ENCOUNTER HAITI PICTURES & INFORMATION
Let us take you on a "tour" of some of the sights you might see in Haiti.
On one of our "regular Port-au-Prince tours" to encounter Haiti, we often start
by going downtown first and then up the Kenscoff road to the cool mountains.
We will start from the Methodist Guest House in Petion -Ville.
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frerekids In this picture you see some of the over 17,500 children who attend 105 Methodist schools all over Haiti. The Methodist Guest House is part of the Freres Compound of the Eglise Méthodiste d'Haiti. On Freres, in addition to the Guest House, is a primary and secondary school of over 600 students, a teacher's college, a professional and vocational school, women's and men's dorms, a church, the Education and Coordination of Development program offices and the Publishing House.
As you head downtown on Rue Delmas, you can see the Port-au-Prince bay in front of you, often in a haze. Down both Delmas and Avenue John Brown You see modern shops and businesses crowded together along side street venders. People and vehicles are everywhere. It is about a 8 kilometer ride downtown, but it may take two hours! One of the first stops is to the area of the government buildings and statutes.
aristide The Statute of Aristide is in downtown Port-au-Prince across from the National Palace. On 19 September 1994, US troops entered Haiti to return Aristide and his elected government to power. The statue is representative of 14 October 1994, when Aristide addressed the multitudes of people outside the National Palace, urging calm and releasing a white dove as a symbol of reconciliation.
generalpetion The Statue of Alexandre Pétion stands directly in front of the Presidential Palace. Petion was ruler of the southern part of Haiti from 1807 - 1820. This part of Haiti was made up of mostly fair colored Haitians who were born free. He distributed the land to the military.
henricristof The Statue of Henri Christophe sits proudly on his horse at the corner of the park and the road the Palace in on. Christophe was the ruler of the northern part of Haiti from 1807 -1820. He brought England in to provide technical assistance. He organized skilled labor and provided an education and court system. He also utilized forced labor to support the economy. In 1820, when, faced with a rebellion of his own army, he committed suicide. This paved the way for Jean-Pierre Boyer to unify Haiti in 1820.
palace The National Palace stands picturesque with the mountains behind it. It houses governmental offices. The original presidential palace was destroyed in 1912 in a bomb blast that was an assassination attempt of President Leconte. It was reconstructed during the US Marine occupation from 1915 to 1934.
maron The Neg Mawon (Maron) Statute is across the street from the National Palace. In Creole, neg means guy or man and mawon means brown, wild or in hiding. This statue is in tribute to the brown men in hiding (slaves) who ran away into the mountains and became the slave armies lead by Boukman for 13 years against the St. Dominque's colonists and later, Napoleon's army. These slave armies were commanded by General Toussaint Louverture and later by General Jean-Jacques Dessalines to ultimate victory over the French at the Battle of Vertières on 18 November 1803. He holds a Queen Conch shell in his left hand signifying its use for communication. The Mawon statue originally had a machete in his right hand and a shackle and chain on his left angle. These have been damaged.
nationalart The National Museum of History is near the National Palace and houses information and artifacts describing the history of Haiti from the time of the Arawak and Taino Indians to the 1940's. There are striking murals depicting the cruelty of the Spaniards to the Indians and the cruelty of French to the African slaves. There are beautiful artifacts of the kings of Haiti. There is a beautiful photograph of Port-au-Prince in the 1940's. The roof is unique in its mosaic work and "cones". Admission is about 40-60 gourdes. There is also a National Museum of Art in the downtown area.
collegebird is the Eglise Méthodiste d'Haïti - College Bird. Methodism in Haiti began in 1817 with an invitation from ruler, Alexandre Pétion. The Missionary Society in England sent two missionaries, who were able to start Methodism in the Wesleyan tradition. Methodism is the oldest Protestant church in Haiti. In 1840, Rev. Mark Bird arrived and established the "Wesleyan Church" and school in Port-au-Prince. At this location is the Nouveau College Bird School and the main offices of the Haiti District of the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas. Some of its programs are: 136 churches, 81 schools, 6 Regions of Protestant Rural Rehabilitation, a vocational program and a teacher's college. It provides services to over 200,000 people all over Haiti.
