Our weekend adventure

Well were do i begin? Matt and I decided on a whim to take a trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) after i bid on and won a 2 nights stay at an all inclusive resort in Puerto Plata. So we decided to take a long weekend and incorporate The citadel (in Haiti) into the trip since it was something we had wanted to see anyways. The adventure began at 6 am on Friday. The driver came to pick us up and took us to the airport (the wrong one) and dropped us off. We quickly found out that it was the other airport even though we had been informed that the company we were flying on left from this airport. The chaos of many taxi drivers and other random people trying to "provide" a ride to the other airport quickly hit us. It turned out the airline ticket sales lady/ticket checker/baggage tagger was headed to the other airport and provided us a ride and it was free of charge- that was quite a shock as nothing is free in Haiti! well once we finally got to the correct airport they said we hadnt paid for the tickets (yet i had paid online) and she kept insisting upon this, so i paid (again). Im hoping the first payment didnt go through but I'll worry about that later. They called for us to board and we walked out onto the runway toward a small twin propeller plane that held 20 passengers. It was just us and about 8 others. We took off and headed away for paradise. We landed at the small airport outside of Santo Domingo, which should have been nice but posed few options for transportation. So we ended up paying $30 bucks for a taxi to the bus station, which i know doesnt sound like much to you but considering we were going to pay $6 for a bus trip half way across the country it was more than i had planned on spending. We arrived at the bus station and bought our ticket for the 1 o'clock bus giving us about 2.5 hours to explore... or so we thought. We walked around, got some lunch and headed back with 35 minutes to spare. When we got there we took our time, went to the bathroom, got something to drink and then moseyed down to the terminal and on the way we passed a clock which read 1:40 not 12:40! At this point I remembered that Haiti and the DR are on different time zones and therefore we had missed our bus! So i immediately head over to the ticket desk and she said that the 2 oclock was late and not available so she changed our ticket to the 3 oclock which would put us in Puerto Plata around 7:30 which was much later than we wanted. We sat down and pulled out a book and prepared to wait. About 10 minutes later they called boarding for Puerto Plata (the 2 oclock)! I decided to try to work my magic and play dumb. I went up to a different counter where the boarding announcers were sitting. I told him i had a problem... i had to use the words i knew in spanish, turns out it worked! He laughed at me as i explained we lived in haiti and didnt realize the time was different here and we missed our bus. He laughed and called me stupid (jokingly) and said we could get on this one but we had to go NOW because they were about to leave. I yelled at matt to get our stuff and we ran out the door and onto the bus. We plopped in a seat and took off. It couldnt have worked out better, except of course for us actually being on time to the original bus. haha

We settled in for the ride, I sat next to an older gentleman who didnt seem to interested in chatting. Matt ended up next to a lady who was from haiti but studying in the DR so they chatted in a mix of english, creole and spanish. We stopped in Santiago to drop off passenger's and take a bathroom (and ice cream) break and then headed on again. We arrived to Puerto Plata and were kindly offered a ride to where we were staying by the lady that matt was sitting next to. Her husband and sister and daughter were picking her up, so we crammed into the truck with them.

We pulled up to our weekend paradise (what a contrast from PAP) and checked in. We were showed to our room and then we immediately headed down to walk around and check out our new home for 2 days. We passed the pool and a ping pong table. We decided we would play but first needed the paddles and a ball. We went to the desk and they just handed it to us, matt and i just looked at each other in shock what a difference from Haiti! We played a few games and decided we needed to check out the food. We headed to the main restaurant area and i couldnt believe my eyes. Any and every food I could want was at my disposal. We settled in and ate as though we hadnt eaten in days. It was incredible to have such a variety especially coming from PAP where all i feel like i eat is rice. After eating we walked down to the beach and sat and enjoyed the view adn how peaceful and quite it was here. After that we grabbed some dessert and headed to the room to relax for a little bit before heading out again but we ended up crashing for the evening... we are such the party poopers. The next morning we headed to breakfast and we were promptly greeted by a man who was going to show us around after breakfast. In reality they were trying to sell a timeshare like package to us.. until they asked us how much it cost us (so they could price compare their deal). When we told him how much he replied "yeh we cant compete with that" and the sales pitch was over. It was GREAT and quite humerous to both Matt and I. Once we got out of that we headed to the pool. Later we took advantage of the kayaks and snorkeling equipment. Matt decided we needed to brave the white caps in our 2 person kayak and do so sideways instead of head on. This of course resulted in us capsizing and me swallowing half the ocean, but it was well worth it, we had a great time!

