Sander-Martijn on Haiti

Jamaica or Haiti? Quiz - test your understanding and knowledge

2011-07-28T00:41:00.001-04:00

thoughts by Sander-Martijn: Introducing Joel - best friend in Haiti and giver ...

2011-07-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

thoughts by Sander-Martijn: Introducing Joel - best friend in Haiti and giver ...: "On my trip to Haiti in 2008 I became close friends with Joel. At the time he was 23 and doing odd and end jobs at Hopital Albert Schweitzer..."

thoughts by Sander-Martijn: A year and a half after the earthquake in Haiti......

2011-07-19T12:41:00.000-04:00

thoughts by Sander-Martijn: A year and a half after the earthquake in Haiti......: " A year and a half after the earthquake in Haiti the tent cities are everywhere. The Cholera epidemic is worse than last year, and there is ..."

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Haiti - Moving forward while looking back

2011-03-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

My mind has been on Haiti quite a bit lately. I'm working on ideas for another trip there, figuring out a project I can do there with photography and some children, as well as creative ideas for funding that trip. I'll keep the details to myself till they're a bit more solid, but I'll let it be the inspiration for today's piece.

What do I mean when I say moving forward while looking back? Well moving forward is obvious - a lot of work needs to be done to put the pieces back together there and it's going to take a lot of effort from a lot of people. First the earthquake, then cholera, brought in by people that were trying to help and now the political system in disarray (again). We have to remember that the brunt of this responsibility lies with the Haitian people themselves, supported, encouraged and funded when necessary by people in a better place. The idea that "we", the "developed" nations are going to "pull these poor people out of their misery" and "save" them belongs in another century and was founded out of a combination of missionary values and colonial guilt. But whoever does it, however it's done, it's clear that there's a lot of work ahead. Not only do buildings need to be rebuilt, hope does as well.

How about looking back? Do I mean, as some have suggested, that we should go back to an era of Duvalier where everyone was working out of fear? Or the time of Aristide when there was great hope but little progress? No I don't think either of those things and it frustrates and infuriates me when I hear them mentioned. Don't look back that far, just look back a little bit - to around the time of my second trip to Haiti in 2008 till the earthquake hit in 2010.

This was a time of great progress and hope, a time that enjoyed the greatest level of stability Haiti had seen in as long as anyone could remember. People were working, hospitals were growing, schools were popping up left and right - and the level of education at them was increasing. Preval was a popular leader at the time and there was a feeling both among the Haitian people and the foreigners working there that things were finally turning around. It was exciting, and was the reason for my focus on the pride of people in Haiti.

Since the earthquake it seems most have forgotten that such a time even existed in Haiti. The attitude has shifted back to this poor country that has never had a chance. This is the time I think we should be looking back to. Rebuild first back to that point because it was the right idea, then move forward from there.

Hope for Haiti fundraiser

2010-02-10T15:55:00.001-05:00

On February 05, 2010 I had the honor of being invited by my friend, client and colleague Mike Jean to photograph the Hope for Haiti fundraiser at Amnesia in NYC. All funds raised that night went to the Red Cross towards their efforts helping earthquake victims in Haiti. It was hosted by Mike Jean, Ally Hilfiger and Valerio St. Louis and featured musical performances by Jennifer Logue, Sean Murphy, Michael Fredo, Karen Anderson, Ashte, Carimi, Shoubou From Tabou Combo, Andy Hilfiger and more.

Here are some highlights from the event:

http://sander-martijn.com/hopeForHaiti

Earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-13T21:39:00.003-05:00

I want to say something others haven't yet, but I'm not sure I can, being that I am not there. I have heard little from my connections there since the phones are down. All I can do at the moment is work to find a way to get down there and help, and hope that happens soon enough to really make a difference.

It saddens me that after a period of stability and rebuilding so much has been destroyed. It saddens me that everything seems to be against them - not just politically but naturally as well. All I can do is hope that the death toll isn't too high, that rebuilding is swift and that I find a way to go there and help.

If you would like to help me get down there, you can either buy a print at sandermartijn.etsy.com or donate directly via paypal to sander@sander-martijn.com. More importantly than financials I am looking for a way to fly down there which will require connections with a news organization that I can photograph for or an Aid organization or Government organization I can work with. I am willing to do anything and speak some Creole and some French and am not only a photographer but a tech guy, so there are many options. If you have any information that can help, please let me know as soon as possible.

