We were blessed by an uneventful trip and entrance into Haiti. With the help of Jeff we flew through the customs area and settled in a van to head to Dechapelle. Shaun Cleaver will be our gracious host, a Canadian physio who has been at Hopital Albert Schweitzer for a year to establish a rehabilitation technicians program for training of Haitians. We climb up along the mountain ridge out of the city accompanied by two other PTs from Oregon. The two-hour ride is a breathtaking trip through beautiful mountains and valleys juxtaposed with pure and abject poverty in the homes that line the roads. Animals are everywhere wandering in and out of the road – goats and sheep and cows and horses seem to wander at will. We settled in to a very comfortable guest house on the HAS campus in the midst of the beautiful plantation homes that now house the medical staff. We commit to an early rise to hike the mountain behind the hospital and 4:15 dawns early. We hike by the light of the moon past homes and yards where life is already in motion. The sun breaks in silent glory at 5:15 from the top of the mountain – a fantastic place to breathe and be thankful for the provisions of the last two days. The afternoon finds us hiking again through the hills in the town of Varette – women pass us ceaselessly in silent grace and strength with burdened loads balanced on their heads. The day is hot and many are out bathing and playing in the river along the path. In the evening we visit Karen, a Canadian woman who has established an orphanage “Hands across the sea” and school down the road from the hospital. She has 14 children residing with her, 2 with physical and mental handicap and she is ecstatic to have some time with us. Ti Luk Nyen, a little boy of 4 who was abandoned at school 2 years ago captures our hearts and Lexy and I promise to return in the morning to spend some time with him. It is hard to even know where to begin but she is so grateful for any help.
