This is the bus that transported us and our gear to Haiti from the Dominican Republic
L -> R: Melanie, Blair, Will
Our hotel on Coco Playa. Beautiful beach setting.
Coco Playa
This piece of paper in the window allowed us to blow through the border without being stopped/harassed
One of our rooms in the hotel on Coco Playa
Blair doing a quick inspection on the facilities.
The incomparable Mark Welker with a shopping cart full of water and a few construction supplies.
Sheldon, Mark, and Vanessia's (the bus driver) daughter who helped us find everything we needed.
Brian supervises the unloading of the cart to make sure we got everything.
Typical apartment buildings in Santo Domingo
The team loaded up on the bus. Vanessia (far left) is the bus owner/customs expert. Mark, Blair, Sheldon, and Mark.
The Temple in Santo Domingo.
Mark y el templo.
And Blair
The team, right before starting the grueling 8-hour drive to Port-au-Prince. Blair, Paul, Sheldon, Mark, and Brian.
One final stop at a proper hardware store for tools and materials before leaving Santo Domingo. Mark and Sheldon's spanish skills were invaluable here.
Sheldon, Brian, and Mark talking through the list of supplies and materials.
Brian approves of this guy's motorcycle seat cover. Couldn't tell you who she is, but she is rather attractive.
Typical home in one of the small towns near the border.
The lake separating Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Another shot of the small town near the border.
Blurry shot of some dudes hanging out.
... and another small home in this town.
... and another
... and another. While these are quite poor by U.S. standards, you'll see they are far superior to most of the homes in Haiti.
My spanish isn't good, but these guys sell stuff.
Not much to do in a Dominican border town other than watch some TV.
Getting close now, as we begin to go around the edge of the lake.
And now we're on the Haitian side. This guy is fishing in the lake and pulling out 4-5 inch long fish. Pretty meager catch.
Typical rural housing in this Haiti border village.
A typical roadside market stand.
This goat is trying to find something to eat. Notice that there isn't really anything green around.
Believe it or not, we ate dinner here. And it tasted good. And we didn't get sick.
Mark and Blair enjoying the Mayi Moulen from the roadside restaurant.
This river has a name, but I don't know what it is. We called it Rivyè Fatra (River of trash). The principal waste disposal strategy is to chuck stuff in the river and let it wash out to sea when it rains. You'll notice all the shanties right up against the river bank.
Our tents in Bishop Jules' yard.
In bishop Jules' yard, talking to a couple of the kids.
Bishop Jules' kids (the little ones) and his nephews.
These guys thought jumping rope was cool.
Mark coaching the guys on prepping the forms. We were casing a bond beam over the top of all the walls and corners to create a rigid structure and hold all the walls in place.
Brian and Julien getting the first forms put into place.
This house collapsed completely flat under the weight of its concrete roof. This was a very typical sight.
Stanley, Pouchon, and "the assistant."
Sheldon and Mark checking out this collapsed house with the guys.
This tree is the only thing preventing the neighbor's house from crushing this one.
Notice how close these two homes are together and how the wall of the home on the left has fallen in on its neighbor.
The team walking down the street in a Croix des Missions neighborhood.
Jean Louis ("Iron Man") and Stanley about to get medieval on some rebar.
Mark, Sheldon, and Brian are impressed by Jean Louis' handiwork.
It won't take much to finish the job and have this one fall in too.
Junior shows us all how to mix concrete. This guy is a horse.
Doing a little demo at this site. The exterior walls on the house fell in, we offered to help the owners get this rebuilt.
There was so much rubble there was hardly any room to work.
Waste management strategy - same river a few miles upstream.
More shanties right on the river bank.
Seems odd to see this in a city setting, but this is a very common sight.
One of many tent cities. These are constructed mostly using tarps and scraps of wood.
Another shot of the same tent city. It is quite large.
These folks are sleeping under sheets, sticks and anything else they could find.
Neighborhood kid and his favorite toy.
Attempt to re-use some of the rubble.
