Final Days in Haiti
Most of the people reading this blog contributed money, soccer balls,
jerseys, equipment and good vibes to our project and we could NOT be any more
grateful! After leaving the beautiful coast behind, we traveled back to
the place we'd stay in Port-au-Prince, called the Haiti Communitiere (HC). I
am not writing this blog as a travel guide so I haven't included reviews, etc.
of everything we've done so far but if you are interested in a UNIQUE
experience, consider staying there. It is part campgrounds, part hostel
and totally special. The lodging options consist of a few converted
shipping containers and a few upcycled huts (made of recycled tires and bottles
and mud) that were all designed to be low-cost and safe housing options.
The walled off grounds include these containers, some compost toilets, showers,
a communal kitchen and a few gathering spaces. The kids were able to just
run free and play with the adorable dog, chase chickens, and play basketball
with the other guests/volunteers.
WE took a quick trip to the famed Iron Market in Port-au-Prince, which is a huge bizarre with hundreds of stalls in and outside a beautiful historic structure. Learn more about it, here. Our tour guide, Willio, set us up with a few onsite guides who helped to walk us around to the stalls and negotiate prices. We came home with a few wood carvings, some soapstone dishes, a few pieces of art made from recycled iron. We understand that we missed out on the huge voodoo section in the back but we had run out of money and were anxious to get to our next stop- the Musee du Pantheon National Haitien, a small and beautiful museum featuring exhibits that portray Haiti's complicated history. Among the artifacts on display is the actual anchor from the Santa Maria! Photographs are not allowed inside the museum so we don't have pictures to share. If you ever find yourself in Port-au-Prince, this is a must-see destination!
We could not have organized our trip without the help of our college friend, Molly, who has traveled to Haiti more than a dozen times through her work with English in Mind (EIM; an amazing organization focused on teaching English and promoting higher education and opportunities to adults in Port-au-Prince. They organize service trips so volunteers have the opportunity to tour Haiti and volunteer with EIM students and other organizations. Luckily for us, Molly just so happened to be organizing a trip during the time we were there so she was able to help connect us with drivers, tour guides, etc.
We spent our Thanksgiving with about 30 Haitian and American EIM volunteers/family members and the staff and volunteers from HC. It was an experience like no other! After finding a runaway turkey (which we initially though Stanley "set free"), the volunteers worked together to make a massive and delicious meal using these specially designed grills that are powered by recycled material. One of the volunteers played a few Irish songs on a fiddle, another did some flame throwing (or is that "threw flames"??). Anyway, as we sat there toasting our new friends with our surprisingly good boxed wine and always yummy Prestige, it wasn't lost on us that THIS was what Thanksgiving is all about. For us, this trip was about mixing vacation, service and community. And we are so grateful that for at least a little while, we were welcomed into the community at HC.
WE took a quick trip to the famed Iron Market in Port-au-Prince, which is a huge bizarre with hundreds of stalls in and outside a beautiful historic structure. Learn more about it, here. Our tour guide, Willio, set us up with a few onsite guides who helped to walk us around to the stalls and negotiate prices. We came home with a few wood carvings, some soapstone dishes, a few pieces of art made from recycled iron. We understand that we missed out on the huge voodoo section in the back but we had run out of money and were anxious to get to our next stop- the Musee du Pantheon National Haitien, a small and beautiful museum featuring exhibits that portray Haiti's complicated history. Among the artifacts on display is the actual anchor from the Santa Maria! Photographs are not allowed inside the museum so we don't have pictures to share. If you ever find yourself in Port-au-Prince, this is a must-see destination!
We could not have organized our trip without the help of our college friend, Molly, who has traveled to Haiti more than a dozen times through her work with English in Mind (EIM; an amazing organization focused on teaching English and promoting higher education and opportunities to adults in Port-au-Prince. They organize service trips so volunteers have the opportunity to tour Haiti and volunteer with EIM students and other organizations. Luckily for us, Molly just so happened to be organizing a trip during the time we were there so she was able to help connect us with drivers, tour guides, etc.
We spent our Thanksgiving with about 30 Haitian and American EIM volunteers/family members and the staff and volunteers from HC. It was an experience like no other! After finding a runaway turkey (which we initially though Stanley "set free"), the volunteers worked together to make a massive and delicious meal using these specially designed grills that are powered by recycled material. One of the volunteers played a few Irish songs on a fiddle, another did some flame throwing (or is that "threw flames"??). Anyway, as we sat there toasting our new friends with our surprisingly good boxed wine and always yummy Prestige, it wasn't lost on us that THIS was what Thanksgiving is all about. For us, this trip was about mixing vacation, service and community. And we are so grateful that for at least a little while, we were welcomed into the community at HC.
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