Later that evening I decided we would try to smooth talk our way into one of the "nice" restaurants which you had to have reservations for (which for the record we DID try to make but had arrived to late on Friday). We had been placed on a "waiting list" but had been disregarded rather quickly from that, but when i had passed by, there were several empty tables. I decided that we would get dressed and try to talk our way in, explaining how we came late last night, had been put on the waiting list and were leaving tomorrow morning. The lady kept saying she understood but she quite obviously didnt because she just kept responding with "do you have a reservation?" Both matt and i eventually resorted to saying "no i dont think you do understand". It was quite funny. She left saying that she would have to ask her manager, yet while we were waiting another waiter came up and we gave him the same speech and he wrote us down and immediately showed us in. Matt and I just looked at each other, shocked, but quickly followed him as the previous lady begins yelling at the waiter. He ignored her and took us to a table! We were in and it had worked. We enjoyed our delicious Thai dinner over candlelight and wine. Matt decides he want to tip the guy who let us in and he was so excited to do the discreet handshake/money exchange. We were waiting for the right moment, we had rehearsed how to say thank you in spanish and in he went for the exchange only to say "por favor" (please) instead of thank you. I was cracking up and saying thank you to clarify... needless to say the handshake and exchange went well despite the miscommunication. Fortunately money speaks clearly even when our words dont!

We were feeling full of energy tonight so we headed to the nightly show (an african tribal dance like event) and enjoyed this from the front row. There was dancing, acrobatics, and flames. At one point i had gas land on my legs from the guys spewing gas/fire from their mouths.. we were that close! I thought i might become one of the attractions too. We then headed to the "disco" were we got the party started and i must add i think we were quite a hit with our swing dance moves! Its amazing how with just a few moves people think youre better than you really are! if they only knew better. We danced until we had blisters on our feet and then made the walk back to our place after stopping for a late night snack.

Next morning we ate breakfast and then headed out for our trip back to haiti via the citadel (northern haiti). We had our first real adventure riding into town. The 2 of us with our 2 bags crammed onto the back of a mototaxi (a small motorcycle). So picture 3 adults on this thing with the two on the back holding on for dear life... that should paint a pretty clear picture of how ridiculous we looked. We got to the bus station and bought a ticket for Santiago where we would catch the next bus to Dajabon the border city on the DR side. We arrived in Santiago around noon and went to buy the bus ticket but it was leaving until 3:30pm which would put us at the border after it closed. We finally figured out that there were smaller 'express' buses that left a few blocks away so we started walking that way. We were about a block from the station and bus pulls up (slowing slightly) yelling at us... we ran and hopped on and off we set on the 3 hour ride for $2. We got there and then caught another mototaxi to the border gates. We walked up and there were people jsut sitting around. The gates were closed and locked and we were quickly informed that we could not cross. Now i had read they will try to close early some days and not let you cross so i was geared up and ready to protest this. I started my on rampage and they quickly stopped me and said it was haiti who closed it because of the election. I quickly said taht we live in Haiti and we need to get back, they paused for a moment but no luck. I continued to press though because I thought it was because we were white/tourists, but they again said no one could get across. We finally retreated and found a hotel about 4 blocks away (after help from about 5 people following us)... we unfortunately didnt have enough pesos to pay for the hotel, as we had planned our money perfectly for leaving the DR today. We had 100 pesos left for the day/night and the hotel was 350 pesos ($10) so we began the complicated process of exchanging enough $ to pay for the hotel and dinner. This shouldnt have been so difficult but we only had large bills and didnt want to get stuck with a lot of pesos we didnt need. In the end it all worked out but getting a poor exchange rate, but what can you do! We paid for the room, settled in, went to eat, and then came back and went to bed. We were exhausted and had an early morning the next day, especially if we were going to have time to see the citadel and make it back to PAP at a safe hour.

Mondays are market day = chaos, as we quickly found out. The border is open and thousands of haitians come across to sell fruits, veggies, knickknacks and anything else anyone will buy. The town had transformed from a quiet place to complete chaos by the time we headed to the border. There were people everywhere and large carts being wheeled through the streets. We made it to the "border" and baiscally kept walking cause we didnt know where we were supposed to stop and get everything stamped. Eventually we were stopped (only because we stuck out like a sore thumb) and sent back to get a stamp and pay on the DR side. We then had to walk about 1/2 a mile to get to the very poorly marked Haiti immigation hut, but otherwise this went surprisingly smooth. We then caught our 3rd mototaxi of the trip (by this point im starting to feel more comfortable on it). Our driver dropped us off at the "bus station" which consisted of a school bus parked on a dirt road. We hopped on or i should say slowly squeezed our way on to the bus that had at least 3 people (adults) to every seat and then others standing in whatever small patch of open area was left. I had to sit on top of my bag because there was no space, which doesnt sound too bad but it was a 2.5 hour bumpy bus ride with my book (in the bag) poking me! haha! we made it to the junction we needed for the citadell and hopped off. We were offered a mototaxi again but it was a really bumpy dirt road and i had read there were tap taps that come along this road often so we decided to wait. We only had to wait about 1 minute and a school bus came flying along. We started running after it, eventually it stopped and started backing up down the road toward us. We hopped on and were off again. Time wise we were doing well with little down time between transfers but overall we were going to be cutting it close to get back to PAP. We arrived at Milot which is where you pay the entrance fee for the citadelle and rent a horse, start the hike or find a 4wd vehicle up to a parking lot area where you finish the hike to the top. They tried to tell us that there were no cars to the top and that we had to take a horse and i told them we dont have time to do that (its a 2+hour horse ride) eventually they told us we could take the mototaxi up... now i was starting to feel more comfortable on these things but that was all about to change. Eventually we all agree on a price and set out. Matt was on one and i was on a different one (both with drivers). Off we went up this winding, hairpin turn cobblestone path (if you can call it that) with pot holes everywhere. I thought i was going to die. I was holding on so tight i though my hands may fall off. Then there matt taunting my driver as they fly past us.... really do we need to race up this

