We had so much kit on the plane , we couldn’t carry a frame for the screen, and had to trust in our luck that we’d be able to improvise out here…
Luckily for us Eric, the Sinema Anba Zetw (Cinema under the Stars) tech guy got on the case , designing a simple lightweight rig for us that consists of two 14 ft poles which pin into the ground and can collapse down for transport. His big concern from many years projecting outside in Haiti is that really strong winds can come up in the space of ten minutes and rip a screen away… potentially very dangerous …Eric’s design means that if winds do blow up we can pull the screen off to one side – like a shower curtain…Eric’s friend Pellej took the design off and in the afternoon cut and welded the parts

This evening we tried it out in Laurence’s garden. Not enough room to tension the screen properly… but its looking good. merci eric et pellej!

Street market – view from the bus coming into Port au Prince Tent city in back left of the photo (click on the picture to make it bigger)

We’re here… both totally exhausted. Staying with the Sinema Anba Zetwal (Cinema Under the Stars) guys in Petionville, a suburb of Port au Prince. They took us around a tent city tonight …  one of the largest. We were both taken aback by how calm and well organised it was   –  35,000 people living on what was a golf course. On the bus ride in earlier we saw many many collapsed buildings, and tents in almost every spare space…  but we havent seen the worst of the damage yet. Eric the Cinema Under the Stars tech guy is going to help us make a rig for the screen… basically two 12 foot poles that break down into 4 pieces for easy transportation. As soon as they’re made, we’ll do a screening in Laurence’s neighborhood, and then the tent city. Feeling very tired, but feeling like we’re on our way.

Petionville Club – a tent city with 35,000 inhabitants

one of the shopping streets at night in the same tent city

dave and marko looking blurry after the journey from the dominican republic

Tonight’s our last night in Santo Domingo – tomorrow morning we’re off to Haiti to stay with Laurence Magloire of Sinema Anba Zetwal (cinema under the stars) in Port au Prince…. Its been a long week… circumventing  language barriers, adapting to heat and rain, buying gear, setting up mobile phones, battling obstructive customs who wanted to impound our generator (thanks to a huge effort from  esther and kari, and dave refusing to leave the customs office for five hours), making new contacts in haiti,  finally finding some good cheap eating places, and doing some long hikes through the suburbs to find the coach station. The carnival started today!  … it’s jaw dropping …  there will probably be stragglers on the streets when we get up to go to the bus tomoro. we managed to get down to the parade for a couple of hours before packing tonight.  (see the photos) we’re off for one rum and coke before bed.
and then tomorrow, haiti and a different world… Marko and Dave

this guy wanted a photo taken of him with his sister and nieces after he hit me on the head with a pillow

teenagers dancing before the carnival… looking scary without being scary

Dominican Republic flag face paint…

the last troupe waiting to join the parade…

We're in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic... the journey went surprisingly smoothly (so far!) and we got to our

hotel with all the bags and kit intact late last night...

Today we had a long conversation with  an american guy, Chris from you NYC, who had come to Haiti on his own to 

volunteer and was there for the last five weeks, now on his way home

We got lots of useful advice and info from him and a couple of very good contacts - Love a Child children's hospital 

just west of the border town Jimani , and Lesley Pinard a Haitian guy  with DR diplomatic clearance who is based in a 

wharehouse in port au prince and is  travelling around 7 tent cities with spanish doctors doing mobile medical clinics.

Chris  says the UN and amercan army is barely visible where he was working  in Port au Prince , you only ever see them 

in cars. .. . the only outsiders doing anything useful are volunteer organisations.

While conditions are very seriously bad over there , he said the Haitian people are very friendly and welcoming and he 

had no experience of violence . but he did stess the importance of hooking up with other organisations for transport, 

accomodation and food

His main concern was the coming rains (which will get seriously bad in May) because of the lack of working sewage system.

He was also very positive about our project - and instantly got it .... for morale raising and he also pointed out the 

importance to parents and carers to have a break as kids watch films...

so we're feeling optimistic and energised!

will be here for a few days preparing (and going back to Punta Cana airport to  pick up the generator on Thursday)

cheers!!!

Marko and David