Moira on the road

Have arrived safe and sound in Jacmel after a long flight and lay-over in Miami.
The first thing I noticed when I woke up here the following morning, before opening my eyes, is that it smells exactly like Santo Domingo. It's a quality of the air, the combination of heat and humidity, or maybe something else altogether, but with my eyes closed, my mind went back to mornings in my apartment in Calle Ramon Santana 15. Every place has a distinctive fragrance, and I can't explain it more than I could explain the subtle shade of a colour, but I can smell it. This island is one.

It seems a whole life has passed in between my Dominican days and my Haitian ones. Who I was then and who I am now. All the things that happened, the people I met, the places I saw (brief moment of nostalgia over lost innocence ensues).

Jacmel is quiet and cozy, I couldn't see much yet but I feel comfortable here. The delegation house is nice, the colleagues are all very friendly, and I have already found a jogging partner. Everything is going well. Except throwing a whole caffettiera on myself the first morning, sweating profusely from dawn to dusk, trying to figure out the right thing to do about an offer I received a few days ago, I'd say this is almost like a holiday!

The colours of the Caribbean

Yesterday with my colleague F. we went to the cholera treatment centre for some work. There were five people being treated. A man who was accompanying his son talked with us for a while and explained that from their home, they passed two treatment centres and both centres were at full capacity so they could not admit his son. I don't know how many hours they walked until Jacmel but I think at least 5 or 6. According to the latest estimations, another 118,000 cases are expected this year. It's a huge epidemic and it shows no signs of reducing. Since october 2010, there have been more than 650,000 registered cases of cholera (which means that the non registered ones were many many more)

Maternity ward of the hospital

The entry of the cholera treatment centre

Mesaj prevansyon pou lite kont kolera

Cholera beds (and samples)

Today is a new (sweaty) day and here we go, getting ready for all the good things it will bring and finding a frog in the sink to wish me good morning!

Hello to you little frog!

And good morning (or good afternoon) to you all!