As we disembarked from the plane, I heard live music coming from the building which serves as the airport. Passengers walked in neat, polite rows along a stairwell outside the building. Cracks could be seen running through the plaster, a quick reminder of why we were here. The small welcome band performers all wore Western Union shirts and their instruments were made from Western Union paperboard or stickered as such. In hindsight, a perfect advertisement, but to my naive mind: quaint.
Around the corner from the band, the illusion of order vanished as we entered customs.
Second Impression: Haiti as a chaotic place, where each person pushed foreword to get his/her needs met because there isn't enough for everyone.
Because we did know, nor were we comfortable with the pushing people (and we barely speak the language), my small group of doctors found ourselves at the end of the "line" for check-in by customs. The process was very, very slow. Add to this crowded room, 100% humidity and a summer downpour in process just outside. The sweating began.
Next, baggage check. Imagine 300 people each with their two 50# bags, two bag claim tracks (side by side) overflowing with luggage, no signs to differentiate the tracks, and 100 luggage carts in the crowd. In order to see if your bag is on the cart, you must push by people & carts & luggage & crying babies & people trying to come out. Now people start climbing on the moving tracks to fetch their bags. One or
two airport officials blows whistles, stops track. Pushing continues. Lots more sweating.
Our bags are located, but they are incredibly heavy-- having been filled with food, medical supplies, donations. We literally drag them outside, fighting off "red caps" (very insistent porters) until we are rescued by our host.
Third impression: Haiti a country of abject poverty and incredible resilience.
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