All that said, the local news channel did a piece on me tonight. You can watch it here:

Presentation on Haiti

2009-12-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

This is a presentation I made about Haiti and my last two trips as well as my goals for this one. If you want to support me, buy a print at http://sandermartijn.etsy.com

Selling prints to fund next trip to Haiti

2009-12-10T19:27:00.002-05:00

I set up an etsy page at http://sandermartijn.etsy.com where I am selling prints of my work to help fund my next trip to Haiti in December 2010 to take part in the project "A week in the life of Haiti Cherie" where 20 photographers from around the world will go to Haiti for one week to document the country in all it's splendor and beauty along with the unavoidable squalor.

Many of the photos are from my past 2 trips to Haiti with a few art pieces as well from other projects. Archival signed prints (unframed) go for as little as $10 and nothing is above $60 (gallery framing). Please consider this as a christmas present for loved ones, and send it on to anyone you know that might be interested.

Haiti information session and auction

2009-11-22T15:16:00.000-05:00

On December 7th at 7pm I will be holding a presentation on Haiti at the United Methodist Church in Stroudsburg PA. It will begin with an informational presentation about Haiti and the work I am doing there, followed by an auction of some of the photographs taken during my last two trips to Haiti. All proceeds from the auction will go towards funding my trip in February to work on the book "A week in the life of Haiti Cherie. The final piece of the auction will be a private viewing of the work I do in February after my return with the buyer's choice of any one photo from that trip.

"A week in the life of - Haiti Cherie" is a project of photographs and essays published about Haiti. Photographers from around the world will volunteer to document the various aspects of haitian life for a specific "one week" period capturing often-missed beauty and splendor of Haiti and squalor.

Epson talks about my work in Haiti

2009-06-23T22:45:00.002-04:00

Epson posted an article today on my work in Haiti, naturally focusing on how I used their printer to accomplish my work.

http://epson.ipressroom.com/pr/epson/Sander-Martijns_PM_Zoom_Haitian_Case_Study.aspx

Mom writes about the risk of giving

2009-05-05T15:58:00.004-04:00

With little news to post recently, I thought I'd give my readers something relevant to read written by my mom, regarding the family my parents support there. The son of the woman she speaks of is my and my mom's godson, to give you a point of reference.

http://mariannekmilks.blogspot.com/2009/05/money-honey.html

The Key

2009-03-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

The Key
Originally uploaded by Sander-Martijn

At some past point in my life I realized that the keys on your keychain are a symbol of your current situation and responsibilities in life. Do you have keys to your home? Is it a house or an apartment, and do you own it? Are there car keys? Perhaps even keys to a boat - did you remember to take it out of the water in time this fall? Office keys? Are they for your business or do you have a boss? Keys to a girl/boyfriends place perhaps?

Well, as you can see here, this is my key. When I left Brooklyn I took off the 7 keys to my studio - that's 2 elevator keys, a front door, mailbox, hall door and 2 deadbolts on my door, and was surprised to see that there was only one left. The remaining key is to a small fireproof safe that guards my passports, my birth certificate and other important documents. an 8x10x5 box contains my responsibilities. Talk about freedom!

The girl of L'Escale

2009-03-17T09:30:00.002-04:00

The girl of L'Escale
Originally uploaded by Sander-Martijn

I wrote about this girl in one of my first blog posts here: haiti.sander-martijn.com/2009/01/lescale.html - I thought I had lost the photo, but recovered it and close to 200 other lost photos from Haiti this morning.

Specifically, this is the passage:
"And then there was her. Something special about her - so beautiful, pure, simple. She was cooking in the kitchen, an outdoor pavilion probably powered by charcoal. I'm guessing she was 15. She was beautiful and looked into my camera with a power I rarely see. Not angry or mean, not seductive, not even confident - just looking. piercing. direct. unafraid. and beautiful."

