Week 3 – Truck Breakdown in Central Plateau

This week sent me to Haiti’s Central Plateau, around the town of Hinche. It’s this amazing drive through twists and turns, large drop-offs and crazy drivers. In my last post I talked about the driving, so I will not go into that again. This trip, I’m the driver. This week we had several things going on and Ronald, my main driver, needed to stay in PAP for another project. So I’m headed north with Michelet.

Michelet is one of the program managers, he lives in Haiti. He is responsible for working with all the schools and training all the teachers after the computers are installed. He also knows Creole, so he keeps me out of trouble. Michelet is also great singer and musician, he let me listen to some of his music on the drive.

Michelet teaching at a school, he's the one with the big smile

This trip we are doing site surveys for some potential schools for future installs. This includes getting GPS coordinates, doing a radio check to make sure we can get internet, checking the security of the room for the lab, and making sure we can mount a dish and solar equipment without too much trouble. Michelet also needs to do a teacher training at one of the schools.

Ken on the roof

So off we go, three GPS’s, four cell phones, two computers, several size dishes and all my test gear.

where is that tower? 99 degrees, 4.8km

The drive to the Plateau is great, we pick up two of the local techs, Ezechias and Pencer, and head to three schools. Exechias is not only one of the techs, but he also owns a cybercafé and computer repair business in town.

At Ezechias's cybercafe

The first night we stay on the town of Mirebalis and a nice hotel, with one small issue, you need to keep going to the front desk to ask them to turn the water back on so you can shower or use the toilet. Since we have to park on the street we need to bring all the gear into the building for safety. The next morning, as I go to load the truck I find someone washing the truck. Of course I did not ask, and I even asked him to stop, but he keeps on washing. As we leave I give him 25HTG and off we go.

The next day takes us to some incredibly remote areas, 4-5 river crossings and 20 miles of nasty roads to the cool little town of Maissade. We stop at Ecole Baptiste Melchisedek Maissade that is in the middle of this small town. As I’m bringing my stuff in for the radio test I’m swarmed by all these 5-7 year old boys and girls. It got to the point that couldn’t even move forward so I stopped set down all my gear and joked with the kids for a few minutes until the principal came and told them I had to do some work, I would have stayed longer. I was told most of the kids at this school have never seen a computer before. On the way back to my truck I feel a pull on my arm, I look down and see the most adorable little girl wanted to hold my hand. We stood there for a few minutes both looking at each other, it was again one of those unforgettable moments. I will do everything in my power to make sure these kids get computers.

Hanging with the kids

Off we go to Michelet’s teacher training further North. As we roll into the town of Hinche, and finally off the dirt road I’m hearing some strange sounds coming from the truck, moments later my back wheel seizes and I leave this really cool black skid mark down the street. Next week, check it out on Google Earth at 19.14316 072.00482. Now it's oh shit, the truck just broke down far from home and far from the training class that we are alr,eady late and its Friday night. Luckily for the teachers, Rico, the schools tech will teach the class.

We call back to PAP explain the issue and start working up a plan. The first is how bad and can I get it repaired so I can be home in PAP tonight. To add to this, Michelet’s daughter is to be baptized early Saturday morning.

We call one of our techs in Hinche, Ralph, who gets us a mechanic right away. The bearings are shot, guess all those dirt roads and water crossings took a toll. So now the issue is can we get the part? The mechanic, Michelet and me all jump on the mechanics motorcycle and hit all the parts places, no luck, we need the part from PAP. The plan is for Ronald to get the part in the morning, drive the 3 hours, get the mechanic, fix the truck and get home for happy hour. Sounds reasonable, oh that’s right, I’m in Haiti. I put many of my karma points to use and it all works and I’m home for my 6:30pm beer in PAP.

So where did I get some of my karma points, earlier in the day and since I was in town I went with Ralph to one of the church schools that were having a problem with their server. It had been down over a week, sounded like it could be the motherboard. We were able to fix it, get all the computers and internet running and the pastor was REALLY happy. I do well, I get home for Saturday night, all are happy.

Getting karma points at the church

Last week I did an install and this really cool church/school out be Leogane, this week I got a message that someone tried to break into the school, they opened the box with all the keys and tried to get into the computer lab. Little did they know that the computer lab key is hanging around the head nun’s neck. They did not get into the lab and most likely they will be denied their entrance into heaven, don’t steal from the nuns!

Last weeks install, this week break in, the Nuns are not happy

So after all of this it’s Sunday and laundry day, that should be easy, go down, put the laundry in the machine, add soap, hit the button and wait 30 or so minutes. So at 9am, I start my laundry, five minutes into the cycle we lose power. Of course we are on an inverter so all the stuff moves to battery except the wash machine. So I wait, and wait and wait, 2pm the power comes back, I’m happy, 5 minutes later, power out again. At least I’m getting a huge presoak. At 4pm, power comes back on and finishes my laundry, I go to hang it out on the deck and it starts to rain. Plan B, rope in the bedroom, 7pm clothes still not dry. This can only happen here, guess I’ll go have another beer and worry about it in the AM. Next time, river and the rocks it will be faster.

Great sign at one of the schools, related to pants height