Adventure

           What a day of high adventure!  After lunch we headed out to the Sugar Cane Museum . . . ON THE MOTORCYCLE!  Can you tell I was excited?  I kept giving Rhonda a choice—do you want to take taptaps or the motorcycle.  Her only response was “I don’t care.”  What a liar!  She did not want to the motorcycle; she just wouldn't say it.  She was scared the whole time!  That surprised me because she’s a retired cop who drives a Harley herself back in the States.  We did just fine.

            The adventure began right away when we turned left near Goat Alley.  Rhonda says, “Is that a dead body?”

            “Where?” I ask.

            “Right there,” she points (actually, I assumed she pointed because she was sitting behind me on the motorcycle, and I couldn't really see whether she pointed).  I looked ahead to where the little bar is.

            “I don’t think so,” I answer.  We drove closer.  It was a dead body.  Just lying there in the middle of the road. As we drove passed it (slowly because I was concentrating on not stalling), we got a good look at it.  We went around the block to head back to the guesthouse, and Rhonda was sort of freaking out (retired cop, remember?). 

            “You didn't take a picture of it, did you?”  I asked.

            “Yes,” came the response.

            I sort of lost it there with some words that I can’t put down here.  Back at the orphanage we asked Muset if he knew.  His answer?  “Wi, polis la te tire li ye soir” (Yes, the police shot him last night).

            “Why?” we wanted to know.

            “Pa konnen” (I don’t know).  He said it was safe to go out, so we headed back by the body and out onto the open road.

Sugar cane song

Amongst the cane

            Our destination was the Sugar Cane Museum near the American Embassy on Tabarre.  I did a great job driving!  Rhonda was a great coach from the back seat.  I don’t think she ever really relaxed, though.  Especially when the sirens went off in the vehicle behind us.  I could see in the rear-view mirror that it was a U.N. vehicle, not the police, so I wasn't too worried.  Rhonda, however, didn't know that, so she was a bit more nervous. 

            The very nice U.N. soldier wanted to make sure that we didn't work for the U.N. minstrie because they tell their people not to be out too much on their own.  Really?  They pulled us over pretty much because we were white women. 

Ford tractor in PAP

            The “museum” was more of a park.  We walked around and took some pictures and then had a drink at the bar.  It’s a nice place to go for lunch, and I would highly recommend it because it’s easy to get to.  I was hoping it would be a place to take the kids on a field trip, but it’s not really that type of place.  I could see taking 2-3 kids at a time so that they can practice eating out, but that’s about it. 

Water wheel

            The ride back was very uneventful.  We had to squeeze through some tight traffic at one point (Rhonda says that her elbow bumped the mirror on a truck we were passing at about 1 mile per hour, but I don’t believe her), but it was an easy trip back.  No being pulled over.  No more dead body.

Rhum distillery

            All in all, I was pleased with my driving.  Tomorrow we’re supposed to head out to mass burial memorial for the victims of the earthquake.  I plan on taking the motorcycle.  Don’t know yet whether Rhonda is up for another ride!