Listening to, reading and watching the news today, and the past few days, just tears at my heart. To see and hear about the devastation of Haiti’s earthquake is surreal. The catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake striking only 16 miles from Port-au-Prince Haiti’s capital January 12, 2010.
Several years have passed since I first walked the streets of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Arriving on our family’s sailboat at Port de Cap-Haitien we walked the streets, saw the sites (Cathedral Notre-Dame of Cap-Haitien, Citadelle La ferrierre) and later traveled by bus to Port-au-Prince to visit the capital and tour the country. I actually don’t remember Port-au-Price that well. What I do remember, as if it were imbedded in my brain forever, is the bus ride, the people of Cap-Haitien and the smells
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The local’s of Cap-Haitien watched my every movement. I might not have totally understood why they were staring at me. Was it because I was a young white girl? All the locals were dark skinned, or was it because I had clothes on my back that bright in color and they hadn’t worn from years of being passed down from family members or not being washed with clean water. It could have been my long blond hair that was shiny clean and bounced with my every step. It could have been my skin that was dirt free and smelt like some botanical garden because of the shower and soap I had and used that morning. I hoped and prayed that my facial expressions were well hidden because the stench of the streets made my stomach very queazy. It was hard not to plug my nose or cover it and my mouth with my shirt to help stop the gag reflexes I had from the continued smell’s coming from the streets, the water and the people.
The bus ride was unforgettable. It could have been because it was the oldest bus I had ever seen, or the fact that while traveling across the country we hit every bump with a bang. No working shocks on a bus will cause one to fly into the air and be jolted which caused massive headaches for everyone. By the end of our journey we had sick stomachs from the bus movements and the disgusting odors, aching heads, soaked with sweat from the heat and sore arms and muscles from holding on. What I will never forget however … the gorgeous countryside and ocean views with perfect weather, and the Nations incredible history.
Haiti, now hit by a devastating earthquake which had little to begin with, has nothing – too little left.
I am proud of Americans today as I see friends, family members, famous people, rich people, middle class people, and people who have even suffered loss themselves are giving in some way to help Haiti.
Photo: Haiti Market Place 2008 by RuthAnne Anderson
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