Through the Lake
We left at 5:30 this morning. Edwidge (the Child Sponsorship treasurer) came to campus. Pastor Walliere was not able to find somebody to fill in for him at Belaire so he could not come. We picked up Pastor Lucien around 6:15 and headed out of town via the "Military Road" that enters Cite Soleil. We had been advised not to take anything we didn't want to loose to roadside gangs. Some of our acquaintances had been stopped at barricades and 'asked' for food or money.
The road from Port-au-Prince to L'Estere was its usual bruising self. In St. Marc we passed a convoy of Uruguayan UN trucks. They were escorting a bus load of Cuban doctors.
There is a short climb out of L'Estere up past that large cemetery and the La Croix intersection. From La Croix the road slowly descends into the valley know as Savanne Desolate sp? As we began the slow descent from La Croix we could see that the entire valley floor had become a lake.
We pulled in behind about 4 vehicles which were just setting out into the lake. As you recall the road-bed is raised several feet above the surroundings. Vehicles which had strayed too far to the left or right were there to stay. Even a large truck with a crane for hoisted stranded vehicles, the engine still running, had strayed too far to the right and could not get back onto the road way.
The water rose quickly to the top of the wheel wells and started seeping into Carisa's side of the car. I could not believe that the car kept running at the depth we were in. The first car in the 'convoy' stalled. I was sure he had hired a guide, but what about the next two? We had not picked up a guide as we planned to simply following the vehicle in front of us. I had not considered where we would be with out the lead car. A few minutes later the second car stalled. We moved around it, praying that we were passing on the side that had road bed underneath. At no point could we see the roadbed through the brown water so we just followed the remaining pickup ahead and prayed.
Carisa was videoing, Pastor Lucien and Edwidge were praying in muted tones for most of the entire transit. Passing the stalled car proved to be easy work compared to meeting oncoming camions. Suddenly we were sharing this invisible roadway with enormous road hogs determined not to be the next ones over the edge and into the canals. The combined height of our bow waves pushed water momentarily up to the top of our fenders. We were in the 'lake' traveling steadily for 25 minutes. I am wondering how long this road will be useful as several spots seemed a bit 'mushy'. Once the road bed softens, it will not be useable. The road from the new lake to Gonaives was dry and potholed, as usual.
The road from Port-au-Prince to L'Estere was its usual bruising self. In St. Marc we passed a convoy of Uruguayan UN trucks. They were escorting a bus load of Cuban doctors.
There is a short climb out of L'Estere up past that large cemetery and the La Croix intersection. From La Croix the road slowly descends into the valley know as Savanne Desolate sp? As we began the slow descent from La Croix we could see that the entire valley floor had become a lake.
We pulled in behind about 4 vehicles which were just setting out into the lake. As you recall the road-bed is raised several feet above the surroundings. Vehicles which had strayed too far to the left or right were there to stay. Even a large truck with a crane for hoisted stranded vehicles, the engine still running, had strayed too far to the right and could not get back onto the road way.
The water rose quickly to the top of the wheel wells and started seeping into Carisa's side of the car. I could not believe that the car kept running at the depth we were in. The first car in the 'convoy' stalled. I was sure he had hired a guide, but what about the next two? We had not picked up a guide as we planned to simply following the vehicle in front of us. I had not considered where we would be with out the lead car. A few minutes later the second car stalled. We moved around it, praying that we were passing on the side that had road bed underneath. At no point could we see the roadbed through the brown water so we just followed the remaining pickup ahead and prayed.
Carisa was videoing, Pastor Lucien and Edwidge were praying in muted tones for most of the entire transit. Passing the stalled car proved to be easy work compared to meeting oncoming camions. Suddenly we were sharing this invisible roadway with enormous road hogs determined not to be the next ones over the edge and into the canals. The combined height of our bow waves pushed water momentarily up to the top of our fenders. We were in the 'lake' traveling steadily for 25 minutes. I am wondering how long this road will be useful as several spots seemed a bit 'mushy'. Once the road bed softens, it will not be useable. The road from the new lake to Gonaives was dry and potholed, as usual.
posted by Blowers Family in Haiti at 12:26 AM
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