Our first port of call was the beautiful island of Labadee, Haiti.
We practically had the entire island to ourselves as it appeared to be an exclusive port of call for the Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Stretches of sandy beaches coupled with clear blue waters combine to form an almost postcard perfect picture of Labadee.
We had signed up for a historic walking tour and when we disembarked on the island, we were greeted by our guide, Roberto, a young man born and bred in Labadee Village. He was very enthusiastic and animated during the tour and it was apparent that he feels passionately for Labadee.
(with our guide Roberto)
We were told that Haiti used to be a single peninsular with the present-day Dominican Republic. Together, they were known as “Espanyola” (or Little Spain) as it was the richest colony at that time for Spain. Subsequently, war broke out between the Spanish and the French for “Espanyola” and eventually, the Spanish took over the Dominican Republic half of “Espanyola” while the French took over “Haiti”. That is the reason why today in Haiti, French remains one of the working languages along with Creole.
Our guide told us that “Haiti” stands for “mountains and coasts”, a fitting description for Haiti which is made up of precisely that. As a result of its location, Haiti is sheltered from hurricanes and floods. One would have thought that this meant Haiti is well-placed to take advantage of its location and to prosper as a result. Unfortunately, due to the political situation, Haiti is one of the poorest nations of the world. A real pity as it has pristine beaches and sublime waters and could very well be the next beach paradise.
One of the things that Roberto touched on during our tour was voodoo. The mention of voodoo conjures up images of voodoo dolls and people dying painful deaths, a la what we see in Hollywood films. Roberto explained that a small percentage of the Haitian people still practice voodoo today (his own grandmother was a voodoo queen although he is a catholic). Apparently, voodoo has its roots from Africa culture and there are two sides to voodoo. It can be utilized to carry out good or to bring about pain and suffering. However, the practice of voodoo is not prevalent in Haiti today as some 60% of the population today is catholic.
Labadee, which was where we were for the day, was once a trading post for the English during the days when Haiti was occupied by the English. The remains of the English trading post can still be seen today.
Roberto explained that to the Haitians, “Labadee” means “difficult to get there”. This was because of the coastal location of Labadee. In the old days, due to the wind direction and water movements, one would have had to go against the water / the wind to get to Labadee. This was highly taxing and hence the name “Labadee” – “difficult to get there”.
We were told that Haiti used to be a single peninsular with the present-day Dominican Republic. Together, they were known as “Espanyola” (or Little Spain) as it was the richest colony at that time for Spain. Subsequently, war broke out between the Spanish and the French for “Espanyola” and eventually, the Spanish took over the Dominican Republic half of “Espanyola” while the French took over “Haiti”. That is the reason why today in Haiti, French remains one of the working languages along with Creole.
Our guide told us that “Haiti” stands for “mountains and coasts”, a fitting description for Haiti which is made up of precisely that. As a result of its location, Haiti is sheltered from hurricanes and floods. One would have thought that this meant Haiti is well-placed to take advantage of its location and to prosper as a result. Unfortunately, due to the political situation, Haiti is one of the poorest nations of the world. A real pity as it has pristine beaches and sublime waters and could very well be the next beach paradise.
One of the things that Roberto touched on during our tour was voodoo. The mention of voodoo conjures up images of voodoo dolls and people dying painful deaths, a la what we see in Hollywood films. Roberto explained that a small percentage of the Haitian people still practice voodoo today (his own grandmother was a voodoo queen although he is a catholic). Apparently, voodoo has its roots from Africa culture and there are two sides to voodoo. It can be utilized to carry out good or to bring about pain and suffering. However, the practice of voodoo is not prevalent in Haiti today as some 60% of the population today is catholic.
Labadee, which was where we were for the day, was once a trading post for the English during the days when Haiti was occupied by the English. The remains of the English trading post can still be seen today.
Roberto explained that to the Haitians, “Labadee” means “difficult to get there”. This was because of the coastal location of Labadee. In the old days, due to the wind direction and water movements, one would have had to go against the water / the wind to get to Labadee. This was highly taxing and hence the name “Labadee” – “difficult to get there”.
(Labadee village)
Labadee village only has about 5000 people. Roberto explained that he has started a computer school in the village in order to educate the youngsters of the village on how computers work. He believes that it is only through education that the lives of the people of Labadee people can improve. While he only has 5 computers in the school now, he hopes to bring in more computers in the future so more children can benefit. It was inspiring to hear the passion and hope that Roberto has in his cause and I cannot help but feel chastised that we take for granted so many of the conveniences and advantages that we enjoy. For instance, the people of Labadee village will only get internet access in 2 weeks’ time. Imagine that!
The port of Labadee was our introduction to the Caribbean and we really looked forward to our next port of call – Montego Bay in Jamaica.
- M
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