After five months of separation from family, my husband Eric scheduled a weeklong visit to Haiti. Unlike my other visitors, I did not expect that Eric would fold into my daily routine. In addition, the Seminary was going to be closed for most of his visit because of Holy Week, reducing the scope of my responsibilities. I had wanted to head north and visit the historic Citadel Fortress and San Souci Palace, both constructed by Henri Christophe in the mid 18th century. This was the perfect opportunity.
I was introduced to Jacqui Labrom, a travel agent who specialized in arranging trips to Cap Haitian and Labadie. I explained our parameters-comfortable and simple- and she knew just where we should stay-Norm’s Place. Jacqui also took care of all the other details such as air, ground and, yes, water transportation. She was in constant communication with me and not insulted by what I am sure seemed like some pretty elementary questions. In short, she was a dream.
April 1st arrived and I couldn’t wait to see Eric. I arrived at the airport a little early. The time seemed to creep along. About a half hour after the plane was supposed to land, I received a text message from Eric, “I have a bad luggage feeling”. Hmmm, this was not a good start to Eric’s experience of Haiti. Within another half hour, though, he came through the exit door. I was standing right in front of him but he was looking out not down. I had to call his name so he wouldn’t run over me! He gave me a huge hug and kissed me all over my face. It was great!
We headed off to the Ollofson for dinner and an overnight before flying to Cap. The Ollofson was, at one time, a prestigious hotel. Many historical meetings have taken place there and well-known individuals stayed there. Through the course of time, however, it has become a bit worn. Nevertheless, it has a wonderful wrap around porch and, if you request a room on what is called the “Maternity Ward”, you have a great view of Port au Prince.
The next morning we headed back to my apartment, so that Eric could re-pack in a small suit case and headed to the small airport. Flight delays resulted in landing in Cap Haitian after daylight. Azanar, our driver for our time in Cap Haitian, picked us up. Once we moved out of the city limits, there were no streetlights. In fact, there was really no street! The roadway was essentially dirt and a fair number of rocks. As we drove along, I could see the foamy tops to the waves below. Despite my 5 month residency in Haiti, I had only been this close to the ocean during my two visits to Acahaie. I was really looking forward to some time at the beach.
After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the shoreline. There, waiting for us, was a water taxi. Eric was not convinced that this was the way we needed to travel to the little inlet where the guesthouse was located. Eventually, he was persuaded.
Though dark, I could see the outline of the central building of Norm’s place. The main doors were open and the warm lighting allowed you to see the stone walls and
Haitian furnishings. We were greeted by Norman and his wife Angelique, the co-owners. Norman was a delightful senior American. He was very warm and informal while also possessing a refined, distinguished quality about him.Angelique was a lovely Haitian woman, petite with a quiet strength about her.
Norman took us to our room, beautiful and spacious with stone walls and a bathroom constructed of tiles from the roofs of old French houses in Cap. We unpacked and then joined Norm for dinner.
Norm enchanted us with stories of his first career as a NY fashion designer and first marriage to a model who died very young. This was followed by a visit to Haiti and the purchase of the fort. Eventually Norm met Angelique and, together, they transformed the fort into the intimate and inviting place that it is today.
While we were eating, I noticed a man stretched out on one of the couches watching television. He did not participate in the conversation. Of course, we did not invite him into it either.
The first full day in Labadie was unscheduled. This was the first leave time that I had taken while in Haiti. It felt very strange #1 to be with my husband and #2 to be without obligations. Though I certainly have some regularity to my days, primarily dictated by the schedule of English classes, I define the rest of my time. Since my arrival, I have felt driven to accomplish as much as possible. Given that my family is not here and I do not have significant domestic responsibilities, I work most of the time. The next week was going to require some adjustment.
The fist morning, I woke up to the familiar sound of sweeping. This is a daily ritual for every home or business owner in Haiti. On this particular property, there are many trees, and, consequently, lots of leaves that fall in the course of a day. Beautiful white sand is spread on all the walkways and everyone is invited to walk barefoot, so it is deemed important to keep everything pristine. And it was.
I spent much of the first day reading The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz (which, by the way, I high recommend) and watching children tracking the boats and the big cruise ship which was in view from the house. Eric was also settling into a more relaxed frame of mind.
Friday night we were joined at dinner by Eggy Suarez, the gentleman who had been watching T.V. the previous night. He was a Marine Biologist from Cuba whose company was interested in enhancing some of the beach areas of Labadie, including the development of a dolphin reserve and aquarium. While these plans were being formulated, the company was sub-contracting with the cruise line and offering coast line tours during their day long shore leave. Eggy was committed to the area for the next three years and was actually living at Norm’s Place. Eggy’s English was excellent and we enjoyed hearing him share his knowledge of the sea. It was a delightful evening.
The next morning Eric and I left early to experience a day of Haitian history. We were scheduled to visit the Citadel Fortress and San Souci Palace, both constructed by Henri Christophe. The drive to Milor, the home of San Souci, took about 1 ½ hours, over typical “rugged” roads. We met up with our guide, Maurice, and first went to the Citadel. We drove to a parking area from which we could view the mammoth Citadel. We then mounted horses for the final approach. Horses, like many things in Haiti, are small. Viewing Eric on one of these little horses was amusing to me and the Haitians along the route. We arrived at the Citadel and I was amazed by the size and structure of this fort. Very impressive, especially for the early 19th century. As I walked the top of the fortress, I was keenly aware that I was 300 feet high. A little daunting to say the least.