A menagerie of dichotomies - Brooklyn to the Poconos

2009-03-15T22:48:00.009-04:00

Today begins the next step in my adventure. I sold as much as I could, packed up the truck and headed out. I had a lot of help from some wonderful people - my parents, my sister Aiperi and her husband Ulan, my best friend Alina, and two other close friends Anatolli and Dan. I couldn't have done it without them. Oh yes, and I want to thank Debbie and Mike Cerra as well who loaned me the truck so I didn't have to pay for a rental. Leaving New York where I've been for 13 years, and my photo studio for the last 4 years was bittersweet of course. But Pennsylvania, the poconos specifically, will be a good place to get my head together and work out some of the details I need to before I can leave for Haiti. After a long drive and a late dinner I went out to look at the stars and process this major change in my life. Stars are one thing I've always missed living in New York, so it's the first thing I do when I go somewhere I can see them. They bring me peace, looking at this huge universe we live in and reminding myself how small my problems are, and how far reaching anything positive I do can be. Just as I looked up at the sky I saw a large bright orange falling star. I made a wish. I wished that this is the beginning of everything falling into place, and that things will move smoothly and swiftly from here on out.

Good night Brooklyn, Bonjou Ayiti!

2009-03-14T13:51:00.003-04:00

Last night I had my goodbye party to see everyone in Brooklyn off. It was a lot of fun and good to see people, some of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. And tomorrow, I leave. Heading to PA where I grew up for a bit while I work out the details for my move to Haiti, which should be a kick in the butt since I can't really do much there other than plan my move. Hopefully it will all go smoothly. It feels very strange now, being finished with Brooklyn but not yet in Haiti, life is a bit in limbo for me at the moment. This makes it a good time to reflect on my life so far and my plans for the future. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

My CV - in text and pretty pdf

2009-03-06T16:25:00.007-05:00

Download the pdf

Sander-Martijn Milks
347.952.5236
sander@sander-martijn.com

Summary
I am a professional photographer whose main strengths are creativity, leadership, initiative and a strong inclination to view each situation as a unique set of circumstances and solutions. Prior to and during my work as a photographer I have led a successful career as a top level Software programmer, Internet Applications Engineer and Architect for more than twelve years. My objective is to find a position where my experience can be applied and I can continue to grow.

Work Experience

1996 – present
Independent Photographer sander-martijn.com
Photographer for various organizations and individuals as well as personal projects. Fields worked in include Fashion, Music, Art, Documentary, Film Stills, Events, Wedding, and Product photography.

Recent clients include Milly Magazine, Kite Mafia, Moonlight Entertainment, May 47 Ent., Alive Experience, NBAF, Brooklyn Fashion week, Casual Express, Vain Glorious, Corey Golden, Katherine Tanner

2006 – present
The Bridge Studio, Owner and Manager bridgestudionyc.com
Started The Bridge Studio, a photo rental studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Manage all aspects of the business including promoting, booking, equipment acquisition, upkeep and rental and assisting clients with their shoots. I also teach seminars on photography and studio usage from basic to advanced levels.

2001 - present
Java and interface developer and architect
Work closely with clients to help them identify which technologies were best suited to drive their business objectives. Working with a company at every stage of design and implementation enables me to build long term relationships based on the confidence that a product will be delivered that meets their requirements.

1999 - 2001
Organic, Inc, Senior Interface Engineer
Lead Interface Engineer and Architect. Responsibilities included leading projects, mentoring Interface Engineers, establishing and documenting template archtitecture and user interface requirements. This process required close collaboration with clients and other internal departments such as project managers and the creative team.

Project leads included bloomingdales.com, csfbdirect.com, uswest.com, prosperoconsulting.com, chase.com

1997 - 1999
Ogilvy & Mather, Macintosh Support Manager and Tech
Managed a team of technicians supporting 700 Macintosh users in a mixed PC/Mac environment of 1500 users. Responsible for ensuring that the team kept all computers operating smoothly, integrating with the network, setting up new computers and handling emergencies as they arose.

Education and Awards
1996 - 1997
New York University
Computer Science and Music History

1994 - 1996
Temple University
Music History and Voice

1991 – 1994
Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division
Graduated with honors

1990 - 1994
Wallenpaupack area high school
Diploma

1993 Eagle Scout
Order of the Arrow. Eagle project was a bicycle safety rodeo and bike helmet promotion. Helped influence Pennsylvania law requiring children to wear bike helmets in 1994.

Solo exhibitions and Publications
Milly Magazine, Rokovoko, Soma and The Bushwick Arts Project.

Interviews
Muster Magazine, Resource Magazine and Epson.

