How to get around in Haiti by Josephine

        In Haiti, there are many types of transportation ranging from horses and donkeys to large cargo trucks with benches inside. The most common vehicle, however, are motorcycles or motos. They can zip through the country side and around large trucks. Most people use motos as public transportation and Haitians will squeeze 4-5 people on one! They almost never use helmets and school children are often seen clinging to the driver as they whiz off to school. Motos are usually the fastest way to get around in Haiti.

Another commonly seen vehicle in Haiti is a tap- tap. These are colorfully painted pick-up trucks that sometimes have a roof and benches inside the truck bed. These are the equivalent of taxis in Haiti and pull over whenever a person standing on the side of the road waves their hand, in a gesture to mean they want to get on. Tap-taps are usually packed with people inside and others on the roof or hanging off the sides. Tap- taps are usually cheaper then motos but are very uncomfortable and take much longer to get to your destination.

The safer version of tap-taps are popadops, these are normal 15 passenger vans with more than 20 people packed inside. There is usually little air flow and many other reasons that make it an uncomfortable ride but usually safer than tap-taps. They are typically more expensive than a tap-tap and take about the same amount of time.

On market days many people ride donkeys or horses to carry the odds and ends they buy. Almost anywhere in Haiti you’ll see a mixture of these vehicles. 

However, the Glafcke family walks up and down the mountain they live on to get to the mission center in town which is about one mile away. 

Stay tuned for a new form of transportation for the Glafcke Family...