thing? We finally make it to the parking area (thank goodness!) and start the 30 minute hike to the top as we're followed by more people telling us we need a horse to make it to the top (mind you its a cobblestone path, not a bushwhacking impassable route). They told us it would take 45 minutes by foot and 15 with a horse... in the end it took 20 minutes to walk with rest breaks. The further we went the less "helpers" we had following us and by the time we made it to the top we were down to just one persistent fellow. The whole way up we continued to tell him we didnt have any money and we werent going to pay him and this was conveyed in 3 different languages in which he responded "ok"

(in all 3 as well). We made up to the top, bought some water and started into the actual building (Still with the one persistent guy). The guy starts showing us around as though hes guiding us but is pointing out the obvious; "this is a cannon" "these are cannon balls", things that anyone with halfway normal vision and a brain could figure out. At this point he is just being annoying and so we just ignore him, but that was not going to deter him unfortunately. We continue on and start looking around and he yells at us to go a different way at which point matt tells him "look we paid our entrance fee and we have the right to look where ever we want, you are not our guide !and we told you that" Well the guy didnt like that too much and starts saying how we said

we would pay etc. Now im getting irritated and therefore involved and told him "No we told you multiple times we werent going to pay and that we didnt want a guide"! He starts a scene with the "officials" that work there but unfortunately for him we understood enough of what he was saying and Matt was able to tell the officials that what he was saying was untrue. That did the trick, the officials starting yelling at the guy and we just walked off! Always an adventure but unfortantely for Haiti and tourism that is what its always like here in this country. Its sad cause it only hurts their image and reputation, but i guess in thier mind when you have nothing you have nothing to lose. I am very empathatic to people in countries like this but this country is different in that there is NO relief from the constant badgering. Anyways, back to my story... We end up looking around and enjoying the fact that we dont have anyone annoying us now.

For more info on the citadel you can check out this: http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Citadelle_Laferri%C3%A8re

We were finishing up and about to head out and he comes wondering up again, this time with change.. matt had told him early the most he would pay him was 50gd but needed change, of course he had managed to find change....

We made our way back down the path and found the mototaxis waiting for us. It had just started sprinkling by the time we got on the mototaxi's, and I would be lying if i said that didnt make me even more nervous. It was bad enough on the way up, but going down, flying out of control on slick wet rocks just didnt seem like the definition of safe to me.... but there was only one way down on our time schedule. So on I hopped holding on for dear life. Fortunately my driver was more cautious than matts. Matt had to stop and wait for us several times, but believe me I was quite alright with that! We made it down alive and were beckoned over to the ticket desk again. They were trying to sell us a motortaxi ride to Cap Haitian (where we catch the bus to PAP) for $10 a person, mind you we paid about 55cents a person for the ride in. We declined at which point someone tells us his friend can take us in for a small fee. We turn to see a black suv with tinted windows pull up and the driver begins talking to Matt. Apparently he is drunk and is holding a martini glass by his side... needless to say we kindly decline and walk the other way immediately! I went to look at the palace san souci while matt rested.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sans-Souci_Palace)

I had several young helpers for this one too... They actually stopped hassling me for money after about 3 times of telling them i didnt have any, they agreed to stop hassling if i would take their picture. I'll attach pics, theyre actually pretty funny!

