Haiti: Week Three.

Here's a rundown of Week Three. 

Day 15 - June 3

Our first night back in Boucan la Marre,

at some point during the night the dogs started going CRAZY. 

My thought process went something like this: 

"Holy crap these dogs are ripping someone apart...

...Or there's just a lot of dogs...

...Should I go look?...

...Could I even help?...

...This is scary...

...Stay in your tent...

...THIS IS HAITI!"

So after that "restful" night's sleep, it was time for another day of Haitian church.
However,
this go around proved rather difficult.
We start the Sunday morning early,
because we are going to L'Anse a Galets for church,
and it's about an hour or so of treacherous mountain non-roads to get there.
For an added bonus,
2/3 of the team are hit with "the sickness"
(a.k.a. hardcore diarrhea).
So we drive on down to church.
We get there with everyone on the verge of carsickness,
on top of "the sickness,"
and for the cherry on top,
this church has no toilet.
Instead,
they have the world's oldest outhouse.
Well, it's more like an outcorner with a lace curtain for a door,
it's covered in a lifetime's worth of "bathroom things,"
there is no toilet paper,
(luckily someone brought baby wipes)
there are flies EVERYWHERE,
and the "hole" is radiating and uncomfortable amount of heat.
Needless to say,
this day was not looking too bright.

Church was fine,
it was pretty awkward because of where we were sitting;
we were sitting kind of at the front,
so if there would have been a stage,
we would have been on it.

After church,
it was time for lunch,
the church members had cooked for us.
It all looked delicious,
sadly none of us really wanted to look at food, much less eat it.

Plus, the entire eating process was just weird.
We were seated in this room,
at a table that was way to large for the space it occupied,
with all the Haitians standing around us watching,
and the ladies standing behind us attempting to swat away flies with a towel.
And while they were getting the flies,
they were also getting us,
right in the face,
as they wave their undeodorized arms right above my head.

Thankfully we left,
and we returned to Boucan la Marre,
where we had a TOILET.
Hallelujah!

That night we went to church in Boucan la Marre,
it was more like the church in Point Sable,
which means it was loud and lively.
One thing was different,
the majority of the church members had leaves shoved up their noses,
we couldn't figure out what they were for,
so we just assumed it was because it smelled bad in the church.
We were later informed that they were in fact marijuana leaves.
Church was kinda crazy that night.

Day 16 - June 4
Our first day of work in Boucan la Marre proved to be VERY different from work in Point Sable.
The main difference being,
there really wasn't much work for us.
Every morning our task was to fill these three drums with water from the well,
and to sift sand.
Filling the water never took longer than 30 minutes,
and sifting required 3 people max.

Sarah and Kaiti sifting sand so the workers can make cement. 

So we settled into a routine of finding random things to do, 

until the school kids had recess from 10:00-11:00. 

So today,

Sarah and I tried to help in the kitchen, 

she helped with some of the dishes and then we both made juice.

Then they told us that was all and we were on our way. 

So basically the mornings consisted of random work, 

playing with kids, 

and chilling out until lunch. 

The afternoons consisted of reading, 

sleeping, 

playing cards, 

walks, 

and yoga until dinner. 

It was a nice routine. 

Today however was interrupted by the beginning of the plague that hit our team this week.

Chase got good and sick and had to be taken to L'Anse a Galets to the hospital.

So around 10:00 PM,

Pastor Pierre, Hailey, Kaiti, Kevin, Chase and Jillian,

all headed down the mountain to the hospital. 

Jon, Sarah, Allie and I were left alone. 

Which was perfectly fine, 

we learned how to play Haitian cards with Myriam (Pastor Pierre's daughter), 

and Madame Carmelle (Pastor Pierre's wife). 

Day 17 - June 5

The hospitalers didn't return until around 10:30 the next morning. 

So the four of us left behind were on our own.

We were going to work, 

but the Haitians wouldn't let us.

We were going to go for a walk,

but then discovered we had run out of water.

So we were going to help make juice for lunch,

but we had run out of water. 

So instead we just hung out until everyone got back.

When they did return,

Chase was looking and feeling much better, 

but everyone looked like they had gone to a hospital in Haiti,

a.k.a. well worn. 

So the rest of the day was spent resting and relaxing, 

and enjoying the few short hours of no one throwing up. 

Day 18 - June 6

I awoke this morning to the roosters, 

a very old lady sweeping mango leaves right outside the tent,

and Kevin puking. 

GOOD MORNING.

We still had some Cipro shots that the doctor had given to them at the hospital the day before,

so Pastor Pierre found someone in the village to give Kevin a shot in his pasty white butt. 

We don't really know who the guy was, 

we later found out that he was the bass player in the church band,

and was somehow qualified to give shots. 

But we were quite thankful for that strange man,

because Kevin's recovery time was infinitely lessened. 

So once he was safely asleep in his tent, 

the rest of us loaded up in the truck and headed to the market.

Market was a really cool experience,

we got to see a real Haitian market and not just a tourist one. 

There were many new sights, 

and many new smells. 

But it was fun to get some snacks and treats, 

we even got popsicles! 

That afternoon was filled with more rest and walks. 

Walks really became the highlights of my days! 

It was our chance to get out and do some exploring! 

This was one of our favorite spots to walk to in the afternoons. 

Day 19 - June 7

Today was the usual routine in Boucan la Marre. 

Work.

Try to find more work.

Rest. 

Eat.

Rest.

Walk.

Rest. 

Eat.

Rest.

Sleep. 

I don't recall anyone being sick,

but someone probably was.

Day 20 - June 8

Sarah fell victim to the plague today. 

So she slept and the rest of us "worked."

Some sifted and some helped the workers with the cement. 

Hailey and Kevin and I found ourselves jobless,

so we took to cleaning our captured sea creatures.

We worked out quite the system.

Hailey cleaning the starfish. 

After that it was more walking, 

exploring, 

reading, 

resting, 

etc.

Day 21 - June 9

Given that today was a Saturday, 

there was even less work for us than usual. 

So we opted for a morning walk.

That was fun, 

everyone except for Sarah went,

she was still not feeling well. 

But after the walk was the usual,

lunch,

rest,

dinner, 

rest, 

sleep. 

My home for the 4 weeks I was in Haiti.

Our home in Boucan la Marre. 

The area with the chairs and hammocks became known as our "living room."

Yes, our days in Boucan la Marre were quite busy.