The view from our hotel room

This is a photo I took from the back window of the room where Beverly, Pat and I are staying.


The Palmm Inn Hotel where we are staying for the first two nights:
http://www.palminnhotel.net/english
survived the earthquake remarkably well. Embarrassingly, maddeningly well. I suppose if I were a structural engineer I wouldn't think it was arbitrary, but driving through Port-au-Prince, it sure seems arbitrary. I think that it is a fair generalization to divide buildings here into fourths: 25% survived with none or just surface damage, 25% have cracks but are still livable, 25% have major damage like a wall or, more commonly, the roof missing, and 25% are completely decimated, a pile of bricks.

Some images of buildings and houses taken from the car:





I think these show that strange pattern of relatively intact houses next to piles of bricks.

The bricks.

Bricks and debris line the streets. Everywhere. Sometimes massive piles, and it seems to ALL have been removed by hand, Haitians using shovels or, literally, their hands. Will the piles be picked up? I could count the big construction vehicles I saw all day on one hand.

For traumatized people, one of the great tortures comes in the form of re-experiencing the trauma. Sometimes it's as distinct and punctate as a flashback, sometimes it's "just" intrusive memories - can't stop thinking about it, reliving the trauma in nightmares, etc. Imagine trying to psychically heal with massive piles of bricks everywhere.





-Mike.