Day 1 - Reconnecting

I arrived to Port-au-Prince airport yesterday and was met by Lara Berry and Ksy (Cassie) and our friend and driver, Fefe.  It was so great to see them and catch up.  We drove through Port-au-Prince quickly and stopped at Delmas, which is a grocery store/everything store.  Lara and Ksy were looking for folders for Hope on a String, but couldn't find any.  As we were checking out (we bought coffee, some snacks, juice, and yogurt), I noticed the Delmas security guards, who were standing by the doorway carrying huge rifles.  Pierre, the co-founder of HoaS, is coming down to Corail on Friday, so they asked him to bring some.  Folders - so hard to find here and so easy to get anywhere in the US. 

We made our way on the roads to Corail - saw the tent camps that have moved out of Port-au-Prince, and which now litter the mountain sides.  Tents everywhere - made of wood, tarp, cloth, sticks.  Many of these people had tents in Port-au-Prince, but recently the government gave people a small amount of money to move their tents out of the city, so that's why these tent villages starting popping up along the mountain sides outside the city.  I also saw a UN truck filled with Brazilian officers, an environmental clean-up truck, and still a good amount of rubble.  But it seemed like there was less rubble than even the last time I was in PaP in March. 

Arriving in Corail was wonderful.  Seeing friends, like Mialove (10 years old) and her younger brother was so heartwarming.  They were excited to see me, yelling "A Man Da," and gave me kisses.  Lara and I ate lunch at Florence's house, where I will eat all of my meals - white rice, red bean and plaintain sauce, and sauteed vegetables and goat in a oily sauce. 

At night, we just talked, I practiced my creole.  Matt, the HoaS intern from Amherst, brought out his viola and started playing.  I learned some of the dance steps the girls have been doing at their HoaS dance class, and we just enjoyed everyone's company.

I think yesterday's take-away was how good it felt to see people who I met in March and who I felt a strong connection with, like the staff of Hope on a String - Watson, Harmonie, Mumai, Betsy, and friends from the community, like Pactrice and his son Patrick!