Haiti Journal, May 27: Flight from Miami to PaP
Early morning to arrive at the gate for 1 10:30 flight. American Airlines distinguishes between domestic & international check-in, and also provides a separate check-in for travelers to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and a couple of other countries. This turned out to be a good thing, because the line for international departures was one of the longest I’ve ever seen. It stretched all the way from the ‘D’ concourse to the ‘A’.
Met up with our group at the gate. Kathy, the organizer, promptly gave me $500 cash to carry. I excused myself to put on my money belt. The rest of the group are a mixed bag. 3 undergrads, 2 med students, 5 other non-students, and us. I’ve missed one, somewhere. They all seem personable, and we’ve got this “going to go do good for the world” thing in common.
Haiti Journal, May 27: St. Joseph’s Hospice, Afternoon
We negotiated the airport, with some small adventure. In order to get our bags through (several large duffels & trunks) Kathy (our leader) was reduced to asking “how much to get all the bags through.” $20 US. Not bad, all told.
The hospice has a number of guest rooms, which go for $30 / night / guest. That includes breakfast and dinner. It has a truly incredible view out over the city, and off over the ocean from there. Thhe air is filled with the sound of men playing dominos (which sounds vaguely like gunfire) and roosters.
The plan is to spend the evening here, and drive into the mountains in the morning, to Fondwa, where we will have our clinic.
The van ride was pretty intense. We fit 13 people into a 3 bench van, along with 26 trunks & duffels lashed precariously to the roof.
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