Haiti Earthquake

4:50AM. The alarm on my phone started ringing. I’d had my first decent night of sleep and with it being unusually chilly I was actually reluctant to leave my cozy camp. I dragged myself up and went to wake up my colleague, Nick, who’d moved into one of the undamaged rooms that’d become available at the hotel, so I could use the shower. For some reason he didn’t seem pleased to see me, banging on the door at 5am! With everything packed and ready to go, I made my decision. I was going to head to the airport and try to blag my way onto the United flight.
In the driver and translator I’d made two friends. We knew about each other’s family, children and hopes for the future. Barvi, a teacher before the earthquake destroyed the school he worked in, is engaged to a Haitian-American woman who is a nurse in New York. His face was full of excitement as he told me about their plans to marry as soon as it’s safe for her to return to Haiti, and then their plans of a new life together in Brooklyn, New York. I joked with him that he wasn’t going to be able to handle the cold winters there but the truth is these incredible resilient people can handle almost anything thrown at them, sadly out of necessity. We spotted a Chelsea football shirt and Barvi’s eyes lit up again – they’re his favorite team. I tried to explain to him the merits of Plymouth Argyle, but ultimately I couldn’t really even convince myself given their form of late. We arrived at the airport and said our goodbyes; they saw my firmly British handshake and raised me a big Haitian hug. I felt genuinely sad to be leaving and wondered what the future held for all the kind Haitian people I’d met along my journey. Throughout the world, the kindness, humility and compassion shown by people to their fellow man in times of extreme adversity is something that is humbling to witness first-hand and will stay with me for a long time.
I joined the line for security at the destitute airport and with the bag scanner and metal detector out of action I was through security with a simple peek by a Haitian official inside one of my two bags. Moments later my passport had its departure stamp and I was stood on the edge of runway with a few other people and no idea what was going on. After waiting a few hours I spotted Garry arrive – it was good to see a friendly face. We waited a few more hours, watching aircraft come and go, delivering their aid. A French military cargo plane touched down and began unloading. Half its cargo was boxes that were neatly stacked inside waiting military trucks, and the other half was crates and crates of bottles of 7-UP. Just as long as they get their fizzy drinks! At around 11:30am a huge, brand new United aircraft touched down on the runway to the applause of the awaiting passengers. United officials came over and started checking names against the manifest. Loune and Garry spoke to them and managed to get them to write my name down on the list. It depended on the US Customs and Border Patrol officers waiting by the plane, but it looked like I was getting out of Haiti. We made our way across the runway and I, along with a Canadian medic, was cleared to board the plane. United had just delivered a large consignment of aid from the city of Chicago and were allowing people to take the empty returning flight free of charge – a very noble gesture. The cynic in me wondered if they were bringing one of their newest and most shiny planes as a prop for photographs – but either way it doesn’t really matter, it’s still a good job done.
I slept for most of the flight with my dreams intersected with the people I’d met and a loved one I was looking forward to being reunited with. It’s strange, in my job I travel a lot and yet I felt although on this trip I’d been away forever. It was a truly epic adventure under the saddest of circumstances. Once I landed in Chicago the Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Travelers Aid groups were out in force with blankets, food and water as well as having set up shelters with warm showers and beds nearby. I wasn’t one of the ones who needed to take advantage of any of that, but at least those returning to the USA with nothing were being well cared for. I did take advantage of a cheap rate they’d negotiated at the adjourning Hilton and after re-booking my onward flight to Los Angeles for the morning I headed to the hotel for a night in a real bed.