Sodo

Leon had dinner with us one night and asked me where I was going to take Isabelle while she was here. I told him that I wasn’t sure yet and he immediately told me I should take her to Sodo (the waterfall that I’d been to with him around Christmas). Sounded like a great idea! Then he asked me how I would get there. I said probably by taptap (as I don’t really have any other options here) and he countered by offering his vehicle and then I would just need to get a driver. Great!

So Wednesday morning, Kevin, Maddie, Isa and I headed north with Fritz driving. We passed the Mirabalais hospital that is open and operating (we didn’t stop to check it out). They had all asked me if it was worth it and while I really liked it the first time I wasn’t sure how to answer that. There isn’t much physical activity and it is about 1.5 to 2 hours in the car each way but it is beautiful and the terrain around it is very different from around here in Port au Prince. As soon as we were out of the city, they were already amazed. The drive starts out even more desolate and bare than what we see from the compounds. Sometimes there are still lots of people but there is really nothing around out of the city. Then the road starts to go up into the mountains, past a lake and as soon as you go over the first mountain it starts to get much more green and lush.

At Sodo (Saut d’Eau in French—Jumping Water) everyone was so glad we had come. (I was relieved.) It really is a beautiful place that overlooks lots of banana farms, has cool water, and is peaceful. There wasn’t anyone else there (other than our ‘guides’ to help us as we climbed around). On certain days there are lots of people there worshiping the voodoo spirits as evidenced by the burnt trees and metal plates placed to protect the trees, empty licquor bottles in the water and around on the ground. We had fun wandering around and wading in the water.

We came back down by a different road and came out near the ocean which was pretty as well (as I usually find the water).