Petionville, Delmas and Port-au-Prince fall in an 8-mile-long line you can traverse along the Rue Fernand in an hour or so, depending on traffic.

The ground is high in Petionville and the money is there, although that does not mean the poverty is not. The ground is low in Port-au-Prince and the poverty is ubiquitous.

Extreme poverty is everywhere. But the earthquake’s fist pounded it all, and it pounded it like a fist, demolishing this and demolishing that, but leaving much in between unassailed.

In a way, though, the damage here is not about buildings, it’s about confidence. People no longer believe in structures. They live in tents outside of houses with no signs of damage, three months and more since the primary quake.......read more