Today I spent 5 bucks to witness first hand the utter devastation that is Haiti. 8 of us, not incuding the driver, piled into a forerunner. We left our barbed wire fence surrounded compound, and all the armed gaurds too. It was a two hour tour. The streets (at least the main ones) were in relatively good shape. People drove really fast around us. Remember the tap taps I told you about? There were tons of them with people hanging off all sides. Lane lines, when there were some, were more of an exception rather than a rule. Piles of rubble formed peninsulas or islands in the street. People ran out into the road unexpectedly and instead of a bike lane there seemed to be a people lane. Almost as soon as we passed the airport, we came upon the first of many tent cities.
Tents. This was a very small grouping compared to others.
Hundreds of big white tents with blue tarps scattered in between lined the street. Parts of the city were completely leveled, cinderblock rubble piles as high as a two story building. Port au Prince is very hilly, a lot like San Francisco. Our tour guide said the city was home to over 3 million people, but built for only 100.
View looking down on part of downtown Port au Prince. This really isn't the main city. It looks deceivingly small.
I can't describe the feeling of somnolent strength that seemed to be present. Everyone looked so burdened, yet joyful. They looked broken apart, yet strong. Men had sledge hammers taking down old walls and clearing the rubble to be recycled and made into new budings. Women cooked, sold underripe mangos and used shoes while singing and playing with their hopeful and innocent children. I felt pain for what these people have suffered through, but hope because of the way this tragedy brought a nation together.
This used to be a church.
Another building. I think this one was 5 stories.
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