govpark The Government Park is pictured as seen from Harry Truman Boulevard by the water front. It is surrounded by government buildings. The larger building on the right side of the photo is the Palace of the Legislature.
portboats The Port-au-Prince Port as seen from Harry Truman Boulevard. Port-au-Prince is a port city and this is the stop for all the tankers and cargo ships coming to Port-au-Prince. Other cities have ports including Cap Haitian, Jeremie, Petit Goave, Les Cayes, Mole St Nicolas, etc. Haiti receives most of it consumable goods by ships. You can see the red and blue containers along the bay side of the city from the spot in the photograph to La Saline.
lasaline The Eglise Méthodiste d'Haïti has a compound in the La Saline community. Pictured here is the church. There is a primary school, a medical and dental clinic and a sewing school at this compound. This serves in one of the poorest and most under served areas of Port-au-Prince. The now retired pastor and nurse midwife, Rev. Sister Paulette Holly has worked at this facility for over 30 years. Though retired, she remains active in programs there and as a pastor.
taptap, downtowntravel & charcoaltomarket The traffic in Port-au-Prince consists of hand carts, wheel barrels, thousands of pedestrians, private cars, delivery trucks, tap taps, cammionetts and motorcycles - of every make, model, age, color and condition. Port-au-Prince was built for 600,000 people and now has an estimated 2 to 3 million people in the region. Sometimes it takes 2 hours to go 7 or 8 kilometers!
In addition to College Bird, there are 2 other large churches in downtown Port-au-Prince. catholic is the Catholic Cathedral. This is a majestic building that is usually surrounded by persons who are in desperate need. On the streets surrounding this beautiful church are row upon row of street venders. Catholicism was once the primary religion of Haiti, however, Protestant religions have been increasing. Some statistics say that among young adult Haitians, the Catholic to Protestant mix is now about 50/50. churchmural2 and churchmural1 are photos from the inside of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church which is one block from the Catholic Cathedral. Holy Trinity a grey stone structure, simple and unimposing. But inside the church is breathtaking and deeply spiritual. The walls were painted by Haitian artists in the 1950's to depict Biblical and church stories from the Haitian artist's perspective. c2 is a painting of the Crucifixion of Christ and c1 is a depiction of the Wedding Feast Miracle. This church also has an incredible pipe organ donated by an American and carved Stations of the Cross on each post around the church. Within the compound is a primary, secondary, professional and vocational school. This school has a well known orchestra. And, for the shoppers, a Gift Shop with a variety of Haitian art and crafts available.
grace1 & grace2 After the Holy Trinity Church and just a short trip through the smaller side roads you come to Delmas 31 where the International Childcare (ICC) facility called Grace Children's Hospital is located. In Haiti, ICC has offices in Cap Haitian, Gonaives and Les Cayes. ICC provides medical care for children, TB testing and treatment for the whole family, community health promotion programs and midwifery training. Grace Children's Hospital was begun in 1967. It is a 70 bed inpatient facility where staff fight to save the lives of children pushed close to death by tuberculosis and malnutrition. In these pictures are two very dear VIM friends from the Wyoming Conference of the United Methodist Church with two of the children hospitalized for TB treatment. At this facility, there is also an eye clinic and a new outpatient pediatric and reproductive health facility. Miracles happen here everyday with the hard work and great financial support of many people here in Haiti, the United States and Canada. See the ICC/Grace Children's Hospital Home Page for additional information.
vegies, shopalongstreet & artalongstreet Along the way you will see a variety of street vendors. Fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, meat, cooked meals, pots & pans, electric appliances, clothing, shoes, furniture, crafts and art work line every free sidewalk and wall.
artpierre We often stop at Pierre Pierre, a huge craft and art shop on the main Delmas around Delmas 18. You need to be adventurous to cover all four floors of innumerable crafts. You can find wood, metal, calabash, pottery, paper matchet, wicker and woven crafts and paintings of every type imaginable. There are many art and craft shops all over Port-au-Prince. You should never leave Haiti without finding just the right gift!
