Editor's Note: There's death and destruction almost everywhere in Haiti. But amid all the chaos there are signs – however small – of life trying to return to Port-au-Prince. Our Jason Carroll reports on that part of the story from the Haitian capital.
By Jason Carroll and Justin Dial
We witnessed tense moments at a Unibank just outside the city of Carrefour. People, who had lined up and waited hours for it to open for the first time since the earthquake, were pushed back by armed guards.
Astrid Napoleon had been waiting on line since 7 a.m. for the bank to open. She said she is hopeless because she has nothing at home, no money and nothing to eat. Later, Astrid leaves the line and gives up.
The bank's reopening is just one sign of how some are trying to get Port-au-Prince back on its feet. But the trouble there shows just how difficult that's going to be.
"Its hard to get in and it's crazy out here. ... There's no law and order," says Anderson Bellegarde.
Larger, established stores are hiring private security guards to watch properties damaged in the quake. But most business taking place now is happening on a smaller level, out on the streets.
Makeshift markets are popping up next to destroyed buildings all over the city. People are coming out and starting to sell basic goods such as vegetables, bread and sugar cane.
But some goods are being sold at inflated, post-earthquake prices. That goes for gas too. It has tripled in price, as much as $26 a gallon.
But a haircut at a barber shop we found is still only two U.S. dollars. Now, if the owner could only find customers with money to pay and gas to run his generator.
In the streets, there is a contrast of commerce: someone gets a shoe-shine, and the sadder and much more frequent sight of men trying to keep up with the demand for coffins.