Volunteer Photo projects
Hopital Albert Schweitzer for The Grant Foundation in Deschapelles, Haiti
Documenting police violence in anti-war protests for The National Lawyer’s Guild
Organizer and staff photographer of the Bushwick Arts Project

Sponsorships
Epson

Languages and Nationality
Fluent English; Medium French and Italian, Basic Haitian Creole, German, Dutch, Russian
Citizen of the United States and The Netherlands

Eske mwen ka fe foto ou? Proud faces of Haiti - my attempt to explain what I am doing, why I am going.

2009-03-05T22:42:00.005-05:00

I open my eyes and see a commotion of color—deep Orange sunsets—striking blue dresses—green, gold, purple..but most difficult to capture, the unmistakable glow of pride. I see the legacy of the only successful slave rebellion in history, the descendents of people strong enough to stand up to Napolean's army with farm tools - and win. Welcome to Haiti.

The name alone strikes fear in some, pity in others. Major media networks repeat the same quotes and statistics whenever there is any news from this tiny caribbean nation. Crime, AIDS, deforestation, disease, famine, hurricanes and political instability—is that really what Haiti is about? Having been there twice to photograph what I see, I don't believe so.

Haiti has become the forgotten child of the western hemisphere. The poorest nation in the western hemisphere ranks 146th of 177 in the United Nations Human Development Index. They have the highest number of HIV positive people in the west. Running water and electricity are scarce and there is no waste management to speak of. Malaria and dysentary create high mortality levels. The country is 99% deforested due to the charcoal industry resulting in widespread erosion and multiplying the damage that hurricanes cause. These facts are all realities for many. I am not attempting to counter them or make light of them; I am simply hoping to open your eyes to something more.

As the landing site of Christopher Columbus, Haiti is the legacy of the west. Haitians are descendents of the only successful slave rebellion in history, people which after defeating a Napoleonic army established the first recognized black republic. Since that time the country has been mired in conflict with one dictator after another taking power, many times supported by rich nations.

When the slaves revolted they were against all odds. Uneducated and without rights they had nothing they could call their own. They had no sense of property as they themselves were considered. Their weapons were machetes and field tools against a foe that had guns, cannons and other modern weaponry at their disposal. But the one thing that these people had that could not be taken away was their pride. They used their pride to obtain an astonsihing victory and to establish a free state.

This pride remains in the Hatiain people and has helped them survive a series of dictatorships, never losing hope for their true freedom and shows through in every person you encounter. They retain hope where there is none, they work even when there is no pay. These are who the people of Haiti are - not people to be afraid of and not people to look down upon but people to respect.

The first time I was asked to visit Haiti to take photographs was in November 2007. I chose to arrive with as few preconceived ideas as possible. I read up on the history and recent events but ended my research there. I wanted to avoid falling into the trap of going to a place with an idea of what I would find and inadvertently seeking that out. The one thing I was acutely aware of was that safety was an issue as people consistently warned me to be careful, including people of Hatian descent. What I discovered was that even such well intended warnings can create preconceived notions. I found those warnings to be misleading. What I found were people who were happy to meet me and help in any way possible. I found myself sitting with a fifteen year old boy over candlelight late into the evening learning creole one day and riding on a motorbike with three others the next. Complete strangers invited me into their house and offered me their only bottle of coke. What I saw was people that lacked the concept of selfishness because everyone shared whatever they had.

My time in Haiti was limited and mostly spent in the fertile Artibonite region. I created a series of portraits, accompanied by landscapes for context that portray the strength and beauty of these people under circumstances that would render most helpless. Unposed and unaltered, these portraits require neither as all that is needed shines through their entire personality.

On my second trip, in December 2008, I experienced a greater variety. I spent much of my time photographing Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, but also spent some time in Port au Prince and Jacmel. More importantly, I made many friends. Some of them Haitians, some ex-pats working with various organizations, they provided me with greater insight and exposed me to a far deeper experience of what daily life is like. This newfound support system gave me the confidence that I could live there and continue my project, and that I am on the right path. Furthermore, it showed me that I have only scratched the surface of what Haiti is and that I must do this if I am to claim that my work is in any way representative of Haiti.

My plan is to return to Haiti with more time and with the freedom to travel throughout Haiti to capture the soul of the people of this beautiful and unique country. This work will widen people's understanding of Hatians. With increased awareness of who these people are individuals and organizations will be more willing to invest in this nation that could so highly benefit from the opportunities that the international environment can provide.

