Karibe Hotel

The staff at GLA recognized that it had been a rough week.  Many of the babies had been sick, as well as some of the volunteers.  The weather had been gloomy and rainy.  We had lost power, water and internet for a while.  To boost morale, the head volunteers (who have been here several years) arranged a trip to a hotel for us to go swimming for the day on Saturday.  It was definitely a highlight of my trip. 

The Karibe Hotel in Petionville is nothing like the Haiti you see on the news.  It felt as though we had been transported to a resort in the Dominican Republic or some other Caribbean destination.  Tall palm trees swayed in the breeze.  Lime trees and avocado trees lined the walkways.  The hotel itself was a sight to behold.  Beautiful architecture; stained-glass sun motifs decorated the ceilings and floors.  Waterfalls cascaded over painted stones and tiles into pools surrounded by greenery.  A tropical paradise.  As we strolled through the lobby and out the back doors (which were actually open archways), a decorative stairway led to a crystal blue swimming pool with a swim-up bar.  Could this really be Haiti?

I heard one of the staff at GLA comment that there is no middle class in Haiti - you’re either rich or you’re poor.  This was abundantly evident in the contrast between Petionville, a richer suburb of Port-au-Prince, and the scene I first saw from the air before landing last Monday (see my blog post from June 21 for a picture). 

After slathering our skin with sun block, we all swam for a while, and then lounged in the sun to dry off before lunch.  The restaurant was nearly full, and there were 13 of us, so the hotel staff served us our food on the pool deck.  I ordered a vegetarian lasagne and ate in the shade of a large umbrella covering the table.  I hadn’t eaten much in the past 24 hours, so I was famished.  I had to pace myself because I wasn’t sure how my stomach would react, but the spinach lasagne was perfect!

After lunch, some of us wandered the grounds, taking pictures and marvelling at the landscaping.  The hotel also boasts a spa and a gift shop! So, of course, we found a way to help out the Haitian economy a little more (read: buy more souvenirs).  I purchased some hand-made bracelets crafted by Haitian artisans who use the proceeds to rise out of poverty and provide for their families.  Many of them live in tents and have large families to support.  Check out www.apparentproject.org for details.  The gift shop was, of course, much pricier than the street market, and the prices were non-negotiable.  I considered buying a necklace as well, but couldn’t bring myself to pay quadruple what I knew they sold for on the street.  Unfortunately, I won’t make it back to the Baptist Mission to do any more shopping before I head home on Monday (GLA volunteers go every other Saturday). 

We left the hotel about 4:00, in time to eat supper at the Main House.  The truck ride back to GLA was an adventure.  So far, I had avoided riding in the pickup truck with benches in the back and a 4-foot cage around the sides to keep its passengers from falling out! But this was the only transportation home, so I climbed into the bed and hung on for dear life.  I have often marvelled at the fact that there aren’t more motor vehicle accidents in Haiti.  People rarely wear seat belts , there are no car seats for kids, and motorcycle helmets are virtually nonexistent.  Makes me shudder, just thinking about it. 

Here are some pictures of the day. By the way, the drink in my hand is a fresh-squeezed mango smoothie!

This morning I went to both the Haitian and the American church again.  It’s been raining off and on, so it will probably be another lazy Sunday afternoon.  Lunch is about to be served.  I’m not sure if I’ll get to publish anything else before I leave tomorrow afternoon, so I may write my next post in the Miami airport during my three-hour layover, or from my hotel room in Orlando.  Until next time...