Mission accomplished!

At last I can go home having accomplished my last goal today Saturday. Steve and Jean-Claude were to make the trip to Port au Prince today so Kim and I were left to decide what we would like to do. It was a no-brainer for both of us. It was a unanimous decision to swim in the Caribbean, to lie beneath the coconut palms sipping a cool drink, and dream of seeing Johnny Depp stroll out of the surf (Kim’s fantasy). I would not have felt complete with at least one

swim in the Caribbean Sea. So we went with 5 young people from the church and Rosita and Ma Theo who look after Robyn’s apartment. Nine of us piled into the small Toyota Lite ace van that looked as if it were on its last legs. Then we were off, the driver ducking and weaving through the traffic as we headed out of the city. It was over an hour’s journey through some unimaginable tracks they call roads. Sometimes we were at top speed swerving to avoid the potholes and then a barely visible clay speed bump would appear and it was all anchors out as we slowed to a crawl to negotiate the hump without damaging the undercarriage. There were a few mighty big

clonks at times and the driver looked a little worried as he hung out the window to see what had happened, still driving at a furious pace. Even in the rural areas there were people everywhere, hanging washing out on bushes and watching this crazy driver with 2 “blancs” heading to the beach. The inevitable happened. On a particularly rocky area the wheel under my seat (right front) began to make some weird noises. The driver stopped to discover a flat tyre. Five minutes later we were on the way again with the spare in place. Eventually we arrived at a resort at "Michelet et Menard plage". There were 2 larger groups also using the resort for a meeting. We unloaded, got changed and headed for the surf. It was fabulous – warm water, a refreshing wind and a sandy beach. There was some floaties- mainly a weed a bit like pine needles, some charcoal that they use for cooking, bits of wood and the odd shoe or plastic bottle but nothing like the pollution problem at Cap Haitien. Kim and I were in for about ¾ hour. We had some sunscreen on but it was too good not to be in. The other Haitians joined us, but they do not need sunscreen. We lazed on the sunloungers under the coconut trees. I even got a nap. Then it was lunchtime – fried chicken, rice, fried plantain, salad and a sauce. All very nice. With all that ocean, we had to have another dip and it extended out to almost an hour. However, I was very aware that the sunscreen would not be working but how could I (we) resist. So we reluctantly came in but there was another exciting bonus for us. There, on the beach was a concrete post with 4 shower heads providing fresh water - the first proper shower I had since coming here. We reveled in the hot, then warm water (nothing ever comes cold unless it has been in a freezer) for 5-10 minutes before we changed and lazed about waiting for our driver. He turned up about 4 and then it was the mad dash home. This time there were no “blancs” in the van but two “rouges”. We had both taken a fair dose of vitamin D but were content and not too sore. On the way home, the van gave out again – the battery died but the driver knew how to get another even though we were on the outskirts of the city. It took about 15 minutes but then we were on the way. So we never saw a pirate or a shark but our time in Haiti has been complete and we are content. You can ask about the “rouge” when I am home in a week.