Monday adventure...

Monday morning Monsour called us to tell us we needed to leave right away for Port-au-Prince because Katiana had to have her medical exam completed. The message I received from Mark was we needed to get there before noon because they would need to draw blood and it would take three days before the results would be ready! It was already 9:45 a.m. and it would take us at least an hour and a half to get to Pap from the Kaliko.

So my nature to worry about "details" like test results getting to the consulate by Thursday....so we could have her interview and actually ALL get on the plane on Friday began to kick in.

ADD......the drive into Pap. Not exactly like merging on the 405 freeway...instead, take the blue Ford Explorer designed to seat 5 and put 3 extra people in the back (Steven, Marisa and Katiana) and drive at freeway speed on a road barely wide enough for two vehicles... and of course, don't forget all the pot holes we must come to a screaching halt for (OR just swerve around them at freeway speeds while passing all the slower trucks, busses, cars and motorbikes) AND...seeing overloaded busses that are doing the same thing (**PICTURE THIS...a top heavy bus - because it has a roof loaded with burlap sacks full of *who knows what* and THEN on top of the sacks PEOPLE! YES, PEOPLE on top of the busses which drive at freeway speeds COMING AT YOU and swerving around pot holes! It is a scene my brain is still trying to process! I had the middle seat on the back bench and a great view of everything coming at us! Well, making the drive between the Kaliko and Pap ALWAYS sends my brain into a place of trying to understand the differences in the laws that govern *my world* and those that rule here in Haiti.

We made it to the clinic at noon! Monsour did a little sweet talking to get her in quicker and then he explained to me that we would still have the required papers by Thursday for our appointment. He then asked me (nervously - because he didn't tell me to bring them when he called) if I had our tax forms (which I did! To Mark's surprise I AM organized). He was so happy because he needed our documents so he could submit our file to the consulate. Of course as I write this....it is now Tuesday afternoon and the DHS office still has not sent our dossier over to the consulate!!! I'm steaming about that because the consulate needs our dossier before they can set our appointment! So WE NEED our appointment to be on THURSDAY and that is only two days away! back to worrying about those *little* details! NO this isn't much of a vacation! Although, we are all thoroughly enjoing our beautiful new daughter! She is a gem!

OH... back to the car....NO AIR CONDITIONING! Ha, ha, ha.....Marisa, Steven and Katiana were all covered in black soot by the end of our round trip adventure to Pap and back! The windows were all down and the back window was lifted to keep the air flowing! OF COURSE, the air was filled with black diesel fumes and smoke from the burning trash along the way. Our breathing became shallow and we (Mark and I) were on the verge of *tossing our cookies* (that was for you dad! because I know you just read that and grimaced because of my choice of words! :) ...we didn't loose anything but maybe a pound or two because our lunch was cheese crackers and we returned just in time to see the Kaliko cleaning up after the lunch crowd! SO...we had to wait until 7:30 for dinner! OH....and Marisa had a black face as she sat closest to the open window in the back and Mark had *wings* from the wind and soot in his hair! We all laughed that we probably just lost at least 6 months off our lives because of our road trip and the fumes we inhaled! I guess we could've been on a tap tap.....so we are grateful for the little blue Ford Explore and the fact that we didn't get a flat tire or CRASH along the way!

The picture of the Ford explore was actually taken when we were giving Katiana's father and sister their gifts.