Then it was on to San Souci. From the Citadel, we approached the back of the palace, allowing you to see the scope of the property and its structures. Though now a ruin as a result of a 19th century fire and earthquake, it is still clear to see the magnitude of the palace, associated buildings and grounds, including gardens. It must have been spectacular when first constructed.
We finished the day with a visit to Maurice’s cultural center, Lakou Lakay (family compound in Creole). It is actually a family project. Maurice’s children, nieces and nephews provide the music and his wife prepares a delicious lunch. Lakou Lakay has been a life long dream of Maurice and, after 20 years in the making, he is finally at a point where only the final touches remain. We bid farewell and returned to Norm’s Place.
Sunday was Palm Sunday. Eric was not enthused about making another trip on the road to Cap Haitian. I, however, wanted to go to church. I had contacted Pere Noe weeks earlier and he was expecting me. It was a wonderful service that began with a procession around the block. The church was packed. Azanar had driven me. He knew Pere Noe and attended the service with me. Afterwards, Azenar drove me to the center square of Cap Haitian. We were also able to access the municipal building that offered a great view. We even met the mayor! Then we drove along the “Boulevard” a central road of Cap that runs along the ocean. Soon it was time to return to Labadie.
Sunday afternoon, three young adults arrived at Norm’s place. A young man named Jamie was part of an initiative called Meds & Food For Kids (medandfodforkids.org), providing health and nutritional support, including a nutrient rich peanut butter call Medika Mamba. He lived in Cap Haitian. Rebecca Heidkamp was a nutritionist with GHESKIO (gheskio.org) a non-profit focused on HIV/Aids, and lived in Port au Prince. was a friend of Rebecca visiting for a week. She taught 4th grade in an innovative K-8 private school in Nashville, Tennessee. We spent our days engaged in our own activities. However, we came together over dinner each night, exchanged adventrues and got to know each other. Jamie, Rebecca and were all Cornell grads. They had already been involved in significant work to help effect positive change in the world. Incredibly bright and motivated, they made me long for the years that they had ahead of them to have a long-term impact around the globe. Though they left on Tuesday morning, I suspected that Jamie, Rebecca and I would intersect at some other point during my residency.
As luck would have it, Eric’s brother and family were on a cruise scheduled to dock in Labadie on the Monday of our visit. Jacqui knew someone affiliated with the cruise company and obtained clearance for us to spend the day on the beach with them. I had not seen them since my Commissioning in early October and was really looking forward to the day. Norman and Angelique operated a shop on the cruise beach. They had traveled to the states on Saturday and Angelique’s son, Franck, was now in residence at Norm’s Place and running the shop. He took us over to the beach and introduced us to the Site Manager. My sister-in-law Sandy and nephew Sam found us before we were given the green light by the management. What a great reunion! We had a great day on the beach together, laughing and sharing stories and adventures of the past five months. The time passed all too quickly. At 3:30 p.m., we said goodbye and parted ways, Curt, Sandy Katie and Sam to the cruise ship and Eric and I to our little water taxi. What a gift for me.
Franck returned to Norm’s Place later in the day. As is so common in Haitian culture, he touched base with me to make sure that we had successfully connected with our family and enjoyed the day. I said yes and affirmed that rules are rules and process and protocol in such situations need to be respected. With that remark, the typically soft-spoken, unassuming man began to share his opinion of the cruise company policies and soon ventured into some fascinating and distressing history of Haitian politics. Some of the history had touched his life and that of his family personally. We must have talked for over an hour. I learned a great deal, not the least of which was about the depth of Franck’s character and the sacrifices that he and his family had made along the way.
Tuesday was our last day in Labadie. Originally, I had planned a day in Cap Haitian. In the course of our stay at Norm’s Place we had developed a special relationship with Eggy. There was no cruise ship scheduled on Tuesday and he offered to take us out on his smaller boat. We would spend most of our time on a nearby beach called Little Paradise. Eric and I were both thrilled by the invitation.
We headed out around 10 a.m. with Eggy and his crew. As we rounded the point and approached Little Paradise, I was struck by the simple, elegant beauty of the shoreline. The beach was pristine. You could see where fresh water met the ocean making a brackish pool. Once we dropped anchor, Eric and I hopped off the boat and headed in different directions. I was drawn to the shady area where the fresh water entered. As I moved through the area and took pictures, I could hear men singing up the hill. I climbed up and moved toward their voices. They were breaking stone and also cooking their lunch. I would have stayed and talked with them. However, I suddenly found myself covered by mosquitoes. This precipitated a quick descent to the water!
The rest of the day was spent wading through the water to find various forms of sea life and just enjoying one another’s company. We were also able to witness two boats bring in their catch of the day. In both cases, I crawled into the boats to photograph the yield. They were happy to display unusual sea life that had also gotten trapped in the nets. It was a perfect ending to a perfect week.
I greeted Wednesday with reluctance. Eric and I had had a magical time together. In the midst of getting reacquainted, we had met some amazing people. We stood midway through Holy Week I already experienced a taste of the Easter light ,cast through the love of a husband who traveled from South Africa not only to spend time with me but to understand more fully my call to Haiti and service as a Missioner. I was incredibly grateful and knew that this reunion and retreat would sustain me until my one-month leave in July.
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