Cap-Haitien has a population of 100,000 and is the second largest city in Haiti. It has a rich history and there are plenty of places to visit in the surrounding area. The best beaches are to the northwest, about a half hour by car. The…Read More

Cap-Haitien has a population of 100,000 and is the second largest city in Haiti. It has a rich history and there are plenty of places to visit in the surrounding area. The best beaches are to the northwest, about a half hour by car. The city lies on the west side of a small cape on Haiti's north coast.

The best places to stay are Les Jardins de l'Ocean, Brise de Mer, and Hotel Mont Joli. The extremely cheap places are mostly long-term for local residents, sailors, and taptap drivers. There are no phones and little security. One thing to know about though is that some of the mid-range hotels cost the same as a luxury hotel, so it is good to choose the better ones, which will cost the same in the long run. Also, sharing a room is not cheaper, as most will charge extra for that. This is good to know if you are traveling in a group.

Most of the restaurants in town serve either Haitian food or French cuisine and a few pizza joints. The best places to eat are Roi Christopher (262-0414 on Rue 24B part of the Hotel, Brise de Mer (262-0821 at 4 Carnegie), and the Feu Vert Restaurant on Bouvelard at Rue 24, open 9am to 10pm. Boros Bar is diverse and is a nightclub later on in the evening. Also, the Ozan Nan Na at 46 Rue 18A.

Cap-Haitien is a very relaxed city with a reportedly very low crime rate. The tourist market is very casual in comparison with Port-au-Prince. The traffic is lighter and calmer because of the narrow street. Remember, as with the rest of Haiti, do not drink the tap water. Always carry bottled water with you.

Around Cap-Haitien is the Henri Christophe's splendid palace, Sans Souci, and the mountaintop fortress, the Citadelle. Sans Souci is on the edge of the small town Milot. Entrance tickets are sold at the parking lot which also includes the Citadelle. You can rent horses to ride up to the Citadelle and it is a lot of fun. Some people walk and make just as good time. When we were there, they had touristy things to buy from local vendors and Haitian music was playing; a little hokey but entertaining.

When we first arrived at the village of Terrier Rouge which would be our home for the next two weeks, we were welcomed by all the neighborhood children who knew we were coming. They met us at the gate of the backyard and helped us…Read More

When we first arrived at the village of Terrier Rouge which would be our home for the next two weeks, we were welcomed by all the neighborhood children who knew we were coming. They met us at the gate of the backyard and helped us unload. The house was simple but of high standards, Haitian style. We even had indoor bathrooms that had flushing toilets and cement showers that were fed by a water holding tank in the courtyard which was reached by a ladder and filled by hand with buckets lifted up, one by one.

The separate cookhouse was where our meals were prepared by local women hired by the pastor who owned the house and took care of visiting missionaries. Our beds were American style, the back of the house housed the pastor and his wife and daughters, and we shared three bedrooms in the front of the house that all were entered from the central sitting room.

A long table was situated in an eating area off the back of the house and it sat all eleven of us. We were very comfortable, and there were even times I actually felt guilty because the children we helped were so worse off. But they were use to it and we were not. High precaution was practiced when preparing our foods and even the bottled water and soda cans were washed in a chlorox solution and sanitized before putting in the cooler that was run by a generator. The electricity was turned off periodically to save money, but they put it on at night so we could sleep with the many fans on, our only relief from the intense heat.

I will never forget the hospitality of the Haitian people who worked so hard for us. They were great. The town was very poor, most did not have generators or bathrooms, only one and two rooms and a place to cook in the yards. The children did not wear clothes or just a minimum, and most were barefoot. However, when getting ready for school, their mums scrub them up and dress them in the required uniforms with shoes the sponsors usually send them. The girls hair is done in numerous bows and barrettes, and nothing is cuter.

The sponsorship helps over 1,000 children in Terrier Rouge and the villages of Danda, Paulette, Phaeton, Ouvray, Juchereau, and Roche Platte.

As you travel along the few dusty rural roads of the Haitian countryside and even in the similarly dusty streets of the country's cities and towns, you will notice how strikingly beautiful the children are. The children of Haiti, I would say, are Haiti's most…Read More

As you travel along the few dusty rural roads of the Haitian countryside and even in the similarly dusty streets of the country's cities and towns, you will notice how strikingly beautiful the children are. The children of Haiti, I would say, are Haiti's most beautiful and valuable asset. They are all gorgeous, with the biggest whitest smiles that Americans envy and spend a fortune trying to acquire. They have so much spunk, and love to laugh, but mostly they are extremely lovable and snuggly. Holding hands is a big pastime in Haiti. Many times, you will see children and grown people walking hand in hand or with their arms around each other. This affection is normal to them and they are not ashamed to express it. The children also love to play with any American's hair, male or female. They run for a comb and spend a long time arranging it in very creative coiffeurs. But beware, some of them can really get rough.