Frère Policap's house. The previous Sak Plen team rebuilt this one.
Out in Croix des Bouquets. City now encroaching on what was historically farm land.
Pretty typical treatment for walls outside nicer homes.
Can you tell this one is leaning?
Another home crushed under the weight of its roof.
Mark getting everything tidied up with the forms.
Junior tightening up.
Sheldon getting ready to help take down one of the first forms.
Mark and Junior building a screen to get all the pebbles out of the sand so they can mix a nice mortar.
Stanley and Fedner begin sifting.
Mark begins some patch work.
The guys get in on the action.
Julien setting the second set of forms. Wood was so scarce and so expensive, we could only set the forms one room at a time, which really slowed us down on this project.
Jean-Louis putting the rebar into place inside the form.
This sweet, beautiful little girl loved having us come by to work on her house. She liked combing our hair when we stopped to take breaks.
Junior getting his cement on. I can't say enough about what a hard worker he is.
Patrick gets in on the action.
The guys tell me the owner of this house had spent nearly 5 million Gourdes ($125,000) on this home and it wasn't yet complete when the quake hit. Total loss, no insurance.
The primary children in the Carrefour Feuilles ward.
The Centrale chapel. Notice the tent right on the front door step.
And a few more tents.
And a small tent village set up on the Centrale chapel's soccer field.
The amazing and Lovely Evelyne Narcisse.
Reunited after 20 years. Blair Hankin, Alex Laguerre, Evelyne Narcisse, Paul.
Frère Jean-Louis. This guy was six years old when I lived in Gonaives. Amazingly, he remembers me because of my love for kalalou (collard greens).
Porta Potties outside a tent city.
Another tent city on the town square near the National Palace.
Will driving us around the National Palace.
Interesting sculpture. This was not there 20 years ago.
... And the National Palace. Completely destroyed and abandoned.
Not sure why these guys thought it would be safer on the roof than within.
One of many fallen in buildings.
This was very typical - to see one building completely fallen in, and its neighbor still standing.
Strong structure, bad foundation.
Downtown Port-au-Prince (La Ville).
Will checking with his iron welder.
The first orphanage we visited. The main building competely reduced to rubble.
School and other functions are now held under this blue tarp.
How many white guys does it take to pump some water?
At the girl's orphanage - the second one we visited.
Mark teaches the finer points of blowing up balloons.
Every one of these girls kissed us before we left. That's a lot of kisses.
Large open-air market near the wharf.
Lots of bananas - and shanties. Again, near the wharf.
Another roadside market near the wharf.
Some more tin shanties.
Julien finishing the mortar work.
Pouchon handing blocks up to Mark and Julien.
Julien and Mark finishing another wall.
Fedner getting ready to do some patch work.
Only one more course to go after this block.
Junior and I taking pictures of each other.
Mark's OSHA-compliant scaffolding.
Sheldon plays dominoes with the neighbors.
Plantains and liver for breakfast. Delish!
Inside a classroom at a school, destroyed in the quake. Notice the date on the chalkboard.
The Sak Plen team.
At Guesno Mardy's orphanage, setting up a very large tent for the kids.
Shoring up on the inside while everything gets tightened outside.
Tightening down outside.
Getting that last corner sorted out.
Good to go!
The Foyer de Sion orphanage building in the backround. Bishop Mardy needs about $250,000 to complete this project. When done, it will house over 80 orphans with complete education facilities.
Mark, Paul, Blair, Bishop Mardy, Sheldon, Brian, and the driver of the orphanage vehicles.
Lousy shot, but this guy is riding a donkey.
Back in Santo Domingo. This is the oldest Church in the Americas at night.
Santo Domingo the next morning.
The oldest church in the Americas.
Old spanish fort in the old downtown district.
Apparently Mr. Obama has a side business in Santo Domingo.
Another old spanish fort.
Inside the oldest church in the Americas. Mass services being held just prior to Easter.
Visit to a temporary church site.
Walk through a Haitian market.
