Both were in a village named Shiloh further into the mountains. And I do mean further into the mountains! The walk there took about 40 minutes to get there, about 1.8 miles. The way home, let's just say the miles were the same, the hills were not. They went up, up, and up some more. To the point of sheer exhaustion. Huffing, puffing, thinking we were going to die at any moment [sigh]. Okay, I thought I was going to die any moment.
The first house was cinder block built with concrete floors. The exterior needed stucco and wood doors needed to be installed. A mother and her 10 children lived there. When we arrived deep into rural Haiti, there was the house, a tent beside it where the entire famiy had lived since the earthquake a year prior, and a palm tree hut kitchen.
Bossman Jon asked us to start sifting sand. So we had two team members, with one holding a wood frame screen, while the others placed shovels full of gravel onto the screen. A wheelbarrow caught the sand underneath. Once the wheelbarrow was full, we would dump it on a pile next to the cement mixing pit.
This went on for a couple hours until one of the Haitians asked Ulrick, our interpreter, if we wanted to see the caves. Of course we said "yes!" (WI!) Without much work to do until the bossmen were able to use all the sand up making and throwing stucco.
So off we went, Bibi, Ulrick, another Haitian, and our half of the team. We stopped by the second home where Jerry's team was laying concrete floors, only to find they were off slacking as well. On our way to the cave we came across the other team. They informed us the trek was straight down and then straight up a cliff. They asked if we had plenty of water and sustainence for the way.
We were like, what? We were asked if we wanted to go see the cliff "just around the corner." They laughed. They said it was a crazy trail, more arduous than the one to Basin Bleu.
That said, they handed us the little water they had left, a few protein bars, and a "Good Luck!" So, now we didn't know what to expect. It was definately further away than 'around the corner.' After quite a trek, 20 minute walk or so, there was the ravine. A river bed at the bottom. It's dry season, two months without no rain. And two rock walls along each side for as far as you can see. The guys estimated about 100' straight down and then another 60' or so back up the other side to the cave's opening. Much of it had to be scaled, body close to the rock, hands behind you, feet down first, butt against the rock. If you tried to remain standing, it was easy for your feet to give way on the loose rocks and gravel.
Once we made it down the side, we crossed over the chalky dry riverbed. The entire bottom of the river was covered with what looked like white gauze mesh. It was actuallly all the algae and plant life that was on the bottom of the river before it dried up. When I asked our guide how deep the water got in the river during the rainy season, he pointed up about 12' along the shore. You could see the live vegetation that is always above water and the level where there used to be vegetation covered with water. It was hard to imagine as we walked over sundried rock, covered in mummy like gauze, that a part of the year we would be under 12' of water. Not a drop of water to be seen anywhere.
So back up the other side of the ravine. If you looked up, about 60', you could see the cave opening. But it was steep going to get there. One foot into the rock at a time, you could follow the pattern of so many who had foolishlly (fou) taken this journey before us. Finally, at the edge of the cave, and while a Haitian drug you by your arms, you threw yourself up onto the ledge at the opening.... and it was dark. Bibi had a lantern, so we followed him in. Immediately there was a puddle of water mixed with slimy bat poop to straddle. Easy enough. But just 10' later, another, only wider. And then just a few feet further into the cave and another. Only this puddle was wider than most could straddle. Bibi was practically in a full splits to straddle it all the way and not step into the wet muck. We were already told that Nina and a few others from the first team had soaked their shoes in the putred mixture. So the next couple in our group tried walking along one side, on the angled wall that led to the puddle.
At that very moment, I made the decision, "You know what? I don't need to experience a cave filled with hundreds, maybe thousands of bats while straddling fecees infested puddles. Nope, not on my bucket list." As soon as I made that proclamation, Kelsey agreed. And like the Three Stooges in comedy form, Sue chimed in agreement next.
So the three of us turned around and straddled what we needed to in order to come back to the cave's opening. There we sat down on the ledge and enjoyed the view, not knowing how long we'd be waiting, but fully confident we had made the right decision.
It wasn't but just a few minutes before we heard Ulrick calling my name further down the ravine from the other end of the cave. So we knew it wouldn't be long before they'd be back. We just didn't know if that meant they'd be climbing down where they came out, or returning back through the cave to reach us. After a quiet couple of minutes, the three of us made the decision to scale back down the side of the ravine ourselves, with or without a Haitian guide.
Being team leader, I made the decision to go down first and scope out the feasibility for the other two. It really wasn't as bad going down as it had been going up. So I guided down Kelsey first, step by step, being her eyes and telling her where to plant each foot as she faced the rock, coming down feet first. Then did the same with Sue. We were all pretty proud of what we had accomplished and decided we would do well on "Survivor."
The next thing we knew, the rest of our team was coming back through the cave. We could hear voices echoing through the opening now 60' above us. So we decided to hide behind some huge 15' boulders on the rivers bottom, making the rest of the team feel as though we had fallen or something.