We caught a tap tap toward Cap Haitien and decided on the way to check out the airport and see if there were any flights back to PAP since in was already 2:30 and that would put us back in PAP via bus around 9pm at the earliest which we werent to keen about. We were dropped off about a .25 mile from the airport and walked the rest of the way. We walked in and quickly found out that the last flight was leaving in 15 minutes for $95 a person. We were ecstatic until we went to pay and they said the didnt have any sheets for us to pay by credit card. Well we definitely didnt have $190 cash on us. I went to talk to the one other company that flew from this airport to PAP but they didnt have anymore flights leaving today. Matt had been talking to the original company while i was doing this and they had figured out someway to pay via credit card. We paid and literally walked onto the plane. Im not going to lie it was wonderful not to have to sit on a crammed bus for 7 hours in the heat.. in 30 minutes we were in PAP and enjoying our first food of the day! We were also very lucky that we had new roommates arriving into Haiti today at 4:30 so we had a ride already at the airport waiting for us when we landed and we were able to greet our new roommates! It couldnt have worked out any more perfectly.. well except of course not getting stuck at the border overnight! Although we definitely would not have had the same adventure if we hadnt. Im sure i left out some details but i know this is way to long as it is... A shorter version may be read on matts blog at Doctorgoodwin.blogspot.com... of course this probably would have been better placed at the beginning of my blog! haha. Well i hope reading this brings a smile to some one's face today, if for no other reason that thinking... Jeez that girls crazy!

Matt and Med school

On a postive and exciting note we found out on thursday we may not have to eat ramon and tuna fish for 4 years in NYC. I was working on my research project presentation when Matt came up to me looking like someone had died! He very solemly asked me what I was doing and I told him nothing that couldnt wait. He told me he had just recieved his financial aid package from Cornell. We had both been braced for the worst due to several circumstance that arose this year, we totally expected to recieve less than last year. To both of our surprises he got about double! We are so fortunate and this will allow us to live with a little bit less of a financial crunch.. especially with the economy the way it is right now! So of course we had to celebrate and since our resources are limited here we walked down the Hill and got some pizza and Matt a beer! Sadly even if the situation was different I have a feeling thats exactly what he would have wanted... well maybe a Brick OVen pizza!

Random shots from Hash and Port-au-Prince

The rain wall that got us!

Round two

Well for all those brave souls who made it through the first novel.. ill try to keep this one a little shorter.
I was able to return to the TB hospital and work with Linda again. This time I was able to teach her some one handed dressing techniques (thanks to the many hours of working side by side with the best Occupational Therapist(OT) ever!) She was grinning ear to ear by the end but was also exhausted. I let here rest until lunch time and then we "walked" to the table where several of the patients eat lunch. She did much better than I expected as the previous visit she wasn't even able to stand! Unfortunately all this hard work wore her out and that put and end to our work together (despite my continual asking if she wants to do more... a true therapist doesn't let no stop her! :))

Matt returned from an eventful trip to Seattle on Sunday and was sad to leave his burgers and chips behind! We made a walk down (and back up) "the Hill" for ice cream and pizza... well worth the sweat and increased heart rate!
This week began with me actually getting a response from Healing Hands (the organization at which i am trying to volunteer) but it was from an email that was sent in march...hahah. so at this rate ill get a response to my current emails right about the time we move to NYC! Im still hopeful but with each day that passes my optimism fades a little more. I am contemplating returning early since I am not being utilized at all and spend many boring days sitting around AND there is a house in AL that needs to be packed and apartment in NYC waiting to be discovered as my new home. Ill keep you all posted on this, but for now I will continue to be hopeful.
Thursday on the way home from work we stopped to buy some fruit on the street corner(a corner we always shop at). Ive been wanting a watermelon since i arrived here but they've wanted $5-6 for a small one. Meanwhile I had heard you could buy them for much cheaper by the beach. We had actually just had a conversation with a Haitian that had bought one on the same corner for $2.50. So the bargaining began and she just laughed when Matt told her we wanted it for 2.50. He then told her a friend had bought one here for that price.. again she laughed and shook her head like "you're crazy!" He then said that his friend was Haitian and he wanted the Haitian price not the white price. At this all the bystanders and her burst out laughing- not quite the response either of us expected but we joined in too! This was quite effective and we were successful in our purchase ($3 and we probably could have gotten it down to $2.50 but we were so happy to get the Haitian price we went with it! The laughs alone were worth the extra 50 cents
Im making a special shout out here to Doris... THANK YOU for the hand sanitizer and gloves... they have been well utilized! Matt the other day turned to me and said out the blue "we need to tell Doris thanks for this" and I agree.... hopefully she will read this as she avoids computers like the plague.
Ok well back me.. haha... This weekend we went out on our typical weekend shopping trip but this week shopping for 3. We have a guest from Cornell coming to stay for the week. This means we stocked up... well things got exciting Sunday afternoon when all the sudden the power cut off. This is typical in Haiti but not where we live as there are 3 different sources (Haitian power, generator, and battery). Typically this would be no problem but we just spend 80 in groceries... so of course we were trying to figure out how to fix the problem. So Im at home today waiting for "them" to come by.. when you ask? I have no idea... I'm just waiting. Its amazing anything gets done here with schedules like this! :)