artatlookout & overlook As you head up the mountain to the south of Port-au-Prince on the Kenscoff Road, we stop at Boutilliers or the "Look Out". From this high point you can see all of the greater Port-au-Prince area except Petion-Ville. You can see that bay, and on a clear day, even the island, La Gonave. You can see the National Cemetery that glimmers in shades of turquoise. You can see the National Stadium, the National Palace, the Catholic Cathedral, the PAP International Airport and the lakes and mountains that form the order with the Dominican Republic. You can shop for crafts and paintings with some of Haiti's prime salesmen.
baptistmission The next stop on the mountain is the Baptist Mission. The Baptist Mission has been serving the people of the mountain for over 50 years. They have provided a spiritual foundation of indigenous churches, Bible Institutes, etc. They provide education to over 5,500 students in 310 schools. They train teachers and have vocational training. Their medical ministry includes a hospital, an outpatient clinic and a public health program. They have provided self-help training programs in agriculture, business, marketing and craft production. They have a savings and loan association. They have been instrumental in reforestation and productive and appropriate terrace farming in the region. Pottery, candles, wood furniture, iron work, baked goods and plants are created on the grounds. In the fall they grow Poinsettias to sell for Christmas and use the revenue to make tree seedlings that they give away for reforestation. You can have a good lunch at the Tea Terrace, even a cheeseburger, french fries and a milk shake for around $8.00 US! For more information go to Baptist Haiti Mission Home Page.
ftjacque If the road is "good" the last stop up the mountain is Fort Jacques, named for General Jean-Jacques Dessalines. This fort was built to over look the bay and thus provide a fortress above Port-au-Prince Bay.
Other areas you might see while in Haiti:
freedomboat On the drive out of Port-au-Prince to the north you would pass by the concrete statute of a boat with metal worked sculptures of the Haitian people, often referred to as the "Boat People" who risked so much to leave Haiti for the United States and elsewhere.
moridock & logboat If your mission plans include a trip to La Gonave, you would drive out Highway 1 to Montrous (pronounced moree) where the ferry dock is located.
mulin Also out Highway 1 is one of Haiti's special beaches, Moulin Sur Mer, a 50 acre resort. This was an 18th century sugar cane plantation and the old mill is a museum that you can visit. The beach is clean with colorful coral for snorkeling. Meals, such as grilled lobster, are served on the beach. Kayaks and other water sport equipment can be rented for a low fee. There is also a swimming pool, a volleyball court and mini-golf. The entrance cost ranges from $10.00 to $18.00 during special events and Haiti's "summer" season. Email: moulinsm@haitiworld.com
citidel About 5 hours beyond Moulin Sur Mer still heading north is Cap Haitien where you could take a horse ride up to the Citadelle. This was built by Henri Christophe and the construction took 20 years starting in 1804. It takes about 4 hours to walk or about 2 hours to ride a horse up to the fort.
lakebypetitgoave To the south of Port-au-Prince if you drive along the bay coast for about 2 hours you would come to Petit Goave. Petit Goave sits at the foot of the mountains on the coast. This photo is of the view from a road on a mountain outside of Petit Goave. You can see the fresh water lake and the ocean in the background.
cayesbeach If you continued southwest from Petit Goave for about 21/2 more hours, you would come to Les Cayes. This city is on the southern coast of Haiti's peninsula. Les Cayes is also a sea port.
beachatjeremie & beachatbonbon If you cross the mountains from Les Cayes for another 5 hours (or you can fly from Port-au-Prince in 50 minutes) is Jeremie. Pictured are 2 beautiful beaches, one is just outside of Jeremie and the other, BonBon, about an hour's ride.
References:
Photographers - Ted & Carla Warnock
Citadelle photograph is from a post card taken by Wally Turnbull
Weinsteit, Brien and Segal, Ara: Haiti: Political Failures, Cultural Successes
Shacochis, Bob: The Immaculate Invasion
Netscape Encarta: Haiti
Embassy of Haiti: Key Date is Haiti's History
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