arriving in haiti

Well, I have arrived in Haiti after a whirlwind week of traveling, seeing friends and family, the Blue Jean Ball, etc.  Just heard the BJB raised about 77,000 dollars for women in Tanzania.  That is amazing.  It made me teary a bit seeing people spend so much money, still knowing what a little it was for them compared to the women it was going to.

Anyway, Haiti, as you might be noticing is actually (surprisingly) so far more technology friendly than Tanzania.  Still, it was sobering, as expected, to fly in yesterday.  Just from the aircraft, I could see areas of flimsy homes that were flooded from rain over the last few days and areas of homes built on top of homes for as far as I could see.  Delson Meriser is the OB Gyn who works here.  He met me at the airport and I got a colorful tour of Port au Prince.  There are people everywhere, mostly trying to sell something small in the street to make a bit of money since there are not that many jobs.  We drove past the presidential palace which looks a bit like the White House and down a street which Delson said was extremely dangerous 4 or 5 years ago with hijacking a frequent occurrence.  The lack of sanitation struck me yet again with sewers packed with garbage running into the ocean which is at level with some of the homes.  Anyway, he brought me to a great restaurant called 5 coins where I ate roasted and then fried pork and goat along with some hot sauce and onions, green beans, fried plantains and some sort of hush puppy type of thing that was the best I have ever had.  Anyway, it was delicious: mildly spicy, vinegary, greasy.  What more could you ask for....Except three hours later Delson's wife cooked fried fish and black rice....also very good.   I went to bed at 7pm very stuffed.

Delson invited me to stay with his family for a few days while I am waiting for the rest of the team to come join me in the other guest house.  I have a beautiful room, balcony and wireless internet!!!.  Anyway, I also got to go for a run with another OB Gyn resident who is here for a few more days so that was nice.

Today, I am hoping to meet up with my translator for the month.  Also, I am hoping to get 1-2 women who can help lead my focus groups and figure out the final translations for my questions and consent forms...I hope this all works out.  In the mean-time, I am going to be seeing the clinic and the cervical cancer screening that is going on for the next two weeks.