I know that speaking about children is not the thing that a tourist is wanting to hear, but I can assure you that if and when you visit you will feel the same way.

The most important thing that I learned by visiting Haiti, is that we have to leave all our American ways and pre-conceived ideas of how we think life should be lived behind in the states. If we do not, we will never have the gift of seeing a new life that may even be better than ours. After my first initial shock of seeing so much poverty, I opened my eyes internally and saw not poverty but a richness of life that we in America do not have. Simplicity and a slower pace that allows them to be more connected to the earth, sky, and all that is in between.

I now look back with shame on how I judged the Haitian people and the lack of the things I thought were important. I can see now those things are trivial. What is really important are people and family, basic survival, and a contentment for what little they have. I am going to post photographs of children faces, and more in the Haitian photo album in general. I hope you enjoy visiting the true Haiti.

Going to Haiti was something I would have never planned on doing on my own, but when I became involved with a child sponsorship program that is based in Maine from which I picked several children to sponsor, I could not pass up the opportunity…Read More

Going to Haiti was something I would have never planned on doing on my own, but when I became involved with a child sponsorship program that is based in Maine from which I picked several children to sponsor, I could not pass up the opportunity to join a mission team and go to Haiti and work with the children directly in Terrier Rouge and the surrounding villages with this organization. It is called "His Hands for Haiti" and it gives 100% of the money from the sponsors to the children because all the work is donated and done by volunteers like myself. The total cost to sponsor for one year and provide a child with tuition, uniform, books, and one hot meal a day (and for some their only meal) is ONLY $80 which can be paid in two payments during that year. That is less than my family going out for a night of a movie and pizza.

We traveled to Haiti from Fort Pierce, FL on the Missionary Flights Incorporated Planes, and what a pleasant experience to actually have your pilot come out and pray with you and the rest of the passengers for a safe flight, and that is just what we had. It took about five hours in all. The views from the airplane were breathtaking and the color of the sea was a green-blue that you cannot describe. There is nothing else like it. It is a color I now dream about. Most call it Caribbean blue; it is uniquely beautiful. Stopping on the way at Exuma in the Bahamas, we refueled and again headed for Haiti. As I could see the Tortoise Island just before Haiti, the coastline of Haiti could be seen just beyond and was edged with lacy white caps along the island's coastline. Off on the horizon of the mountains that lie just inward from the sea, you can make out the shape of the "Citadel" the castle-like fortress which has great historical richness and is one of the most visited places of interest in all of Haiti.

Arriving in Cap Haitian air port is a culture shock right from the start. You cannot make your way from the terminal door to your vehicle without being swamped with men trying to carry your bags for you, or begging for money. "Misses, misses," they shout, "gimme gimme doll-lar". Some even train their young children to beg, but at least it gets you ready to take sight of the amazing poverty that becomes so evident as soon as you start driving away from the airport and into the city. Cap Haitian is a small city smothered in garbage everywhere you look, along the road, across the road, down every alley you look down, along every bridge or gutter of stagnant water. Goats, pigs, and donkeys grazing anywhere they can in the city streets among the many peddlers who line their tiny, make-do shops wherever they can find room along the main road. Shacks and dirt and grime covers every square inch, and the concentration of it is just overwhelming. Anger is your first reaction and, as an American, you can't understand how anyone or any country can live in such a high level of filth. There is no place to escape it. Poverty is all that you can see. The roads are in horrible condition with ruts and holes and mud if it has just rained. There is no order to anything, no rules, no regulations. Just total chaos.

Needless to say, I was anxious to get out of the city, and as we finally broke away from it, the road to Terrier Rouge was different but just as devastating. The poverty spreads out into the countryside, with shacks and huts along the road displaying a lifestyle that you cannot even imagine is really lived in. Children run naked or half clothed and shout "blan blan" as they see your white faces, and the adults wave at you as you drive by, the dust from the road seeps into the car, and dirt is everywhere, the trees and bushes along the road are even covered with the dust, and the greenness of the tropical trees can only be seen from a distance. The mountain ranges that follow the road on the right side hover high and distant and, once in awhile, you get a glimpse of the blue sea on the left. It is hard to capture the beauty because the poverty is so shocking. There are people walking along the road with large parcels and buckets balanced on their heads, or riding old mangy horses and donkeys that look half starved. Yet, everyone always waves to you. Soon, we come into a small village, and again the poverty is so concentrated. My head was spinning as I tried to believe what I was seeing. The poverty would not be so overwhelming if it wasn't for the amount of garbage strewn about, and the lack of hope that seemed to settle over everything. But one thing seemed very evident, the people who lived here were beautiful to look at, and the children had a joy about them that seemed impossible to believe while living in these conditions. We found ourselves going from small village to countryside again and again until finally our driver announced that Terrier Rouge was just up ahead. Creole is the main language here and some French is spoken but rarely. Terrier Rouge was like the other villages, but the main street seemed wider, and the houses less crowded side by side. Before I knew it, we took a sharp right-hand turn and into a narrow alley, two young boys opened a large double gate and we were soon inside a courtyard. This was my new home for two weeks. I will tell you more in my next story.

