I asked about seeing the earthquake destruction in downtown Port-au-Prince, where I heard it was worst. Although I knew entire streets were completely destroyed, I still wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted me. It looked like a war zone; like entire neighborhoods were bombed by enemy aircraft. For the most part, the rubble was cleared, which did surprise me.
No doubt, the most difficult part about today was seeing the Palais, the National Palace, the “Haitian White House”. When Mario pulled his dusty SUV up across from the palace, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. The sparkling white Palace had entirely collapsed and it was totally in rubble, still surrounded by its security fence. “What do you think?” Mario questioned. “It is so sad. It makes me cry”, I replied as I tried to hide my tears and cracking voice. And so I cried for you Haiti…and I can’t stop. Mario said, “You are true Haitian”.
The next wave of sadness overcame me when we drove by the National Cathedral. The beautiful pastel pink, yellow, and white cathedral was a landmark in downtown Port-au-Prince. It was probably the prettiest building in Haiti. It too was only a shell of its former grandeur. I could recognize it right away because of its pastel colors, but the remaining rose window and graceful features were only skeletons in the sky.
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