One month from tomorrow, I'll be sitting on an airplane, heading to my latest HFH build in Brazil. I'm soooo excited for my upcoming adventure, but before I get wrapped up in visa applications and Amazon trek guidebooks, I want to take some time again to reflect on last November's trip to Haiti. Want to join me? I promise that it won't be like your uncle's typical slideshow!
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| our chartered plane to Port-Au-Prince courtesy of Delta |
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| just outside Port-Au-Prince airport |
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| tent camp outside airport & presidential billboard |
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| no infrastructure |
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| creative businessmen |
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| on the road to Leogane |
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| so many people standing everywhere! |
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| Haitian transportation: tap taps |
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| dismal living conditions |
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| not sure what he's selling, but love the creativity |
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| market in Port-Au-Prince |
Our home for the week was a compound of tents surrounded by high wall with barbed wire. It was fantastic. Really!
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| our camp in Leogane |
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| tents everywhere |
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| Tent #6 roomies |
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| cots & itchy netting in tents |
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| we had sinks |
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| and showers (HUGE spiders were a bonus) |
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| water tanks in camp |
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| the dining hall |
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| Irish dinners served by Haven, a fantastic Irish NGO |
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| the school next door to our camp...notice the barbed wire! |
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| drop-off at school |
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| rocking his uniform |
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| recess |
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| Add caption |
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| on the road to the build site |
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| barbed wire was everywhere! |
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| washing & bathing in the river |
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| or an open pipe |
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| remains of a building |
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| ash and dust covered everything |
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| lots of small rubble still to be cleaned up |
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| some roadside businesses |
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| They were sitting sooo close to the road! |
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| more Haitian transportation |
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| the stairs to nowhere |
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| makeshift homes along the way |
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| a huge community of tent homes sprang up near the build site when word of the project got out |
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| future homeowners |
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| my street address growing up and our house number for the build...It was meant to be! |
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| At the build site, we found lots of lumber |
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| and hurricane clips and nails |
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| and water bottles with electrolyte powder |
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| and the water cooler (!) |
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| and interesting scaffolding |
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| and lots of siding |
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| and lots of security |
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| As I said, there was lots of security! |
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| There were goats to chase |
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| and sugar cane to gnaw on |
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| but once we met the future homeowners |
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| and neighborhood kids |
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| we got right to work, |
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| literally raising the roof! |
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| Day 1 |
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| Day 2 |
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| Day 3 |
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| Day 4 |
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| Day 5 |
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| The House Dedication |
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| Sad to be leaving the build site on the last day, we knew that soon it would look like |
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| this |
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| and this |
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| and this! |
It wasn't all work and no play, though. HFH knew that we would need something to take our minds off all we had seen, so in the evenings they arranged for
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| a fireside chat with the Carters. JC is as sharp as a tack! |
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| A little concert from Garth and Trisha (who were building during the day), |
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| Irish bonfire sing-alongs |
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| crazy fire dancers |
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| and an outdoor pub hosted by the Irish crew |
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| enjoying some Prestige |
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| hanging with the Secret Service....No scandals on this trip! |
All too soon, it was time to leave our things
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| donations left behind |
and fly back home.
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shaking JC's hand again!
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