I was very excited to have the opportunity to go back to the North for work. There are a lot of places in the North that I really wanted to visit, but didn't get a chance to when I was there back in September. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to go back.
There has been a lot of talk in Haiti that the former president, Aristide, would be returning. Aristide was the first democratically elected Haitian president and is very much a hero to many Haitians. However, he has been in exile since he was overthrown during the 2004 coup d'etat. People were uncertain what kind of demonstrations might arise, etc. upon his return The news reported that he was scheduled to arrive mid to late afternoon on the day I was supposed to fly to the North. I knew that if I could just get to the airport before he arrived, I would be able to fly out. Therefore, I left early in the morning even though I had a late afternoon flight to try and get to the airport before his arrival. However, typical to Haiti, nothing ever works out as planned.
When we were about 10 minutes from the airport, we saw groups of people just running towards the airport and then we heard on the radio that Aristide had arrived. My driver immediately started calling his friends and family to tell them the news. I asked him if he liked Aristide and he said he didn't like him as much as many other people, but that today, he was obligated to be excited for his country. I wasn't sure what to expect as we drew closer to the airport. There were huge crowds of people shouting with excitement, embracing and dancing in the streets. The crowds were so dense that we could not get our vehicle through to make it to the small airport that I was hoping to fly out of. We had to turn around and attempt to go another way. As we were pulling out, doves were released into the air, and people were cheering and then Aristide began addressing the country on the radio.
Upon arriving, I called the driver that had been arranged to come pick me up. He was clearly one of our staff member's friends on a moto. I hopped on, arranged my suitcase and backpack and off we were to Miguel's, the supervisor for our programs in the North, house. As we were stuck in traffic, one of the other men whom I had spoken with on the plane passed me in his nice, new car. He just looked out the window and laughed at the site of a blan on a moto with all her things. It was a reminder to me of how far I had come since last time I was in the North. Back in September, I arrived in the North and had been picked up in a car and had only really been able to communicate with the driver in English. Here I am, almost 7 months later, navigating the city on a moto, communicating without a problem in Kreyol.
A view of Cap Haitien from the mountains above
While I hate the traffic here, Cap Haitien itself is a really cool town. I can't imagine what it looked like back in its prime. It had been a vital city during the colonial period serving as the capital of the French colony. Much of the French colonial architecture has been well preserved and the city sits between the Bay of Cap Haitien and mountains to the West. It had once been a town that attracted a lot of tourists due to its beautiful beaches, historic towns and proximity to Milot.
The center of town in Cap Haitien
I met up with Alliance, DSI's Coordinator for the Parish Programs and Miguel. We were able to get some stuff for work accomplished and I got settled in at Miguel's house. Later that night, we went out to dinner at a restaurant that was right on the water and had live music. I had a cheeseburger and fries. I felt like I was somewhere else in the world - not in Haiti.
While in the North, I really wanted to go and see some of the main tourist attractions, the Citadelle and Labadee beach. Saturday we got up early to go to the Citadelle. I really wanted to go and even though both Miguel and Alliance had been several times, I was at least able to convince Alliance to take me for my first time. We had a long moto drive and some unfortunate mechanical problems with the moto. We stopped several times and got off, and at one point even paid someone to bring cooking oil from their house to put on the chain, but it still didn't fix the problem. The moto couldn't make it up the steep inclines so, Alliance and I started walking until we could hopefully find another moto driver to help us with the ascent.
We finally reached the parking lot and were immediately bombarded by people trying to sell things and
people asking to be our guide. We refused and started our hike up to the Citadelle. The Citadelle is a mountaintop fortress whose construction was started by Henri Christophe, one of the key leaders to the slave rebellion that eventually led to Haiti's independence. The Citadelle was built in order to protect the newly independent nation by serving as a fortress should they be invaded by the French. It is said that it took over 200,000 workers to build the Citadelle and it is believed that 20,000 men died during its construction due to exhaustion. It was designed to have over 360 cannons, house 10,000 soldiers, store enough food for 5,000 men for 1 year, and house the King and his family. It covers an impressive 108,000 square feet and the walls rise over 130 feet high. Despite being built for 15 years, it was never completely finished and was never actually used.
I really enjoyed just exploring all over and was just in awe over the size and construction of the Citadelle. Most impressive were the phenomenal views from the top! I wish I could describe it better, but I think the pictures below will help you get a feel for just how incredible it is!
After exploring the Citadelle, we stopped at the ruins of Palace Sans Souci, which was also built by
Henri Christophe. Palace Sans Souci had served as King Henri's residence. It was said to have been very impressive during its time with immense gardens and he hosted many dances and feasts at his Palace. Some say that part of the reason why King Henri built so many elaborate structures was to prove to foreigners the power and capability of the black race. Unfortunately, the Palace was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1842 and was never repaired. Today, it is mostly in ruins.
After exploring both the Palace and the Citadelle and gaining a glimpse into early Haitian history, it was time to head to our next destination - Labadee. We found our second moto driver and he took us back down the rest of the mountain to meet up with our other lovely and not very functional moto and driver. After two stops for repairs, he drove us to Labadee beach. We drove along the coastline and the view was so beautiful. On one side was the ocean and the other were mountains with lots of trees (unlike many other places in Haiti). At one point, I looked up and saw a rollercoaster ride along the ocean and then noticed that it was
After some negotiating, we took a small boat to the place where we would be staying for the rest of the weekend, Norm's Place. Norm's place is a restored plantation that was once run by a French colonial used to produce a rough mortar and indigo. It was abandoned by the French in 1791
during the slave uprising and restored by an American and his Haitian wife in 1970. It is a beautiful place tucked right on the cove by a small coastal town. Alliance and I had fun exploring the small town. There wasn't much besides a dock with a lot of boats, a small town park with a basketball court and lots of trash from the Royal Carribean cruise ship, but I absolutely loved it. We enjoyed our time there, relaxing in the hammocks, reading and took a day trip to the island of Ile-a-Rat. After entirely too much negotiating, we finally convinced two guys to take us on their boat. It was definitely worth the trip. We ended up being the only ones on the island and were able to relax and enjoy the crystal clear water.
It was such a wonderful weekend and I definitely didn't want it to end. However, I think the best part was when Alliance thanked me for showing him "the way my country was supposed to be”.