Just as we got crouched down good, we heard Cooley yelling above and then a huge racket in the brush above! It took us a few minutes to realize what had just happened. We could hear the others talking now, but were surprised none were asking about us. Didn't they even care what happened to us? They left us on a ridge 60' above ground level and now we were gone!
It was just about then that Cooley came stumbling down the rest of the mountain path. He said the bats were chasing him so he began to run and before he knew how close to the opening of the cave he was, he had run right off the edge of the cliff! We were like, "what!?" Sure enough, the commotion we had heard was Cooley hitting the first plateau of brush about 8' under the cave's ledge! His legs were all scratched up and he was in a lot of pain. You think?! The same man who had called us three girls chicken for not continuing through the cave, had flown like a real chicken right off the edge of the cliff! "Isn't that ironic? Don't you think?" (Alanis Morrisette).
Suffice to say, it was a long way back to our team's worksite. Cooley was pretty banged up and we didn't know if he had broke any bones or torn any ligaments by then. The other team couldn't believe Cooley's story either. Then, without any fanfare, Cooley breaks out his camera. Seems he had it in his hand filming video in the cave and didn't stop filming once he started running, or flying, for that matter! We couldn't believe it. There was black, then a lantern light, then black some more, then the lantern, then chaotic movement of the camera, then light, and then treetops!!!... and then brush. Lots of brush... a pause or so.... and then Cooley filming his wounds! Unbelievable! He actually caught it on tape. No sound, but we added that for him. A huge scream... and echoing down the ridge... and then BAM! Cooley hitting the rock ledge covered in sticks, stones, and mountainous plants. We all laughed and laughed as we watched the video over, and over again.
Bossman said there wasn't much more to do today, so it might be a good time to go back to the other house to share the clothes we brought. Ulrick led us... well, sort of. He led us to make a left, and then another. Then another, at which time I told him if we make another, we'd be back where we started. He laughed and kept going. Didn't take long before he said, "There they are!" I said, "the other house?" Ulrick started laughing, "No! The other team!" Sure enough, we had taken one very long circle from site 2 all the way back... to site 2.
After everyone stopped laughing at us, Bossman Jon led us this time. Left, left, then right! Right there, not a stone's throw away was house 1. Actually, they said they saw us come by earlier and thought we were going the wrong way! But of course they never yelled or sent someone after us. We all laughed some more. We decided Ulrick was a decent translator...but not a trail guide! From here forward, before anyone leads us, we ask if they are better than Ulrick. Everyone says, "Yes!" (WI!)
If we hadn't been through enough in one day, we still had to walk home uphill, after hill, after hill, after hill. They say there are 4. I counted 8 that were big enough and long enough to take my breath away. Our legs burned, our hearts pumped, our feet screamed, and still there was always "one more!" The final hill never ended. It went up and then turned, then went up again, and then turned, and then went way, way, way up! I thought I was going to die. I sit way too much on a daily basis. When I finally made it to the top, I just collapsed. I laid down on my back with my arms and legs spread wide. All the Haitians laughed at me. I didn't care. I was fini!
After we breathed for awhile, Angelica invited us over to see her house. Adorable, to say the least. A cushy American couch and chair, ahhh.... Haitian art on the walls, wonderful fabrics on the windows, steel headboards as architecture, and a patio large enough to dance the night away with all her friends. Priceless. Angelica also gave us several articles of clothing she had picked up at yard sales along the way. She thought our current families at the second set of houses we were working at were quite needy and could put these clothes to good use. She was right. We would try delivering them again tomorrow.
Dinner was a celebration, goat, in honor of the first evening of music recording. Once we saw one of the dogs gnawling on a chunk of raw goat intestines, we hoped and prayed there'd be no floaters in the stew that night. In actuality, the goat stew was delicious! Everyone seemed to be pleasantly surprised.
After a week of practice, it was finally time to start recording. Jerry, Kevin, Pastor Paul and the entire Shalom Singers group were excited to say the least. Each time I stopped out in the recording tent, I was amazed as the time before. About 15 singers, 3 guitarists, a drummer, and the meistro on the keyboard each gave their heart and soul to every word, every note, every chorus and verse. They have been practicing for this moment for more than two months. In the past week alone, they averaged between 6 and 11 hours of practice per day.... and it showed.
Each time a new song started, I walked from microphone to microphone, taking pictures of each face, each expression. Then I would sit back down next to Jerry at the recording helm and just shut my eyes and be. Be filled, be moved, be touched. Be me. It was glorious. I can't imagine what the choirs in heaven sound like. It was obvious that God had hand picked each person in this choir.
Even more enjoyable was watching Jerry. His eyes shut, his headphones on, listening to each note, each instrument, each voice and harmony. He has been waiting for this moment for years. If only he could do this full time for Christ's church. How happy and fulfilled he would be.
Four songs, three times through each, another long night. The village listening in the background. Quietly standing around the tent, leaning on Paul's truck, filling each inch of space available. And after recording, the music continued. We all danced, we all sang. New friends were made. Old friends renewed. And morning and night. Day 8.
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