October 29: The Four Seasons equivalent of base camps

I am up at 5:30. The bright side of this early awakening is that I get to listen to Matt Galloway. Today’s special live program showcases Toronto’s cultural diversity. Recently, the Hague recognized Toronto as the most culturally diverse city in the world and Thorncliffe is the most culturally diverse neighbourhood of Toronto, where 87% of residents are recent immigrants to Canada.

My taxi driver of the day was not the brightest--he didn’t know the way out of downtown, nor did he know where to stop at the airport. It’s just a small annoyance, taking much longer to get to the airport, then having to walk the length of the airport. I should be grateful for the opportunity to stretch my legs. What I will be doing in Haiti is still one big question mark, but I suspect that I will be either tied to a desk or limited by security issues once I arrive in Port au Prince.

I am getting quite familiar with the Miami airport. I noticed the major upgrades--a shuttle linking the garguantuan airport’s wings, more eateries, and more than one electrical outlet (and without the live wires poking out as I had seen in 2008). I head to the Islander Bar and Grill. The Islander is becoming part of my Haitian routine. Since my first trip to Haiti in 2008, I've learned to appreciate my vegies. It may be a long while before I see salad again. Besides, I am heading into a cholera outbreak so consuming raw vegies is probably not recommended right now.

The soaring sensation at takeoff is still my favourite part of the flight. We fly over the Caribbean, a sea that I have known since childhood. I swam in its waters every Sunday for 6 years while living in Jamaica.

I fly over Port au Prince. Already, one can see changes for the better. Tent cities are now reduced to clusters of about 30 or 40. The airport repairs are well under way--there is now an air conditioned walkway into the makeshift terminal.

I arrive at Red Cross base camp. This place is so well run. The welcome desk, great support staff, good security, leisure activity schedule, and so much more. I think I can camp out here for a while.