First Day In Jacmel

We all were feeling a bit under the weather this morning after a night of too many rum sours. Morning came way too soon and the idea of having to pack up all our hockey bags and personal stuff seemed a bit overwhelming for all of us. Karen and I took turns giggling at each other but once we ate breakfast, most of us felt better. Caryn, wasn't so lucky. The boat ride back to Les Cayes left her throwing up off the back of the boat and after taking a Gravol, she slept most of the 4 hour drive to Jacmel. The drive went well. Driving through the mountains is dangerous and always a bit nerve-wrecking but our drivers are wonderful and always work hard to keep us safe.

It was great to get back to Jacmel and stay at the Cyvadier, a beautiful hotel just outside the main city of Jacmel. Christophe, the ower, always makes a great effort to ensure we are comfortable when staying with him. The food is exceptional, and I was excited to have the lobster again after waiting for it for a whole year!! Lobster and Pristige beer go together very well! We haven't had a day off yet between work days and travel days, so next weekend will be welcomed with a few days at the end of our trip to do some shopping and relaxation. We barely sat down to order dinner when Adrian let me know that a young man and his girlfriend had been in a moto accident and were hurt badly, so we all went off to see what we could do. His leg/ankle looked broken but he refused to accept that or to allow me to splint it and I bandaged a fairly large wound along his shin of his right leg. His girlfriend had a large superficial cut up the back of her leg and serious "roadrash" to her bum. I didn't think that I'd be providing first aid to other guests of the hotel, but if you can help than that's what we do. In a short period of time, Karen was also able to arrange for the two of them to be seen for an orthopedic consult by the doctor (Fred) who has been at Pazapa all week determining which children he will provide surgery to when he returns early in 2012. He has been coming to Haiti for over 20 years. I was very impressed with our team tonight, and it made me realize again how awesome my teammates are!!

For the next three days, I will be working on my own at a walk-in clinic run by CCH (Coalition for the Children of Haiti) which I am looking forward to. So, until tomorrow, I am going to enjoy my cold Pristige while I listen to the waves of the ocean crash against the rocks while watching the sunset with my teammates. Once again, I feel grateful to be working with such a great team and to be in a place that has a way of making you want to stay.