Haiti continued . . .

Saturday. Sofa. Coffee.

A few more things about the Haiti trip.

John, our chicken coop foreperson, also brought amazing water filters. Such small, simple items that make such a huge difference to the people who have been displaced and live in the tent cities. It was a joyful thing to see the happy faces of the thirty five or so families that received the filters and the training. Clean water. It is the answer to much of the world's problems. John did a really good thing.

Emmanuel, a young man who grew up in Haiti, is the local representative for the water filter maker. He lives in City du Soleil, which has been a traditional symbol of poverty in Port au Prince. The tent cities now make it look a bit like suburbia, but it still is key to understanding the real problems of Port au Prince, because it has not been changed so greatly by the earthquake. It is not as threatening when the tin roof and sticks of makeshift dwellings fall. We took the greater part of a day walking the streets of City du Soleil with Emmanuel, hearing stories of where he grew up and now lives. Many people on the streets were busy, and smiling. Others just sat in the shade of their homes or shops and watched as the world walked by. Ironically the streets of City du Soleil were free of potholes. There were far fewer vehicles among this crowd. It was an oppressively hot and humid day, and the sun was brutal. We stopped into a small shop and drank cold cokes out of glass bottles, talking among ourselves. We also met Emmanuel's father. We visited Emmanuel's church, a huge structure with seating for about 1500. There was a medical and dental clinic operating as we sat on the back rows and ate lunch Emmanuel got us from a local woman. It was good, but I'm not sure what it was, other than rice. It had something like turnip greens in it, which was good enough for me.

We were introduced to tap-taps that day. Tap-taps are the primary mass transit system of Port au Prince. A tap-tap is a vehicle, usually a small truck, that is converted to carry passengers in the back, usually on benches built along the sides of the bed. A metal roof covers the passenger area with creative metal cut-out designs in bright colors. A favorite Bible verse or reference to Jesus is written in bright distinctive script across the front of the roof of the tap-tap. I heard that the name tap-tap comes from the way that a passenger lets the driver know when he needs to get off, by tapping the rear window of the driver's compartment with a nail, or a coin, or a pen. There is no limit to how many passengers can ride in one tap-tap, and afternoons, when people get off from work and schools let out, create a crazy atmosphere as people pile in or hang on to catch a ride. John held on to the very end of the tap-tap on one ride. It was a good ride until it started to rain. The top did not cover his spot. Meanwhile, on the inside, I became intimate with several strangers. We rode several different tap-taps that day on the way to City du Soleil and back, each one expressing the beliefs, character, musical tastes, and often the humor of the owner/creator. Riding the tap-tap was a great way to experience the real flavor of local life.

I hear the tap-tap of readers who think this blog is going on a bit long, so I guess it's time to stop. Maybe I can wrap up Haiti tomorrow.

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