Thursday, March 12, 2009
On Tuesday morning we visited a group of metal artists who take metal, like the top of a steel barrel and first draw the design or scene they want to work on. They do the initial drawing with chalk. Then they begin the long and tedious work of cutting and hammering the design into the metal. I purchased a few pieces that you will all be able to see when I get back. We had a sandwich for lunch and then began the long trip to Les Cayes.
During this drive we had mountains on both sides of us. It was very obvious how the forests have been stripped of the wood. It's very easy to see how mud slides happen when the rains come.
There is one road from PAP to Les Cayes. During one of the hurricanes a lake took on so much water and the water never went down. The bridge crossing that lake is no longer usable so they began construction on a new road. This was a slow and dusty portion of the trip.
Until they paved the road to Les Cayes the trip would take 10 hours. Our trip took 5 hours but that was only due to the slow process of traveling the new construction.
It is fascinating to see how the traffic moves as there are no street signs, stop signs or traffic lights. You merge and honk your horn to let someone know you are coming behind them. Crossing traffic is basically edging out until someone stops and lets you cross. On the road you will find bicycles, motor cycles, cars, buses, large construction trucks, "tap taps" which is their version of taxis. I hope the photos of these turned out. Each one is a piece of art. The colors and designs vary but many times across the back you will read "Thank You Jesus" or perhaps reference to a Bible verse. The name tap tap comes from the fact that when you want to get off the vehicle, which could be a small truck or as large as a bus, you tap on the metal so the driver knows to let you off.
Many buildings in the residential areas remain half built. Often the building progresses as you earn enough money to put up more of the building. These are cement or block structures.
Most of the towns or villages often have one or two vendors. A bank might be a building as large as a Wisconsin sturgeon fishing shack. Pharmacies and radiology services are off-site. We parked downtown PAP while two of our team members went in to purchase drugs needed for the clinic. It took an incredibly long time but we did see a woman with clothes underneath come out with a patient gown over her clothes. Where she was going, we don't know.
As we got closer to Les Cayes the beautiful beaches of the ocean began to appear. It's so beautiful. It's difficult to understand how there can be beauty on one side and desolation on the other. But the wood is needed to cook and it is a source of income for some. So many contrasts were seen along the way.
I slept like a rock that night.
During this drive we had mountains on both sides of us. It was very obvious how the forests have been stripped of the wood. It's very easy to see how mud slides happen when the rains come.
There is one road from PAP to Les Cayes. During one of the hurricanes a lake took on so much water and the water never went down. The bridge crossing that lake is no longer usable so they began construction on a new road. This was a slow and dusty portion of the trip.
Until they paved the road to Les Cayes the trip would take 10 hours. Our trip took 5 hours but that was only due to the slow process of traveling the new construction.
It is fascinating to see how the traffic moves as there are no street signs, stop signs or traffic lights. You merge and honk your horn to let someone know you are coming behind them. Crossing traffic is basically edging out until someone stops and lets you cross. On the road you will find bicycles, motor cycles, cars, buses, large construction trucks, "tap taps" which is their version of taxis. I hope the photos of these turned out. Each one is a piece of art. The colors and designs vary but many times across the back you will read "Thank You Jesus" or perhaps reference to a Bible verse. The name tap tap comes from the fact that when you want to get off the vehicle, which could be a small truck or as large as a bus, you tap on the metal so the driver knows to let you off.
Many buildings in the residential areas remain half built. Often the building progresses as you earn enough money to put up more of the building. These are cement or block structures.
Most of the towns or villages often have one or two vendors. A bank might be a building as large as a Wisconsin sturgeon fishing shack. Pharmacies and radiology services are off-site. We parked downtown PAP while two of our team members went in to purchase drugs needed for the clinic. It took an incredibly long time but we did see a woman with clothes underneath come out with a patient gown over her clothes. Where she was going, we don't know.
As we got closer to Les Cayes the beautiful beaches of the ocean began to appear. It's so beautiful. It's difficult to understand how there can be beauty on one side and desolation on the other. But the wood is needed to cook and it is a source of income for some. So many contrasts were seen along the way.
I slept like a rock that night.
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