Love for Haiti: Back to Reality...Well, Not Just Yet!

After we said our final goodbyes to the island of La Gonave, we quickly said hello to the mainland! We landed at the small airport in Port-Au-Prince and said a prayer of thanks for a safe flight! As we were walking through the small terminal, I realized all too quickly that we were being thrown back into reality. Even though we were still in Haiti, it was obvious that we were not in Lotore anymore. There were televisions blasting, car horns honking, people yelling; stimulation overload!

As we were exiting the airport, we saw Gary (our driver on the mainland) waiting for us. It was nice to see a familiar face in the sea of chaos. Gary had his van ready, but with a team of 14 he thought we needed two vehicles. Gary was trying to get another taxi for us but we told him to now worry about it. So, the entire team. Fourteen of us (well fifteen if you include Gary) piled into ONE vehicle. Now this was in a 10 passenger van! On top of that, we all had our backpacks with us as well! We were a sight to see! We didn't think anything about us all stuffing into one van with absolutely no leg or breathing room! This was what we were used to. It was actually quite humorous to think that merely a week ago, half of us were in this exact van. While the other half were in another taxi! Saying that we became close over the past week would be an understatement.

We left the airport parking lot and started driving through the streets of PAP. I almost started to cry! We were driving on a paved road! No rocks/boulders, bumps, ditches. Nothing but flat, smooth pavement! I was so excited (so was my bottom)! Not only that, but we had A/C! Yes, a nice cold breeze blowing in my face! It was glorious! A/C and paved roads may not seem like a huge luxury to most people, but I know that I will never take them for granted again! I also will never complain of another pothole again! (If for some reason I do, please remind me of this post!)

After a short drive through the streets of PAP we arrived at our hotel for the night, The Hotel Montana. Now I had no clue what to expect. From everything we had experienced so far, nothing was extravagant or luxurious, until now! We pulled up to the hotel and it was absolutely gorgeous! I was blown away! This place was like an oasis in the middle of the desert!
There were stunning plants, beautiful handmade wooden furniture, breathtaking sculptures, and vibrant paintings everywhere! It was so large that you could easily get lost in all of the little nooks that were tucked away throughout the hotel.

Outside of Hotel Montana

As we walked into the lobby, I immediately felt out of place. This hotel was frequented by dignitaries and celebrities. And here I was a dirty sweaty mess and not in the usual attire I would be wearing in such a nice establishment. Also, my feet were still stained a nice orange/red clay color! Lovely!

The Lobby/check-in area. Notice the wrought-iron wall that was open to the elements! Gorgeous!

While we were waiting to check in, a couple of people went to the bar area and were able to get a coca-cola on ice! It was a nice refreshing treat!

The beautiful lobby, chandelier, plants, staircase!

While we were checking in, Pere Soner arrived with all of our luggage. He took all of our luggage on the ferry bright and early this morning and traveled with it all the way to the Montana! What a great man! Our poor bags looked out of place as well. They were all dusty and damaged! Not comparable to the Louis Vuitton bags right next ours!

The Hotel Montana's logo in stained glass.

Laura and I were roommates! We got checked in and took an elevator to our room! It was so lovely! We had two double beds, balcony, bathroom with shower and toilet, television, air conditioning, even an ironing board! We quickly put our stuff away to return to the lobby. A few of the team members wanted to go into town to visit a cathedral and do some shopping.

An example of one of the colorful rooms!

Pretty nice huh!

Terrace overlooking pool area.

View from our balcony overlooking the main patio with huge oak tree and pool.

Gary drove some of us to the cathedral. It was huge! There were multiple murals and an enormous organ. It was absolutely beautiful!

We were able to wander around and explore all of the intricate details in stone work and paintings. It was truly exquisite!

Once we were done touring the cathedral, we were taken next door to a little gift shop. They had such a wonderful variety of things like canvas paintings, metal work, wooden carvings, jewelry, and other nick-knacks. One cool thing about this store, was that all the proceeds went to the churches school! We were on a time limit, so I was running around like a mad woman to make sure I got everything I needed/wanted to bring home. Once we got all of our souvenirs purchased, we hopped back in the van to go back to the hotel for lunch.

We had reservations at The Panorama, the hotel's restaurant. It was open to the elements and had the most spectacular views of PAP!

Looking over the balcony down into the restaurant. Yes there is a pond in the middle! How cool!

These were the views from our table! Can you believe it!

It felt like we were on top of the world!

Ed was not feeling very well so he skipped lunch. The rest of the team sat down for a fabulous meal. I enjoyed a club sandwich and french fries! Those were the best french fries ever! On this club sandwich they put an egg on it! Different, but good!

As everyone was enjoying their meals and stuffing their bellies, I started to drift off to sleep on Brewster's shoulder! Poor Brewster! I was so exhausted. I decided to go up to the room to try and take a nap.

Stunning hand carved furniture.

My favorite painting in the hotel!

Once I got back to our room, I decided that I could not waste such a beautiful, hot and sunny day inside! I changed into my bathing suit and went down to the pool area. I figured that I would at least get to spend time outside, even if I was asleep!

When I got to the pool, a few of the other team members were already there! It was nice to just relax/decompress, enjoy each other's company, swim, and spend time outside in awesome weather! I totally passed out on the lounge chair! I think I drooled some!

When I woke up, I didn't remember where I was. I felt like I was in a dream. It was so crazy to think that just a few hours ago, we were in a totally different world (but still in the same country)! I started feeling very guilty. I felt so horrible that I was swimming in a pool, eating a hearty meal, sleeping in a nice cozy bed with air conditioning, having all of these wonderful amenities and luxuries, when I knew that so many people (not very far from me) were suffering so horribly. Some veterans had prepared me for "re-entry" back into the real world and how hard it might be for some people. I guess this was my first dose of re-entry reality. It was a very hard pill to swallow, but I knew that I had to continue on with my life. I was somewhat relieved to know that my life was now changed and that I would continue my trips to Haiti. Even though I was leaving Haiti physically, this wonderful place will always be in my heart.

Once I completely woke up, I returned to our room and got to take a HOT shower! Oh my goodness! It was amazing! This was the first time that I was able to REALLY wash my hair and body for an entire week! As you can imagine, I totally enjoyed it! I took my time showering and getting ready for our final dinner that night. While I was getting ready, the sun was setting and I was able to get these beautiful pictures off of our balcony.

I left our room and headed down to the hotel boutique to buy a few more souvenirs to bring home. Then I met the rest of the team under the big oak tree on the patio for a cocktail hour before dinner. It was a nice night under the stars and seeing all of the lights shining bright down in the city. Ed was feeling a little better and came down from his room for dinner. Frederick and Dr. Flanagan joined us for dinner also! It was so nice to have the opportunity to meet Dr. Flanagan, as I had heard many stories about him. He brought his adopted Haitian grand-daughter and her mother as well. The two ladies spoke no English, but we had Frederick and Dr. Flanagan to interpret for us!

We ate dinner at the Panorama. Again, the food was awesome! I enjoyed the salad bar (yeah veggies) and a pasta dish! It was a great dinner and time for fellowship! We laughed so hard and had some fantastic conversations! After dinner we all shared some delicious desserts. The evening was so great and I didn't want it to end. When we scraped the last plate clean and drank the last drop out of the glass, we decided to call it quits for the night. We were able to get one last group picture by the pool! I can't believe the trip is almost over!