The Hike to LaVisite

The girls - Diane, Gwen, me and Susan - along with our friend and interpreter Walnes - set out from Wings of Hope, just up the mountains outside of Port-au-Prince, early Monday morning, June 8th. Our driver drove us up to Furcy to meet our guide. Don't bother with comments like we 'girls' are approaching senior status - we felt like girls off on our first big adventure! And thanks, Renee, Director at Wings of Hope, for capturing our excitement!

We begin ...

Our driver managed to drive us far into Furcy - as you can tell, the road was pretty treacherous. Our guide had not yet arrived so we waited. The trail looked simple enough and it is the only route up into the mountains; however we needed the mule we had requested for our extra bag. After about 30 minutes we began to divide the contents of the extra bag between our packs - and then we spied our guide, Cujosephen, headed our way! We quickly reshuffled our belongings and got started!

The scenery

The views are absolutely stunning. Haiti is a country of contrasts. With four million people living in relatively small Port-au-Prince, it feels like a sea of humanity, colored by gritty and almost overwhelming poverty, with marginal social systems in deplorable shades of gray. Yet just outside the city, the summer color is emerald green - and almost every foot of the mountain terraced to grow a table crop. Of course that is part of the problem - the land rarely rests, the soil with no anchor of tree roots to protect it from the rain washing it down the mountain. Nonetheless it holds great beauty.

Our guide

We had a phenomenal guide, Cujosephen; sent to us by Winnie Attie, our host at the Auberge LaVisite, and Jacqui LaBrom, our friend and true conceirge for all things "Haiti." Cujosephen spoke only Creole - yet his eyes spoke volumes. He looked to be about 10 years old; actually he is 15. And he brought a mule with him, Praise God! His mule and I bonded but that's another post. Some guides try to hurry you up the mountain, leaving you if you can't keep up. Cujosephen was wonderful - he steadily led us up and often waited if he was more than a hundred feet ahead. I pray for him and his family often.

The Women Going to Market

Volumes could be written about the People of Haiti - but in this blog I plan to share a few of the photos of people we encountered on our hike. These are people with little money, yet they manage to provide for their families and are very hospitable. Notice that the two women going to market include a young girl with chickens in her basket. The trail is steep and bright red clay, with rubble appearing every foot or two. The women walk this well-traversed lifeline to the larger markets in Kenscoff and Port-au-Prince daily - often in flip-flops and worn sandals.

Mountaintop Weaving

As our steep trek continued, Gwen caught a glimpse of this couple set-up on the edge of a mountain, weaving and selling baskets. We ventured closer and Walnes inquired if we could take a photo. Their answer was a head shake - "no." However when we offered a Ritter chocolate bar, the answer became "yes." The baskets were very strong and yet very lightweight. We wished we could have returned home with one of these sturdy "made in Haiti" originals.

Community Market

We came upon market after market, almost every time the road widened. The smells of roasting food was incredible and there were all sorts of herbs and vegetables. Often there would be 3 or 4 women sitting on a mat, supervising the commerce of their particular commodity. Although I noticed some suspicion as they looked at we "blancs," there was a quiet dignity and perservance in their demeanor.

The climb that did me in ...

Although I think I am pretty fit for 57, my respiratory system is not the greatest. I am prone to bronchitis and coughing, even though I have never smoked. Perhaps my problems are evidence of the damage of second-hand smoke - who knows. The climb to LaVisite is steep and rocky - the top of the mountain is well over 6,000 feet. We had been climbing for about 3 1/2 hours, when I realized I was slowing the group down - because I needed to stop every half dozen steps just to catch my breath. As I looked forlornly at the next climb (the photo with Diane), Gwen said to me, "Carol, this is why we have the mule. You need to ride for awhile." So up I went, looking every one of my years on the mule, yet I was so grateful to be in Haiti, with friends like Susan, who had the foresight to insist that we needed the mule as insurance that we would all arrive together! You can also notice the cloud cover hovering over the mountain. We did not want to get caught in a downpour!

When Hiking Boots Die

Gwen loved her hiking boots which were 5 years old. She seriously considered investing in a new pair before the Haiti trip; but decided that hers were so much more comfortable than anything else she might buy. Everything began fine. However about 2 hours into the hike, one of the soles of her boots separated from the uppers. Once again it was Susan to the rescue - she had DUCT TAPE in her pack. So Gwen taped up her boot very well and continued on. Unfortunately shortly thereafter the other sole decided it was time to go as well! So the rest of the tape (plus some from the first sole repair) went onto Gwen's other boot. She carefully made her way up the mountain to the Auberge LaVisite.

