Haiti 02 Embouchure

Back in Port au Prince looking out over the city valley watching smoke from garbage fires and listening to car horns at 5:30am while the sun rises. Really beautiful and peaceful - the horns making a friendly punctuation.

We got back yesterday from our visit to the site at St. Joseph Embouchure which is remote. Remote as in three hour Land Cruiser ride from PAP then a progression from two lane paved roads winding up from the the coastal low-lands into the rural mountains to a single lane of concrete slabs rolling over foothills in a white squiggle. 

Leaving the paved surface was like getting on to a mechanical bull. Fun for a while. Samuel (who I don't have a serious crush on) mercifully stopped when the road was so bad walking seemed preferable - which is what we were about to do. Shane and I strapped on our back packs (loaded with water, drawings and overnight stuff) and watched Samuel drive away leaving us to walk the 9-10kms into Embouchure - hopefully it would not rain too hard and he would be able to pick us up the following day.

The sky was overcast as we started our hike through a completely gorgeous landscape of mountain-like foothills and valleys patterned with patches of trees, young green crops in lines contouring the hillsides with red and light brown earth in between. The descent into the valley was comfortable as the clouds hid the sun so greetings to people along the way were pleasant and cheerful.

Along the Way

Rural Haiti is a happening place. There is always someone to wave to and shout Bonjou! into the distance at. On our path I got used to every man carrying a machete because that's the best tool to have and that we are slow. Kids, old men (with machetes), old women with 40-50lbs loads on their heads skipped past us with a Bonjou.

Wading In

We took a break to change our shoes to walk the river highway that connects so many communities in the area. It's an incredible (and level) way to get around with the shade of the trees and cool water constantly refreshing the feet. It was also refreshing because of the torrential downpour and my thoughts were divided between admiring my immediate surroundings and the road that would hopefully be there to take us out tomorrow.

We were immediately set upon by an older woman asking what present we had brought her personally and the next half hour of the journey was spent with her speeding ahead (in bare feet over rocks) and then letting us catch up and pass and at each passing letting loose on us with ferocious inquiry and rebuke. I'm glad she was carrying a load on her head because she could have kicked our asses and muegged us both if she wanted to.

Our Companion

We arrived at Embouchure two hours after being dropped off. I was still filled with the beauty of the trip we'd just completed - and as with each morning, afternoon and evening so far in Haiti, I was confronted with a scene that was strange, made me feel very uncertain about my ability to survive, engage and thrive in. There was no where for me to go so we walked up into Embouchure greeted the community to spend one of the most fun and engaging evenings I can remember.

More from Embouchure to come...