Given clean water, waste management and political stability Haiti could flourish into a self sufficient and prosporous nation, but understanding and acceptance must come first. I have found that the people are ready for this. Now it is time for the international community to step forward and help them obtain the peace and prosperity they have worked for over their entire history.

At the end of this year I will have the photographs and writing to create a book and a traveling exhibit. When in Haiti, I see proud strong people determined to change their future. My goal is to show this to the world, change their view through my vision.

Maybe It's Not Corruption, If Everybody Says It's Okay

2009-02-20T19:18:00.006-05:00

I don't have much to say today, other than I wish I were in Haiti this weekend for Carnival. Instead, I wanted to share this article, written by Richard Morse who leads RAM, one of the best known bands in Haiti. He also runs Hotel Oloffson where RAM plays every week.

"a band will be given a certain amount of money "officially" and then they give some of that money back, I've heard up to fifty percent, to the Ministry where they got the money from, and then, that kickback money will be given to the President's choice candidates."

Amazing - they even figure out a way to mix the artists up in the standard hand-washing that goes on.

And I'll end with a video of RAM playing Carnival last year:

One step forward, two steps back?

2009-02-19T21:07:00.006-05:00

Some days I feel like I'm getting closer to my departure for Haiti because every day I do at least some things towards my goals. Other days I couldn't feel further away. Today is unfortunately one of those days. I have yet to find a job in Haiti and none of the people that have expressed interest in buying The Bridge Studio have come through with a firm offer yet. We're coming towards the end of the month and soon I'm going to have to make the difficult decision between staying another month in an expensive place during a hard economy so that I can keep trying to sell the business or giving up on said sale and saving on the expenses.

But, I try to stay positive and look at the bright side of things. I received some needed information on visas today and I updated my website with a new layout and a lot more images, including a section specifically of photos of Haiti and a prominent link to this blog. I still have bits and pieces of work trickling in while I look for a job in Haiti, which is more than a lot of people can say these days, and I have a great support network of people that are trying to help me how they can.

I think now I will go update my resume, as per recommendations by Mareile while I try to contemplate whether my glass is half empty or half full.

New Domain, changing look

2009-02-16T15:05:00.003-05:00

Sorry my blog was down off and on today, I had a spot of trouble migrating it to it's new and more appropriate name, haiti.sander-martijn.com

Also I will be slowly migrating the template to look more like my website. Made first changes today, will do some more changes a little later.

Shiver and Shake

2009-02-16T08:26:00.006-05:00

We were walking along the north side of Champs de Mars, the big park in the center of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, around the presidential palace. It's also where everything happens, where the life is. Bikers, Roller Bladers, concerts, salesmen, beggars and thieves all congregate in Champs de Mars. We came across a cart, the kind that pulls behind a vehicle, is usually brushed chrome and has a generator attached to run various things inside. In New York the most common appearance of such vehicles is in the morning when you're half awake, wandering between the subway and your office and you see such a cart and stop for coffee. If you're adventurous you might just add a bagel with cream cheese to it.

There were a bunch of guys inside, each running two blenders. A lot of people waiting, so it was clearly a popular spot. Into the blenders they first threw crushed ice, then mango pulp, then a ladle full of chopped vegetables - potatoes, sweet potatoes, not sure what else, then salt, and milk. They blended it up for a while, then took a ladle full of it and shook a bit onto their forearm and licked it off. Then add more of one or more of the ingredients and repeat. This would go on for quite some time before they appeared satisfied with the result.

When this happened they would pour it into a styrofoam cup. The man who took it would pick it up and gulp it down as fast as he possibly could and then put it back down, at which point the man in the cart would refill it. Thus, they essentially got two for one.

It was finally my turn so I took and carefully tasted it, not sure what to expect. I already knew it was thick and basically looked like a milkshake, but with the vegetables and salt in it I wasn't so sure. It was actually sweet, but not too sweet, with a twist to it that could only be tasted, not described. I don't generally like particularly milky things, but this was quite good. So I tried my hand at guzzling the shake, but couldn't quite handle it. Partly just not used to drinking that fast, especially something so thick, and partly I began to get brain freeze. I made it through about 2/3 before he started to get impatient. I held out my cup and he filled it to the top again, and we headed into the park to enjoy it with a Barikad Crew concert - a story for another day.

