I imagine it's the poor who cannot afford to spend their hard come by money that take these chances (as it mostly is in US).

---

Photos

Street Rubble
Piles of rubble moved to the street impedes both foot and vehicle traffic. Note the pedestrian picking their way across the top of this pile.

Street Rubble 2
More piles of rubble

CFW's at Work 2
Large group clearing the rubble from the site of what was once a large building. Will probably find bodies as they go deeper.

Woman & girls
This woman and her little girls made my heart stop, walking in the traffic! She's carrying fried plaintains on her head for sale.

Street Vendors 3
Loved those sneakers lined up in the fence!

Street Vendors 4
the beginning of a market area