I am flying from Calgary, Alberta overnight tonight. When I get home, I am putting together my gear and heading to the Atlanta airport. I will then fly from Atlanta to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This will be the easy part. From Santo Domingo, I will have to arrange, ad hoc, transportation either by air directly to Port Au Prince airport, or ground transportation to Jimani. This is the jumping off point to cross the border into Haiti. I will be looking for relief team buses or supply trucks and hitch a ride. Safety in numbers. Or I may have to bribe a ride. A total of around eight hours by ground. Once I get to Port Au Prince, I have been told to use a GPS locate the camp. The camp is supposed to be across the street from what used to be the National Palace. It was destroyed. The GPS is necessary (I suppose) because there are no landmarks and the streets are unrecognizable as streets.
The camp is a collection of tents that comprise a staging area for triage, trauma, and a pediatric unit. For a glimpse, go to the following URL 'WWW.THENPROVEIT.COM'. Then click on the red 'Earthquake Relief Effort' link. This is where I am going.
I am taking a duffle bag full of medical supplies and a few clothes. When I get there, I intend to do what ever is asked of me. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time. Yes...I have considered that I could possibly not come back. Not likely, but a possibility. Aftershocks or whatever.
When I asked someone who had been there if it was like entering a combat zone, he said "There is more death there than in a combat zone." It is a risk I am taking with my eyes wide open, in faith.
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