I find it hard to tell people that I’ve been to Haiti, because as much as the brochure for this cruise told me I was going there, it wasn’t really Haiti. Of course, I don’t know anyone (outside of missionaries, and I don’t know…Read More

I find it hard to tell people that I’ve been to Haiti, because as much as the brochure for this cruise told me I was going there, it wasn’t really Haiti. Of course, I don’t know anyone (outside of missionaries, and I don’t know any of those) who want to go to Haiti proper, but this whole experience was so surreal and overwhelmingly sad that I still get stuck thinking about it sometimes.

The island that we went to was technically part of Hispaniola, but it was either owned or rented by Royal Caribbean exclusively as a port of call for their ships. This information was not something that I came upon by any amount of sleuthing; it was apparent immediately by the fact that the only people working on the island (aside from vendors, which I’ll get to later) were the employees we had been getting to know all week.

They walked around selling us overpriced fruity cocktails and little foam fans that mist you with water. They set up an elaborate buffet on one side of the island and herded us toward our scheduled activities. Before our activity was scheduled to begin, we had quite a bit of time to enjoy the island.

This island is paradise, essentially. It’s surrounded by mountains and water that’s shockingly blue. It was like a new shade of blue created just to be beautiful and make your heart swell. Gentle hills overlooking the water stand like sentries on either side of the beach. Thatched gazebos with picnic tables in them sit on top of these hills so naturally that it seemed like they grew there just so you can sit in the shade while you stare at the water. The white-sand beaches were flawless, except for the hypodermic needle I found laying in the sand on the less-attractive side of the island.

There were two open markets with vendors selling hats and boxes that read "Haiti" and all other typical tchochkes that you can find in any island market. The vendors working at the market were actual Haitians, but it was very apparent that they did not live on this island. The island was tiny; we walked from end to end and there was nothing resembling a residence there. I very much got the feeling that these were people shipped in to give the island a feeling of authenticity. There was a desperation about them that I have never encountered in any other market of this kind. One thing I will never forget was after haggling over the price of a straw hat. I tried to excuse myself by telling the vendor that I had to go get something to eat, and he just looked at me and said, "Can I have some food?"

This island was one of the most naturally beautiful places I had even seen, or will ever see, but it made me feel so spoiled and white and guilty. I don’t know what everyone else took away from the experience, as they seemed to be having a great time, but I’m not going to assume anything. I just felt awful.

When I planned my mission trip to Haiti, all the travel books show the "tourists" spots of the island. This is not the true Haiti. Haiti is a very poor, depressed nation. Yes, there are highlights, but the low points sometimes hide the highs. In Port…Read More

When I planned my mission trip to Haiti, all the travel books show the "tourists" spots of the island. This is not the true Haiti. Haiti is a very poor, depressed nation. Yes, there are highlights, but the low points sometimes hide the highs.

In Port Au Prince, there is contrast of poor among the rich. There is no middle class. Concrete huts without doors are right next to mansions.

In Cap Haitian, I found a disaster. Living among the population wer goats, pig, cows, and chickens. The garbage is dumped outside the front door. When it piles up, they burn it before the pigs get to it. The smell of sewage, urine, and charcoal process was overwhelming. I felt very sorry about how humans are forced to live. At night, the nights noises of dogs, chickens, and voodoo chants are disturbing.

Homes consisted mostly of concrete, some with doors, others with a towel or sheet covering the inside area. Most cook over charcoal, and eat what they can grow, purchases or trade. Most meals consist of rice and beans.

But as I stated, there is beauty. It is in the people, especially the children. They smile when you greet them. They live their lives day to day, one day at a time. Wake up, send the children to get water, and figure out today's meals. Most seem happy to be alive. They deal with this type of life because they do not know better, or have just figured it can only get better.

I do plan on going again. I was there to help the Haitians and spread the Word of God.

If you get to Haiti, stay at the Kinam Hotel in Petion Ville. It is a very nice hotel. Nice pool, good food. There is a contrast of economic level in the area. Nice homes as well as the poor. A beautiful Baptist Church is located acrros from a park.

