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There is a point on the unforgiving mountain that separates Port-au-Prince from Jacmel past which the switchbacks become gentler, signalling, at last, the descent into this halcyon city.
Crossing it signifies the near-end of a stomach-sloshing journey; when Lion Paul passes by, a familiar heat ignites beneath his ribs.
"You might not believe me, but every time I get there, I cannot stop my heart from beating fast because I know I'm coming home," the 63-year-old doctor said, smiling. "In the U.S., I would dream of myself passing again through these streets."
Dr. Paul, an orthopedic surgeon based in New York, hasn't lived in Jacmel for more than 30 years. But the earthquake – and the massive array of complicated injuries it caused – drew him back for good.
