"Give me one dolla"

That hike was pretty extreme.

 We set out at 6 am on an 8-mile, 5-hour hike from the volunteer compound to the mountaintop Citadel.  The way up was a whole lot of incline, although at that time in the morning at that altitude, there was a lovely breeze (though we were still drenched in sweat).  We had clear skies and the views were spectacular – lush green hills and valleys.  At the bottom of the hill, the ruins of the Palais Sans Souci (“Worry-free Palace”) of the Haitian monarchy in the early 19^th century are stunning.  We spent some time at the Citadel at the top of our steep hike, touring the old fortress and enjoying the cool air.  The heat really started to beat down on us on the way down once the breeze vanished and we were left in full sun, going through some challenging, narrow, steep trails through the jungle.  Drenched in sweat with aching legs, we finally made it back to the hospital compound around noon, feeling very accomplished!

That afternoon, I went with a few other visiting guests at the hospital to tour another RUTF nutrition supplement factory in progress between Milot and Cap Haitien to replace the older factory that we visited the day before.  It is such a treat to get to meet other people working on nutrition issues in Haiti that are right in my academic/professional wheelhouse.

Most of the kids we pass by around here just smile and say “Bonjour” (even a butt naked boy ran up to us to say hi on our hike today) or stare curiously.  They are painfully adorable.  Some do yell “give me one dolla” (potentially the only English words they know) which is a tiny bit less adorable, but still cute and harmless.  And no, I don’t go around the town handing out dollar bills.  That might send the wrong message.

I’m slightly terrified because the boys dorm next door (separated by a curtain) has got an invasion of bed bugs, and it’s likely just a matter of time that they come our way.  From experience, I do not do well with bed bugs – those bites itch like crazy.

Looks like a chill work day today – which means sitting on the veranda at the computer, working on some papers, maybe a little yoga on the porch later and a movie tonight!  Forecast today - 95 degrees and humid. Nice.

:)