It’s been 2 months since I left Haiti, and truth is, it’s been tough being away from the sun, the clear water beaches, the coconut trees, organic food, fresh seafood that were caught 15 minutes before they ended up on the stove, the mountains, the feeling of patriotism within a great nation, wednesdays at Best Western and the list goes on…It’s been tough being away from it all. And due to this great deal of nostalgia for the country for which I yearn, I created this video to give you a sense of what you’ve been missing, but mostly to remind me of how lucky I am to have experienced this beautiful nation with beautiful people. Enjoy!
Tag Archives: beauty
Haiti: Adventures in the Southern Department
Dear readers,
Are you at that point where you’re saying to yourself “That’s it! If she doesn’t stop posting those pictures of Haiti, I will get a ticket soon and head to Haiti!”? Are you at that point where you feel nostalgic for everything “Haitian”? Are you at that point where your perception of Haiti has changed from what you usually see in the media? Are you at that point where you’re having positive conversations about Haiti? Or are you not there..yet?
If you’re not at those points, that’s okay. But I will continue to show you the gorgeous sides of my birth country and everything you barely see. I will continue being that “Haiti” girl, to whom you can come and ask all your “Haiti” questions. I will continue flooding your Facebook newsfeeds, your twitter timelines and your WordPress newsfeeds with the sights I encounter in Haiti. And why do I do this, you may ask? Well, it’s simple: Haiti is beautiful and I want you to know, see and one day experience it on your own. I refuse to be like the many NGO workers, expats or workers of other international organizations who come to Haiti, live in the biggest/nicest houses with every amenities you can think of, drive the nicest most expensive cars and yet their online posts are only about the “poverty” in Haiti and their “projects”. I refuse to be a part of this hypocritical cycle that contributes to the detriment of Haiti’s image. With this said, I present to you images, taken by me, during my weekend trip to the south of Haiti. I visited Les Cayes, Port-Salut, 500 Marches (The 500 steps of pilgrimage), Grotte Marie-Jeanne (The Cave) in Port-a-Piment, Saut-Mathurine in Camp-Perrin and the Botanical Garden of Les Cayes..
The Cathedral in Les Cayes.
Untouched beach across from Ile-a-Vache
The side of the road. Island life.
The view while climbing the mountain to get to the cave aka Grotte Marie-Jeanne
The cave- Grotte Marie-Jeanne.
The cave- Grotte Marie-Jeanne.
Selfie with the caved elephants discovered in the cave. It is believed that this elephant may have been caved by the Marroon slaves or the Native Indians who resided on the island before Columbus’ arrival.
500 Marches. Pilgrimage consisting of clinbing 500 steps to the top of the mountain. It is indeed the longest pilgrimage walk in the world.
Hand-made bags seen on the beach at Port-Salut. Best believe I got myself one!
Typical hand-made Haitian hats seen at Port-Salut’s beach.
Sunset from Port-Salut.
Road leading to the house where Haitian leaders met to discuss the war to Haitian Independence.
The house where Haitian leaders meet to discuss the war to Haitian Independence in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.
The ruins of the house where Haitian leaders meet to discuss the war to Haitian Independence in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.
View from the ruins of the house where Haitian leaders meet to discuss the war to Haitian Independence in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.
Saut-Mathurine Waterfall. Yes, it is really this blue!
Saut-Mathurine Waterfall. Yes, it is really this blue!
Nature’s pool, created by the river. and yes it is also this blue!
View from my hotel room at Le Recul Hotel.
The Botanical Garden of Les Cayes.
The Botanical Garden of Les Cayes.
The Botanical Garden of Les Cayes.
Haiti: Adventures in the Northern Department
As an avid traveler, I usually like to explore different countries in the region where I am. However, since I’ve been in Haiti I haven’t had the desire to leave the country. There’s something about Haiti that leaves you yearning for more adventure, craving for more sights, wanting to dip your toes in different waters with vibrant colors. Whether you go north or south of the country , you just want more. So, excuse me if I haven’t been updating the blog as often as usual, I’ve just been too busy riding buses through the beautiful mountains, climbing to La Citadelle on a horse at 3000 ft, dipping myself in the clear waters that leave you feeling rejuvenated, eating freshly caught seafood and more. If you were in my position, you’d understand what it feels like to have your heart so stuck on truly discovery one country that it’s putting the nomad in you on hibernation mode.
Three weekends ago I’ve had the opportunity to travel to the north of Haiti for the first time in my life. My trip to La Citadelle was long awaited. La Citadelle, known as the “8th wonder of the world” is located in the town of Milot which is close to the famous town of Cap-Haitien in the north of Haiti. I remember the times when I could only dream of going to La Citadelle, the largest fortress to exist in the Americas, built by the Haitian people who put Napoleon Bonaparte and his French army to shame. I remember the years, in elementary school, when I studied about La Citadelle in the Haitian history books. I remember the times when, years later, I would see the coolest pictures and videos of foreigners enjoying the beautiful sights in my birth country and I would feel immense jealousy towards them. I remember the times when I begged my uncle’s wife to take me to her hometown of Cap-Haitien so I could visitLa Citadelle, the beautiful northern beaches, the Sans Souci Palace and she’d always reply “We’ll go soon.” But I couldn’t wait for “soon”. “Soon” was too far away and Mr “Right Now” was calling my name.
