We planned on taking a tap-tap out there and didn't know how long we could stay in order to be sure to catch a tap-tap back to Port de Paix. A tap-tap is essentially a pick-up truck where the flat bed has been lined around the sides with boards so the passengers have somewhere to sit. As for the passengers who get on last, they have to stand in the middle and they take as many people as they can possibly get on the truck. The name tap-tap comes from the fact that when you want to stop and get off the truck, you must tap the side of the truck loud enough so the driver knows to stop. I soon found out that you can pay a little extra and sit inside the cab with the driver. Thom and I opted for this since the back was already full. I don't remember what the difference in price was, but the ride was only about $2 per person. This tap-tap took us to St. Louis which is about half the distance so we bailed out and found another tap-tap to finish off the trip. We had stopped at a riverbed which seemed like a common stopping point. There were several merchant stands set up; some with food and others with clothes and miscellaneous items for sale. Thom found a merchant and bought two pâtés which we ate while waiting to go. Fortunately for us, we were some of the first people to get on the tap-tap and found a few spots to sit down on. I was sitting toward the front end with my back against the cab of the truck. This truck was a bit larger than a regular pick-up truck so it held a lot more passengers. We had to sit there for about fifteen minutes before we got going but that was fine with me because I had a little to eat and just looking around at all the merchants and having some time to take it all in was quite interesting. Once we took off the music began and I found that directly below my seat was a large speaker which had enough bass to rattle my pants the entire trip. It was very entertaining.
We had driven for about a half hour when something fell and hit my arm. I turned to look and noticed it was a rooster that someone had set inside a bag on the roof of the cab. It must have slid and fell off when we hit a bump. Whoever owned this thing was standing close by because seconds after it fell a man grabbed it and put it right back in the bag. It's seems a little nuts compared to life in the US, but it's the way life here and one of the things that makes each day interesting. After some time the ride seemed to be taking a very long time. This was mostly because we kept stopping to pick more people up. We got to a point where there were so many people on the back of this truck that I couldn't see Thom any longer. Finally, there were so many people on the back that I couldn't see out in any direction. People were standing on both sides of me and since I was sitting against the cab toward the middle I couldn't see anywhere but up. I started to wonder if we hadn't stopped in Anse a Foleur already without my knowing and Thom had gotten out but was unable to get my attention. Fortunately, Anse a Foleur was the last stop so it was impossible to get split up, however it was quite difficult to get off the truck. It took me about a full minute to get off as I waded through people and jumped over the side. After getting off the truck, Thom snapped a picture of me standing in front and as you can see it was already full of people who were taking a ride back.
After arriving in Anse a Foleur, we walked around for a minute and then headed out to the beach. We found a hotel out there which had been abandoned. It's sad to see what could potentially be a great resort, but shut down because of the lack of people to sustain it. It took us two hours to get there and we only live 14 miles away! On the other hand, it was a great location as far as the beach is concerned. It was very clean and beautiful. You could look out about a half mile and see a reef that waves were crashing on as well as the island Tortuga off in the distance. Turning around, your back is surrounded by mountains covered with vegetation making them very green in color.
As we walked around we noticed an area where the restaurant was. The area was outdoors, circular in shape with a tin cone shaped roof. There were no doors or walls so it was exposed for the most part except on one side there was a small enclosed stage that was most likely for a small band which provided entertainment for the guests who were dining there.
After looking around we decided to go swimming for a bit. The water was great, a little chilly, but very nice for December. After the swim, we went back, dried off and headed back into town. We were a little hunger and decided to buy more pâté since we found a vendor selling it. I stuck my hand into my pocket but my wallet was gone. I must have lost it in the first tap-tap. I remember taking it out of my pocket then but must have forgotten to put it back. I had it in the side pocket of my cargo pants which it could not have fallen out of and no one could have taken it without me knowing. In any case, I was glad that Thom hadn't lost his or we would have had to negotiate some sort of a deal to get back home!
After sitting around for a bit, we decided to grab a motorcycle instead of waiting for the first tap-tap. This way, we could get to St. Louis and then take a tap-tap back to Port de Paix. The motorcycle ride wasn't that bad and was surprisingly comfortable considering that there were three of us on it. I was sitting on the luggage rack on the back with a foam pad over the rack for comfort. I soon snapped the classic self portrate with my arm outstretched holding my own camera. But then, how else could I have gotten a picture of us in motion on the motorcycle?
As I said, the ride was comfortable, however there was a time when we went through one river and it was shallow enough for us to get through with only a few incidents where I thought we might tip over. The second river bed we came to was a little deeper, but still only a few feet. this time, it was deep enough for the muffler to be submerged. I heard it bubbling under water and just then I felt my feet go under. I was surprised that the engine was still running. The driver had his feet outstreched in front of him and Thom pointed out that this is probably why he has his tennis shoes stuck in the handle bars of the motorcycle and not on his feet. The only other questionable spot we went through was a muddy spot in the road which was the equivalent to a mud wrestling pit. I was concerned that if we lost control, though we were only pushing through at about two miles per hour, that we would be looking pretty nasty if we fell in that mud. It would have been a little funny though to come back completely covered in mud.
After the motorcycle ride back to St. Louie, we hopped on a tap-tap and headed back. This was somewhat of an uneventful ride except for a couple things. For one, we stopped at one moment and two guys got on. One had three hand woven handbags. I heard some "gobbleing" inside and realized that he had a rooster in each bag. The other guy with him got on with three pillow cases, each filled with a rooster each as well. But again, that is common business for a tap-tap. It probably wouldn't be a normal day if a tap-tap didn't carry a few roosters each day.
As I mentioned before, a tap-tap is lined around the edge with boards for the passengers to sit on. The problem is that sometimes they shift and pinch your butt between the board and the side of the truck. There is about a quarter inch gap there. This happened a couple times to me and with great force. I think the lady next to me had her butt pinched once too because she hollered at one point as she shot up with a face of pain. I have to say it was a bit funny because I could relate to her pain.
Other than the lengthy travel and butt pinching experiences, I definitely would like to go back. It made for a very relaxing day and was worth the trip!
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