Trip back to Haiti!

After spending three wonderful, relaxing days in Santo Domingo, it was time to head back to Port-au-Prince. Once again, I headed to the airport to catch a UN charter flight. However, instead of hopping aboard a 12-seater plane, we were greeted by something else: a Russian helicopter, complete with angry Russian crew.

Highlights:

- As I was the last person to board, I was drew the short straw when it came to getting the necessary noise-cancelling headphones....which led to the following exchange:

Me (to the Russian pilot): Umm, are there any more?

Angry Russian pilot: No, there are no more. And yes, you will be quite uncomfortable. It will be very loud. Bad luck for you, no?

Me: Thanks. (You don't argue with a Russian helicopter pilot)

Luckily for me, I brought along my iPod and bose headphones. In your face, Russia!

Our charriott awaits. Nothing inspires confidence like a Soviet era, Russian piloted helicopter.

Me and Valerie, my lovely Czech neighbor. Gotta love the UN.

When Russians tell you not to smoke, they mean it.

Tight quarters, again.

Arriving back at the UN in Port-au-Prince.

Trip to the DR

Greetings! Things have been calm (relatively speaking, of course) at the University of Miami hospital here in PaP lately. No huge emergencies, no flooding, and most importantly, no fires. Unfortunately, things in the city have not. There have been a myriad of protests in the past two weeks....against the government, for the reinstatement of former President Aristide, against the UN forces, etc. Sporadic violence has been reported but nothing serious. Let's hope it stays that way!

I took the opportunity last weekend to catch a UN-chartered flight to the Dominican Republic for a couple days of R&R. We flew in a single propeller, 12-seater plane and were at a very low altitude the entire time....great for taking pictures. Here are some of the pictures from the flight:

Our plane...complete with Mexican crew!

Tight quarters.

This beautiful lake sits on the border of Haiti and the DR.

Earthquake fault. This is the fault line from January 12. When it rains, it becomes a river.

Flying over the DR. Notice the lush, green vegetation largely absent in Haiti.

Dinner at Hotel Oloffson

Sometimes the fast pace nature of life here at the Project Medishare hospital is just a bit too much. In times like these, we need to get out and relax at one of the few places in Port-au-Prince where that is possible. Recently a group of us had dinner at the Hotel Oloffson, the oldest and best hotel here. It was built in the "Gothic Gingerbread" style in the 1800s and has hosted plenty of celebrities over the years, including Mick Jagger and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was a much needed escape and a completely different world from the rest of the city!

From left to right: Judy, Sam, Eric, Me, and Amy

Typical Haitian Artwork

Sam and our unexpected dinner guest, the hotel mascot

Jason, Asram, Kendra, and I

Me and Eric

Pictures

Hi All! My apologies for the lack of updates, but all is well here in Port-au-Prince. Here are a few pictures from the crazy night we had recently.

Patients in the parking lot....at midnight

Moving patients outside

Moving patients back inside with the assistance of the U.S. Army

Still moving

Finally, all 100 patients inside!

Back in the Saddle

Greetings All! After a much needed R&R trip to Florida, I am now back in Port-au-Prince. After an uneventful arrival on the evening of Saturday May 1, I was ready for a lazy Sunday. Nature, however, had other plans.

At about 6pm, the strongest thunderstorm to hit Haiti in the past 6 weeks began. For over two hours we were besieged by heavy rain, thunder, lightning, and strong winds. Several of us spent our time working on recently installed water pumps that were not cooperating. After hours in knee-deep mud and water, the rain stopped. Then things got interesting.

A small electrical fire completely fried our electrical panel (likely caused by a lightning strike) and sent smoke billowing into the OR, ICU, NICU, PICU, and pediatric tent. Chaos ensued. We were able to evacuate all patients into the parking lot, along with their family members and belongings. We were able to cut off the generator and kill power to the tent.

Five minutes passed, and we saw smoke billowing from the other tent, which houses adult patients. Once again, chaos ensued. Everyone worked like crazy to evacuate the adult patients. At 10pm, we completely ceased to be a functioning hospital. All of our patients were outside, in a parking lot, with absolutely no protection from the elements. Once again, we killed power to the affected areas.

After spending 4-5 hours cleaning, organizing, and completely re-wiring the adult tent, we moved all patients back indoors. Luckily, a team of U.S. Army soldiers arrived and assisted with the process. All in all, it was a hectic, horrible, yet amazing experience. Unfortunately we lost one young child who was connected to a ventilator. Given the circumstances, things could have been much, much worse.

I'll post photos soon!

Colombianos!

At times, the diversity of the international peacekeeping force here in Port-au-Prince can be overwhelming. While mostly consisting of Brazilian, Jordanian, Chilean, and Argentine forces, there are small contingents from every country imaginable.

I was lucky enough to meet some Colombian soldiers that operate a small, basic hospital here. They were in need of supplies, and we were happy to oblige. Unfortunately I never made it to their base to enjoy a nice "sancocho", but took full advantage of the opportunity to practice Spanish!

Visit to Cite Soleil

I was lucky enough to visit the home of one of our best workers, and a good friend, Junior Lerolien. His family lives in Cite Soleil, which is regarded as the largest slum in the Western hemisphere, and the most dangerous place in Haiti. We, however, were treated like kings. In addition to enjoying some amazing fried fish and plantains, we toured Cite Soleil and managed to make plenty of friends along the way.

To keep the experience authentic, we left in a "tap-tap", which is the common mode of public transportation in Haiti. It is basically a pickup truck with two benches and a roof on the bed.