After 7 hours of driving through the mountains, being at the top of bigger mountains and overlooking other mountains (which to me was a crazy experience), I was grateful to have made it to Cap-Haitien. To get to Cap-Haitien from Port-au-Prince, you can either take a 25-minute plane ride or take the 7-hour bus ride (I used the Sans-souci tours bus) which costs about $17 USD one way. When I finally made it to the town of Cap-Haitien (or Okap in Creole) it was a dream come true. Seeing the cathedral which I have spent years admiring from google images, was a dream come true. It was a beautiful and looked as 17th century as it did in the photos. Seeing the Citadelle rendered me speechless. I had seen countless fortresses in Europe and I had never been as astonished as I was while visiting the Citadelle. Just the simple fact that every material that built the fortress was carried on human backs at 3000 ft on top of the mountain 200 years ago, just the simple fact that cow blood and sugar cane molasses were used to create the cement which still holds the fortress together, just these simple facts rendered me fond of the willingness of the Haitian people to remain a free country, to remain the first free black nation of the world.
Through this land of mountains there are so many sights to be seen, so many bodies of water that need to be dipped in, so many exoticness to be felt, that I often feel like I’m running out of time. The sights that I do see are meant to be captured with more than a camera, the waters in which I do dip are meant to be felt with more than the five senses. With this said, I will continue this post with nothing but pictures that will leave you speechless, because my words, as juicy as they can be, cannot suffice to explain the beauty and history I have witnessed in the north of Haiti.
The beautiful cathedral in Cap-Haitien
On the way to the Citadelle, Half way through the mountain.
Canons and canon balls in the Citadelle dating back to the very early 1800s.
At the top of the Citadelle.
View from the top of the Citadelle.
Inside the Citadelle.
A small church near the Sans-Souci Palace.
The ruins of the Sans-Souci palace.
Most the houses in Cap-Haitien are colonial style houses with balconies.
A quick visit to enjoy the views of Labadie.
Relaxation at Labadie
Kids playing around at Labadie.
Fishermen seen from Cormier Plage. Fresh seafood on deck!
Overlooking the ocean from the mountains.
The Saut D’Eau Adventure
“It took my breath away.”
“He/She took my breath away.”
“Taking one’s breath away.”
There’s something about having your breath taken away. There’s something so astonishing, so marvelous, so beautifully beyond imaginations that it leaves you grasping for air because it took your breath away. There’s something that leaves you feeling numb and breathless. But what does that really mean? I remember the times when I would see a crush and say “he took my breath away”. I remember my friends would see a shirtless crush with a nicely-shaped abdominal region and say “it took my breath away.” However, this past weekend, I’ve realized that the “taking my breath away” I’ve all been using all my life has been a big fat lie as I experienced the first time a sight that rendered me breathless.
The trip to Saut D’eau lasted about 1.5 hours during which we drove on the roads in the mountains, overlooking several parts of Haiti, with a view reaching the ocean. I was in awe. I found myself constantly repeating:”Dang, this country is beautiful!” and when I wasn’t, my other friends in the car were. I had never seen anything this beautiful. And it wasn’t any type of beauty. It was a raw beauty that was untouched, unadjusted, completely the way nature created it. You saw mountains after mountains and rivers in between the mountains and lakes a few miles away from the mountains and the cow eating its herbs peacefully on the side of the road.
Road heading to Seau D’eau in the mountains
After seeing this beautiful sight for 1.5 hours, I wanted to say that my breath was taken away, but to be honest, it wasn’t…yet. It wasn’t until after I arrived in the Seau D’Eau area, paid my 50 Gourdes ($1.10) entrance fee to the waterfall that my breath started to get taken away. My friends and I got in our bathing suits and decided we would climb to the top of the waterfall. There were a few guys who graciously helped us make our way to the top of the waterfall for a small tip. Half way through the top, I paused and dropped myself to the ground just to feel the cold water rush through my sweaty skin. The pause ended and we continued our way. A few minutes later, we had finally made it to the top. I sat down to feel the pressure of the waterfall. I felt the water brush against my back and cool my skin and after a few minutes it felt like I had been transported to heaven. I laid down on the big rocks, while in observation mode, and took in the water with all five senses. Afterwards, I sat up, and with the water still rushing past my skin with all its strength, I became even more observant of the water, the people making their way to the top, the guy who lit up his candles to honor the ancestors with his chants. I sat motionless for about 15 minutes. Here I was in Haiti, sitting under a waterfall with nothing but gorgeous mountains right across from me. At this moment, my breath was literally taken away. I was breathlessly fascinated at the beauty I was witnessing. I was breathless. I could not breathe. I thought maybe I needed an asthma pump. My breath was taken away. At that same moment, I heard my friend say: “This is so beautiful that it takes your breath away. I literally can’t breathe.”
Seau D’Eau Waterfall in Haiti
Seau D’Eau Waterfall in Haiti
A few seconds later, a man came to me and asked: “Is this your first time coming here?”. I replied with a short “yes”, hoping he would leave me in my silent observation. “You’re Haitian, right?” he continued. “Yes” I replied. “So why is this your first time coming here? You look like you’re in your 20s and it’s a shame that this is your first time here.” As much as it hurt to hear those words, I was completely in agreement with him that indeed it was a shame. It was a shame that tourists and missionaries and foreigners who come to Haiti pretending they’re doing development work (but that’s another story) knew my birth country better than I did. It was a shame that they knew the wonders of Haiti better than I did. At the same time, I was proud to have made it to Seau d’Eau, on of the many wonders of Haiti that will take your breath away in every sense. I was proud to be experiencing the natural beauty of this majestic nation that is often oppressed by the media. I became pensive, and to myself I said: ” Dear ancestors, I promise that my kids won’t wait as long as I did to discover the beauty of Haiti.”
Seau D’eau in Haiti
Haiti: A Different Perspective 