Haiti: The Nostalgia

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!

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.