Have you ever ridden into one of the most dangerous cities for American tourists in the world with all of your most valued possession in one backpack? I have. And it wasn’t in one of those 15-passenger white vans we are all accustomed to when traveling with our churches at home. Let me just give you a peek at what I’ve been traveling around in…
At about 9:00 p.m. central time about a week and a half ago, after about 15 hours of traveling to Haiti, haggling with the Haitians at the border for the best exchange rate, and singing show tunes, our large tour bus pulled into Port-Au-Prince. With backpacks latched to our backs, day packs hung on our chests, and miscellaneous items strewn about our arms and necks, we were ready to head to our ministry site and hit the sack.
Walking out onto the curb, our AIM contact notified us that we will be taking the typical Haitian taxi, called a Tap Tap. Now, I would like you to erase everything you think you know about taxis. This is not the yellow cab you are picturing in your head right now. In order to achieve visual perfection, I would like for you to close your eyes, and picture an old Toyota, two-seater truck. Add an arch-shaped covering over the bed of the truck, made of mostly metal. One serving of barred windows, and a side of 15 people crammed in the bed of the truck, legs and arms littered wherever space permits.
Now, the best part about this taxi is the decorations adorning the outside of the vehicle. Not only are there carnival-colored tassels that flit in the breeze, there are paintings. Nay, caricatures. Of whom you might ask? Various artists such as T-Pain, T.I., Bob Marley, and Jesus on the same Tap Tap. For those of you not too well-versed in the hip hop culture of the US, T-Pain is a rapper. And, well, as we all know, Jesus is the Savior. Although I do find this sad, it is touch humorous, that this combination of caricatures would make it all the way to Haiti, on the back of a rusty, ghetto form of transportation.
So the next time you get a little bit frustrated that your AC doesn’t cool down quite quick enough on a sweltering summer day, think of me. Think of my giant pack, crammed in the back of a truck with a bunch of Haitians, sweating so much that I look like I just got out of the shower. At least you’ll get a good laugh right?
