Cuba

My Mom’s birthday! This morning I was able to send her an early message because for the third time in a row I woke up at 4 am. It always takes me a while to adjust. I left icecold Holland three days ago. Minus 15 at night. Everybody was hoping for the "Elfstedentocht", a mammoth ice skating contest on natural ice passing eleven cities in the north of Holland. Last time it could be held was in 1997. It’s kind of a national highlight when it’s held. But again it started thawing before the ice could reach its minimum thickness of 15 centimeters.

 

In 30 degrees Celsius that all seems very far away now. I’m back in the America’s! For the last journey through this amazing continent. After spending a lovely Christmas time with my family and friends, snowboarding in the Alps and working on my second book in a little cabin in the Dutch woods, it’s time to finish the America’s. I started with carnaval in Rio, February 2011. Almost a year later the last trip is this one through the Caribbean. From Cuba all the way down to Trinidad & Tobago. Eleven countries and then it’s done. I can’t believe this is the second continent that I’m almost finished with. Exactly two and a half years after I started this incredible adventure. It’s already impossible to grasp what I have seen so far, whom I’ve met, how it felt.

It’s a good thing that I’m writing down the most important things. Somehow I feel it will be over before I know it. Another three and a half years to go. That’s right, I added a year. It will be a six year trip now. I’m doing too many extra things to be able to finish in five years. Why hurry? It’s the adventure of a lifetime. Let it last a little longer.

 

Next stop is Haiti. Two years after the devastating earthquake, things are still very bad. Dangerous too. That’s why I’ve contacted the Red Cross to ask if I could join them. I’ll make the Streets photo in Port au Prince. But I’ve also suggested that I’d make a reportage about their amazing work. They agreed.

We’ve come up with an extensive plan to try and make as much work as possible in different places in the country during the week that I’ll be there. Apparently during my visit Haiti will celebrate carnaval! Just like in Rio a year ago. Perhaps that will be my Streets photo of Haiti. One of hope.