Looks like Haiti is having class warfare.
Over a dozen killed, and hundreds wounded, in recent months.
Seems like poor people are protesting, politicians are having poor people shot.
Not sure how safe it is.
If Haiti seems unsafe to go, I think I still have enough time to get to a different airport, then fly to another country.
I'm going to study Haiti more in the upcoming days, deciding on what seems best. Any comments welcome!
I like the western desert of Republica Dominicana. I want to spend a while here. That would take going to Haiti, for another visa here. Also, I do want to see Haiti. Have to see how things work out.
Different schedule here than in temperate climates. Breakfast can be bigger, lunch is huge when people dodge the sun, small dinner when it's nice enough to go out.
Drinking is endemic. People drink beer or rum while driving motorcycles or pickup trucks.
The music is catchy, people dance everywhere. Same hits in each place.
Everything's destructive to something. You have to make sacrifices to get by.
There are ways through.
The longer you spend in a place, the more it becomes normal for you.
So go ahead to places you like!
Is a thing productive or pleasant? Seems like those are the two main things humans want.
Beach music more bouncy, country music more sad.
So much emotion. I can become addictive about almost anything, including feeling things.
Lately I've been feeling my usual sort of bittersweet.
So much music. So much scenery.
It can feel somewhat overwhelming, the things one experiences. I think that travel accentuates that.
I've also been feeling a number of frustrations, to go along with the accomplishments. Quite a variable period.
I guess it's important to remember the bigger view. There are going to be other sceneries, emotions, etc. So appreciate, yet also keep on going.
Hard to deal with addictive behaviors, since it's not always obvious that a behavior is addictive as you're doing it. There's a gray area, rather than a sudden switch from healthy behaviors.
We have some temporary friends/acquaintances, whenever we sit in a bar.
Overnight, I woke up two or more times with a stinging pain in one hand. I think a large insect had stung me. I'd seen one inside the tent the night before.
I'm not planning to go to Haiti before at least December, if at all. The situation on the ground seems worse than I'd expected. I won't have the readiness anyways until then. I'm now considering a shorter stint, as I'd previously thought before considering a lengthier tour. Maybe one to three weeks to see the sizable cities and a taste of the countryside.
The Haitians I've met in Miami and on other Caribbean islands seem decent enough. I like their food, and the geography of the country looks interesting. Still, it seems like a dicey situation.
Continuing to investigate!
After watching the sunset, found a place to camp away from the road. However, there was a body of water, and the land was swampy. Overnight, got attacked by numerous small insects, small enough to fit through the tent mesh. The alternative insect repellent didn't do much. From now on I plan only to buy the strong stuff, 40% DEET. In places where it's not as readily available, such as parts of the Caribbean, the next strongest stuff. It's insane that the Caribbean often has hard-to-find, expensive insect repellent and sunblock. I guess the people here hardly buy it. There are so many insects and so much sun, and the people don't have so much money.
"Good things come in threes, bad things come in fifties."
This weekend I'm planning to see more of this coastal area, then head back into town.
Rode to a small but beautiful park, el Morro. After a short while, rode back.
