Up the mountain

We travel south west for 2 hours along the national highway, our guide advises us to lock the 4x4 axles as we turn left and start to climb. In-front is the mountain range of Mount Jacmel, we are heading to the village of Cheraton. The first mile is paved at the steepest parts as it leads to the local clinic, which has been sponsored by an international NGO. After we pass the clinic the route deteriorates, by now it’s a single track of stones. 

The guide asks us if we can see the road high on the side of the mountain, we can just see it, he says "we are going further". We pass a school and the kids jump on the back of the pick-up, excited at catching a free ride. We ask the guide "how many cars come up here per month" his response was "the Red Cross come up twice a month". 

Can you see the winding road we need to take all the way to the top of the mountain?

We pass farmers burning off the land in preparation for planting and see fields of dust waiting for the rain. 

There are very few trees on the mountainside and the guide points out slopes which have no soil, as after it rains the soil is washed away, down the rivers and out to sea. This is so common in Haiti to see the mountains bare of vegetation, due to deforestation and the thirst for charcoal.

Top left: Can you see the four farmers on the side of the mountain?

Here they are, we are a bit closer. 

The kids jump off and wish us a good onward climb. The road steepens with hairpin bends, some over summits where you can’t see the road until the car drops. 

We reach a nasty corner with huge rocks in the road, the pick-up slips but Andy rely's on the engine brake to guide us around safely, making sure not to look over the side into the deep ravine. (Andy is scared of heights.)

The clouds above darken and the guide tells us that if it starts to rain, we will have to get off the mountain. The people have been praying for rain for weeks, we pray ‘not yet, wait till we get down’. Our colleague spots a tree and tells us “this is the highest point I have been”, we pass the tree with gladness at breaking new ground. 

We arrive at the church where the clouds are lower than us; the 4 SHG groups have made an effort to meet together, so we don’t need to make the trip again until after another three months. 

It seems such a peaceful village but we were only there for just over an hour, the water source was an hour’s walk, farmers farmed the sides of the mountains, seeds had been planted and were waiting rain. 

We saw people walking bare foot for miles to take the produce to market and donkeys carrying heavier loads. 

No creature comforts up here! But it was cooler. Praise God it did not rain while we were up there, even though the clouds were hanging deep. Back in Port-au-Prince we had rain that evening. We prayed, that God will send some rain to Cheridan as well. Please pray with us for the people up the mountains, who work so hard, but hardly see any fruit of their labour. They need rain for their crops to grow in order to provide food for their families.