The real us

2009-02-14T09:37:00.008-05:00

I received the following email from a stranger - sent through my website so this person had seen my work and perhaps read some of my opinions - below is my response. This may not be directly and exactly about Haiti, but as it exposes some of how I think about my work, I believe it relates.

-----------------

I have a question about the way others see us.
Nothing to do with the way we think of ourselves, just as an image. The way I see myself in the mirror is different to what I see in the pictures. This confuses me and makes me unsure of how I look on the outside as an image.
Which one is the real me?
Mirror or the picture?
Thank you

---------------------

There is no such thing as the real you - not in mirrors, or photos or anywhere else. Each person you encounter will interpret you differently. Your mother sees you differently than your lover, than your friend, than your enemy, or your child - the way they see you visually is more than what you actually look like because inexplicably mixed into this is their personal attachment to you and your history with them. A stranger sees you differently still, for they have no history.

When you look in the mirror you see your interpretation of yourself - a mix of how you want to be seen (idealism) and the things you see wrong about yourself (criticism) among other things. A photo, on the other hand is a moment in time - it is how you wanted to be seen at that moment, interpreted by the photographer and captured in time forever. This of course requires much trust in the photographer and their eye. In the hand of an amateur the results can be devastating, while in the hand of a master the result can be powerful, moving and beautiful. It is still not you. The id, the identity of a person is far more powerful than could possibly be captured in any way. In my work my goal is always not to simply capture what the person looks like but to bring out something about what's inside of them. This is not truly possible, but I think I do succeed to some extent.

Images have become incredibly important in our society, and the photographic image has been important almost immediately since it's invention. It is futile to fight it, therefore it will be easier if you embrace it. However, do not become a slave to your or anyone else's image. If you live your life as a good and beautiful person that will shine out to all others you encounter and will be far more powerful than whatever your actual appearance is. This is what I really speak of when I state that I photograph the beauty of people.

I hope this helps you along on your journey
Sander

News article

2009-02-09T20:51:00.004-05:00

There was a news article published today - less about me than about my mother's work in Haiti, but they used my images, mentioned me and included another image of me as well. I'm not sure what they did to it, but I'm hoping it had to do with making it look good for newspaper print and used the same image for the web version... Hoping.

They also mentioned some of the work I was doing briefly and included an image of me working with people. At any rate, although I feel like the image quality is somewhat compromised, it is still good to have people taking notice of my work.

In other news, some of the job opportunities are starting to look good and make sense. I'll keep my mouth shut until things are a bit more solid, but they're looking fairly good at the moment.

Natural pool

2009-02-01T19:01:00.007-05:00

We awoke to two tiny girls bringing us coconuts. The tops were chopped off by machetes so we could drink the milk. We pulled the wispy mosquito netting aside and accepted them graciously. Coconut milk is cool, almost clear and mild. The flavor is a mix of mild sweet and mild bitterness. When we had drank the coconut milk our friends chopped the coconut in half and gave us spoons to eat the meat. This to me was not as tasty as the milk, but was still an experience.

We then bathed in a natural pool at the edge of the ocean, carved out in the lava rock. Every time the waves came in the warm surf crashed over us, like a natural hot tub.

On top of the world

2009-01-23T12:13:00.004-05:00

It was nearly dusk in the valley as we checked our harnesses. Everything secure, I jumped and grabbed hold of the bottom rung of the metal ladder and slowly pulled myself up until I could get my feet on it.

Click... Click... I latched two carabiners is far above my head as the ropes would reach. The other ends were attached - hopefully securely - to my harness. Up the ladder until the carabiners were by my feet. One off and attached above me, then the other. Click... Click... It was slow going but as I was going up 150 feet it was one of those better safe than sorry situations. When I got about 40 feet up I looked down and saw Jimmie jump up and start the climb - much faster than I was going. No wonder he waited a while. It was also around there that I reached the treeline and the valley opened up around me. That was nothing like from the top. When we got to the top of the water tower, with no rails, in the middle of the Artibonite valley it was absolutely breathtaking. And just in time for the sunset.

We sat up there, on top of the world talking and watching the tiny people coming and going until it was completely dark and the stars had come out. I went up two more times - in the middle of the day with Mareile and before sunrise with my dad.