In Cap Haitian, the only place I know is the Hotel Beck, an old hotel in the hills. It could use some updating and a good cleaning, but the food was excellent and a great place to relax. It overlooks the ocean. Take a couple sets of ear plugs to muffle the night noises of dogs, chickens, and voodoo chants.

Overall, this was an experience I will not forget. It definitely allowed me to count my blessings as an American. What we take for granted, like drinking water, clean air, and a semi-clean atmosphere, are non-existent.

http://www.freewebs.com/jamesandshayneinhaiti/This site is on travel to Haiti, Haiti is a fun and interesting place to vacation in. Jacmel is a beautiful town to visit. We had a great time there.…Read More

http://www.freewebs.com/jamesandshayneinhaiti/

This site is on travel to Haiti, Haiti is a fun and interesting place to vacation in. Jacmel is a beautiful town to visit. We had a great time there.Close

Come along with me on a walk through the village of Terrier Rouge. As a missionary, you can go be among the people in their daily life and we have an advantage over a tourist because we get to live with and in the same…Read More

Come along with me on a walk through the village of Terrier Rouge. As a missionary, you can go be among the people in their daily life and we have an advantage over a tourist because we get to live with and in the same lifestyle as the people as much as possible.

As soon as you leave the back gate, there are at least three children playing nearby who immediately grab your hand and intend on accompanying you wherever you go. You do not, I would like to add, have any say in the matter. Eventually you look like the Pied Piper because you will have several more children following you and your teammates, each hand is held, and you soon look like a parade of white and black bodies intertwined. We have a few families to go and see today, need to check on a sick girl and make a phone call home to America.

So come along, as we go down the Main Street towards the Telephone mini-business, we pass by a "Casket Making" shop. It is not unusual to have at least one funeral a week, so casketmaking is a viable business. Later on, you might pass some men passing the time (who do not have jobs, I might say) playing the very popular game in Haiti, dominoes. They have a custom that the loser wears clothespins attached to the skin around his face. Eventually, they look like a weird sort of lion. A little further along, we finally come to the telephone place, he charges us $3.00 for a three-minute call to America which is not bad at all. Having a group of missionaries in town has upped his business for the day. After the phone call, we stop and see a young girl who has been sick. She is paralyzed from the waist down and has had a lot of swelling all over her body. The physician's assistant that is with us has been monitoring her progress on a new medication. After that, we head back to our house through more narrow alleys past a town well, across a small gully bridge. It doesn't take too long, and then we will be off to the school down the street to process 50 more children for sponsorship. This takes the work of the whole team of eleven members, each doing a different task. Biographies are taken of each child, measurements for sizes, feet measured for shoes, height, each child is photographed twice and, of course, candy is given out when finished. That is one day. There are meals in between and time to play with the neighborhood children who are always waiting for you at the gate.

My partner and I love to go to Haiti. We always have a great time there, and can't wait to go back. The two of us have been there about a dozen times in the past 10 years. The art is wonderful there, with great…Read More

My partner and I love to go to Haiti. We always have a great time there, and can't wait to go back. The two of us have been there about a dozen times in the past 10 years. The art is wonderful there, with great deals.

Unfortunately, Haiti gets an undeserved bad reputation from the press, which seriously cripples the tourist industry there. However, tourism is on the rise in Haiti. Last year, Americans and Canadians alone spent over $100 million dollars there on recreational vacationing. Hotels that I recommend in Haiti are the El Rancho Hotel and Casino, the Villa Creole Hotel, the Cocounut Villa Hotel, and the Hotel Montana. There are also other fine hotels in Haiti. A hotel that I Do Not recommend is the Hotel Oloffson. Do yourself a favor and stay away from there. Also, the food is great in Haiti.

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in St. Louis provides a wealth of options for serving the local population. It boasts the only free clinic on the north side of the island, which is always in need of volunteers. I spent two weeks working there,…Read More

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in St. Louis provides a wealth of options for serving the local population. It boasts the only free clinic on the north side of the island, which is always in need of volunteers. I spent two weeks working there, and despite my total lack of medical experience I knew I was still useful. They house a pharmacy and a newly opened birthing clinic for local mothers. They run a mother-education program to teach women how to care for their babies, as well as programs to feed up to 1000 children a day. There's an orphanage and a school, and many more programs co-sponsored by Northwest's sister church.

I've taken three separate trips to Haiti, and a part of my heart will forever remain there. When little children run up to you with no desire other than to sit in your lap and play with your hair, you find a new perspective on your own life. Haiti will never be a luxury vacation destination - don't plan on relaxing. But if you want a trip that will changes lives, both others and your own, there's no better place than this tiny Caribbean nation.