Gas.

Just another day here in Port-au-Prince: a few days ago we heard a rumor that gas was running out at the stations and it would be like $25 a gallon for gas. Ha! we said, but here we are a few days later with very little gas to be had, and even though the price may be under $25/gallon I'm sure it's not cheap.

Just try to imagine for a moment the ripple effects of your city/town of not having gas or diesel. Everything starts to grind to a halt. In Port there are fewer and fewer tap-taps and mototaxis; big trucks are parked; even many private cars are sitting idle, conserving the last little bit of gas they have in their tanks.

Last night we drove home and there was almost no traffic - the sky was clear, flowers bloomed, and the birds were singing.....not the people though, as lots of people waited for tap-taps that were just not abundant enough.

I consider myself someone who is low on the gas-use scale, but when I really look at it - ugh, that's a long walk home (2.5 miles) uphill (both ways) raining (only when walking). And grocery getting, phew....maybe Ben will let me use one of the cargo bikes.

Why no gas? Well, we've heard that a tanker is on the way from our good friend Chavez in Venezuela, but it's late because the Haitian Consortium of Gas Company Owners was mad at the government for trying to force them to lower gas prices, so as a little jab they delayed their fuel order just long enough to make a point.

Taken. But really? here we are in a poor country destroyed by an earthquake and etc. etc. and now they take the time to make a point about who has their hand on the faucet? Well, I guess now is the time to make that point. Airline strikes over Christmas, utilities strikes over the winter months, etc. Do we really have to get to take this moment to puff up our chests and strut around? Apparently we do.

Well, that's where we are, walkin' and bikin' and not drivin' a whole lot, waiting for the magical day the clear combustible liquid we all know so well comes springing forth again.