Heading to the Carribean

I have my equipment and have made all of my arrangements stateside. I will be heading south this morning. Traveling to Port-Au-Prince is a challenge.

My routing will be San Juan Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo Dominican Republic by air. From Santo Domingo I will go overland. My present plan is to catch a public bus unless I can catch an aid convoy going north. I expect to connect with my aid coordinator Monday afternoon some time.

I have been watching the news when I have time. This event appears to be particulalry wrenching for the people of Haiti.

I volunteered immediatley after Katrina so I am viewing everything I see through that lens.

Andree (my wife) is very concerned about my personal safety. While I understand that concern I refer myself (and those who ask) to the situation a couple of days post Katrina. The media was full of reports of violence and inhumanity. The actual experience on the ground was the exact opposite. People reaching out and helping people. I am hopeful that the same will hold true in Haiti. Being careful is smart in these situations and I will be careful.

I am traveling light with just a backpack. I am carrying both a satellite telephone and an inmarsat Internet access point with a solar power unit. I have some concentrated food bars as well enough for 40 days. I do not expect to be in Haiti nearly that long so I will hand some of that out.

What am I going to be doing? The initial discussion with the aid folks on the ground is to set up satellite communications for the operation of the aid delivery sites in country. If my past experience is a guide the tasks will evolve rapidly. Flexibility and a willingness to take on any task is a universal trait of people who do this sort of work so I expect to be asked to do things outside of comms/information systems or technology.

It is a busy time at my job and the company has allowed me to drop everything and take off. I am very appreciative of that decision. Hopefully I will be able to remain in contact with my team-mates and contribute remotley.

I will be missing Andree and the rest of family. The availability of satellite communicaitons is one of the great improvements in capability since Katrina.

I will update this blog when I am able to do so and when I have something to say.

Good luck to the Haitian people and to everyone who is working to help them.

Rick