More Faces of Haiti

Life in Haiti is hard - to me that is an understatement. Yet the Haitian people are curious, friendly and kind. They value relationships and make sacrifices of the sort most of us will never be faced with. Many Haitians do not want their photographs to be taken. Through Walnes, who served not only as companion/friend on the hike, but also as patient interpreter, we asked permission for photos. We often bartered with chocolate and energy bars as recompense. Here are two women among many we encountered on our hike.

Deforestation

Perhaps the most unforgettable feature of Haiti is the environmental catastrophe of deforestation - just 2% of Haiti's tree cover remains. For centuries the forests have been cut down to provide charcoal, which even today is the primary cooking fuel for millions of Haitians. With few trees to hold the soil onto the mountainous terrain, the U.N. estimates that 36 million TONS of Haiti's topsoil washes into the Caribbean EVERY YEAR!

Auberge LaVisite

We arrived at the Auberge LaVisite after steadily hiking upward for about 5 1/2 hours. Often we were hiking at a 40% uphill grade - granted I spent almost 2 hours on the mule but trust me, a 40% grade on mule-back is scary! The entire experience was phenomental! We arranged for Cujosephen (and the mule) to return Wednesday morning around 7 a.m. Upon arrival we sat down to enjoy refreshing, Haitian hot mint tea. It was delightful!

Fondation Seguin

On Tuesday we joined with the awesome students from a private high school in Port-au-Prince to plant an orchard of 225 fig and peach trees. The Fondation Seguin invites students to join them for a 3-day ecological experience at the Auberge LaVisite. Learn more about their efforts to educate Haitian youth by visiting http://www.fondationseguin.org/ or become a fan of their Facebook page.

The Waterfalls of Seguin

After all that hard labor planting fig and peach trees (just kidding - it was a JOY!), Winnie led us across several fields to a river that provides a great water supply to many of the local inhabitants. There were several lovely waterfalls and we spent a restful afternoon walking in the river and enjoying the lushness of Seguin.

Departing the Auberge

Wednesday came and it was time to leave our friend Winnie Attie to hike out (and down) of the National Parc LaVisite. Our last evening was wonderful - delicious Haitian hot chocolate, an inspiring lecture from Winnie with all the students about saving their country and then a wonderful drum concert by some of the locals with Walnes (who is an EXCELLENT drummer!) Our guide Cujosephen brought his little brother (that's him hiding behind the donkey above). We started early expecting a shorter hike down the mountain to Marigot.

The hike down

You may have noticed in the photo above that Gwen was wearing her Keen sandals - since her boots died on the way up. Also as you can see, the trail down the mountain was quite rocky and not easy for anyone. Gwen's challenge was keeping her balance on all those shifting rocks. Of course there was the scenery; we paused often for a few moments to take in the views - including many beautiful waterfalls. Gwen did an incredible walk down - only one little slip and I had three.

The views

Although we did not take as many photographs hiking down from Seguin, there were many fascinating encounters. Frequently we would come upon burial places, like the one pictured above, where vodou (that's the correct Haitian spelling) and Christian symbols were combined. Many of the locals approached us for money or with items for our purchase. Susan brought some fresh raspberries and Walnes purchased a gallon of fresh milk and a bag of mangos for Cujosephen's family. Also look closely and you'll notice that Walnes climbed onto the donkey as he wearied from all the rocks. We laughed quite a bit over that decision.

We'd rather you meet us in Peredou ...

The photo of the group above was just after we crossed the river. Although the water was only about a foot and a half deep where we crossed, the entire area - and it is just 2 miles further to the Caribbean Sea - is a landscape of the rocks and debris you see behind the group. This is the area of Haiti that was so devestated by the three hurricanes of 2008 that ripped through the countryside. Now a year later the "roads" are still largely washed away and the people of this area in dire need. By the time we arrived at the river, we had been walking almost seven hours without a break and our feet were in agony. The original plan was to walk to Marigot and meet our driver and arranged 'taxi' for the drive into Jacmel. Instead we called our driver and asked that he start driving toward us. He accommodated our request and you can see the joy in Diane's smile as we threw off our packs and sat down in his SUV!

Jacmel - the end of the hike

Our friends from Wings of Hope, Renee and Becky and Ralph, joined us for a little reunion in Jacmel at a great family owned hotel called Cyvadier Plage. If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to visit Haiti, this is a lovely place to stay. They have a website and Chris speaks English. Jacmel is about 4 hours from Port-au-Prince. I enjoyed a great lobster dinner, included in the price of a very clean and spacious room. The rum punch was delicious too. We visited our friends at Trinity House, distributed uniforms, saw a performance of the Trinity House Dance Ensemble, rested well that night and returned the next afternoon to St. Joseph's in Port-au-Prince. We are all ready to go again. How about you?