Monday, Monday

Friday was for flying. 6:30am from Ft. Lauderdale means leaving at 9:30am with arrival directly in Cap-Haitien. A 12 seat turbo-prop means passengers get to know each other quickly, if not already from the waiting in the airport. {As a "blan" I find that soon I have a "new best friend" and that most Haitians report being "related"}

Cap-Haitien has been cut-off from the south, all the bridges to Port-au-Prince, Gonaive, and Hinche were washed out by Ike. Fortunate for the north, there are ports and supplies come in.
Right now there is food, but no diesel or gasoline. All the gas stations are closed and the black-market price for gasoline is over $12.50 American/gallon or $80.00 Haitien/gallon. Consider the impact in a nation where the average income is under $400 American/year - about $3,000 Haitian/year. Hustlers sell "fuel" by the gallon alongside the road, waving a tea colored liquid while shouting the latest price at each passerby. Most often the fuel has been watered down, then colored, causing ruin to many engines. Even the mayor of Cap-Haitien lost his motor to bad gas!

On Sunday, the food boats arrived in the northern ports. It was a great feeling to see truck-after-truck, pilled high with 50lb bags or rice. They were lined up along the roads ready to head off for distribution in the town markets.

Yet, Gonaive sits waiting, the water slowly receding. 300,000 growing more hungry. We hear that there is food in there, in the warehouses, but no one distributes it. Some say "it is the water," others that "it is too dangerous," and most often I hear "it is the politics, always the politics."

All schools have been ordered not to open until Monday, 10/6, put off from 9/8. At first the delay was due to the "cyclone," now I suspect that it is the "finances." In either case, it is one more month with all the students waiting and precious little to do - there is simply no work.

As an educator, I know that this is month missed out which will not be made up.