Yesterday (Tuesday) was an eventful day. I arrived at the PAP airport and collected my baggage, said my goodbyes and took a picture with my new Argentine friends, then sat down to wait for Mom's plane to arrive. It was interesting to see the place clear out and get swept up for the next batch of passengers while the airport personnel took a little breather and chatted and joked together. Mom soon arrived; I met her at the door and her luggage quickly appeared. We both took advantage of the last flushing toilet and running water we'd see for awhile. Meanwhile, we also caught up with Amanda and Stephen, a Kentucky couple adopting from New Life Link who arrived on Mom's same flight. Amanda and I had communicated through our blogs and I knew this was her first flight ever, her first time out of the country, and she was very nervous. Unfortunately she did not receive the reassurance she needed when their agency's driver did not appear to pick them up and all attempts to reach him by phone failed ... In the end, we drove them to the Visa Lodge and arrangements were made (via phone communication with a contact in the States) for another driver to pick them up there ...
with Amanda;
meeting fellow adoptive parents in person was one of the highlights of this trip
With that delay and with the crazy Haitian traffic of let's-play-chicken bus drivers and tap-taps and motorcyclists slowing nearly to a crawl (until someone decided a sidewalk could be a helpful detour) as well as a quick stop to converse wtih a woman on the side of the street and to buy some instant mashed potatoes and enormous bananas at the market, we finally made it to the village at dusk.
... Mom and I headed upstairs to Lawanna's apartment where the boys were waiting. There were so many people around that our reunion was a bit of a blur, but Ian was cheerful and smiley and Alec cried at being put down when moments later we headed downstairs to get our stuff situated.
Dinner was a grand affair with eight adults (at least) and nearly a dozen kids enjoying the first chicken the village had seen in weeks, which Lawanna deliciously fried and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and cranberry sauce. Getting instructions and getting settled with the boys in our little house took some time and effort, and by night's end both Mom and I felt quite sick from the relentless heat. Even with two rotating fans and an overhead fan the first night, we were drenched in sweat and Mom felt dizzy and nauseous while I knelt on the floor fighting stomach cramps and crying out to God to keep us safe and healthy on this trip ...
with Amanda;meeting fellow adoptive parents in person was one of the highlights of this trip
With that delay and with the crazy Haitian traffic of let's-play-chicken bus drivers and tap-taps and motorcyclists slowing nearly to a crawl (until someone decided a sidewalk could be a helpful detour) as well as a quick stop to converse wtih a woman on the side of the street and to buy some instant mashed potatoes and enormous bananas at the market, we finally made it to the village at dusk.
... Mom and I headed upstairs to Lawanna's apartment where the boys were waiting. There were so many people around that our reunion was a bit of a blur, but Ian was cheerful and smiley and Alec cried at being put down when moments later we headed downstairs to get our stuff situated.
Dinner was a grand affair with eight adults (at least) and nearly a dozen kids enjoying the first chicken the village had seen in weeks, which Lawanna deliciously fried and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and cranberry sauce. Getting instructions and getting settled with the boys in our little house took some time and effort, and by night's end both Mom and I felt quite sick from the relentless heat. Even with two rotating fans and an overhead fan the first night, we were drenched in sweat and Mom felt dizzy and nauseous while I knelt on the floor fighting stomach cramps and crying out to God to keep us safe and healthy on this trip ...
1 comment:
Again, I was SO grateful for your just BEING there. God is good in creating friends with so many miles between them.
I hear ya on the heat, but I think we were blessed to be up a mountain a bit that caught a breeze. Most of my pictures show armpit sweat and my mom teases me because she'd NEVER seen armpit sweat in me before Haiti, even when I'm hot. In Haiti, it's not JUST hot. LOL
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