Adrenaline Adventure

Royal Caribbeans Home

Welcome to a party in paradise! Before diving into politics, living conditions, natural disasters, and freedoms – let’s celebrate the fun to be had in this gorgeous country. You know me – we’re about to get that adrenaline pumping!

I’ve ziplined in the Rockey Mountains, through a cave, across ski resorts, and even taught young kids how to safely zip down the line. Shockingly however, I had yet to zipline over an ocean! Haiti offered the perfect scenery to complete this item on my zipline bucket list! With two different options in Labadee, there is no excuse not to take flight on the Dragon’s Breath or Dragon flight lines. Now the tough question is which to choose.

The first of the two is the one seen in the pictures to the right and down below. A comfortable seated position holds you on this ride of a lifetime and lets you have the opportunity to take in the views around. New zipline goers, families with older members or young children, or a nature enthusiast should pick this zip! Both my grandpa and younger brother loved this option! Now my pick as a girl who can’t get enough adventure would’ve been the latter of the two. Superman style, zippers fly down the line on their stomachs, headfirst! Definitely more a thrill, but if you know zip is your thing then this is the pick for you!

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Cruise Head Quarters

If you hear about someone taking a vacation to Haiti, chances are they are cruising to multiple islands at the same time – and I am no different. My trip to Haiti was part of a cruise aboard Royal Caribbeans “Odessey of the Seas”. This was my first cruising experience and my full thoughts on cruising will be coming to the blog soon!

For first time travelers this a safe way to get the feel of traveling abroad and an easy way to plan trips!

Cruising also helps with large groups and/or traveling with older family… such as I did with my grandparents. Nothing like exploring a new country at ease!

Kayak Adventure for My Adrenaline Folks
If you’ve read even one other blog of mine you’ve probably realized that adrenaline is my middle name! I absolutely love any excuse to get out on my own and explore a country in a new way. As a girl that grew up surrounded by mountains, the ocean (or any water) is the perfect excuse to try something new! From jet ski tours to boat outings to my choice of a kayak… get out into nature in a way unlike the continental area many of us are from back home.

Hiking to New Heights
While culture, cities, and people are a huge part of what makes up a country, the nature and geography of a region is just as important to acknowledge and enjoy. The easiest way to surround yourself in nature is by taking a hike away from the rest of the tourists and breath some fresh air. All around Labadee are trails accessible to different points around the hills of Haiti! Take a break after the adventure to relax with the sounds of the ocean.

Across The Cove…

Every country in the world wants to protect their image. From developing nations with skewed media to powerful dictatorships and even a country such as the one I’m from; with so much power in the world, they all want a positive perception in and out of the borders. This leads to tourism corruption where government lead tours showcase an ideal version of the lifestyle in their country. Haiti’s board of tourism is no different with options to tour “local villages”. The majority of these villages are not actual homes but displays of what the nation wants to present. I jumped at the chance to see the culture told to us as tourists by the country. Here’s the difference in what I saw verses the reality told to me by the locals living farther up the mountain.

Tourism Village- Coming ashore and being handed a sunset-colored drink. Greeted with dancers in bright colors and big smiles. The sounds of work high up in the trees from hammer like tools to the churning of foods in various containers. Tourists were welcomed with open arms. We walked through well-kept trails complete with paved walkways and small bridges of creeks and rivers. Once the officially marked village was reached, the “mother” of the village was working to produce fresh peanut butter, the fresh ground peanuts and spice tasting fresher than anything I’ve tasted off a shelf. We walked past homes decorated in bright colors, tasted food from a “bakery,” or more so a hot stone in the ground, and saw a village working in perfect unison. This is the image given to us of an island nation, a paradise of peaceful locals going about their day.

Reality of Haiti– Every single day in Haiti is a struggle for the majority of the island citizens as an unstable political infrastructure and economy fluctuates at the mercy of current powers. Later I’ll go into the local viewpoints on these issues, but the brief version of Haitian reality was the country was looking up with the democratic election of a new president. After his assassination the country fell into somewhat of a dictatorship landscape allowing for forceful laws and beliefs to crush the spirits of locals. Most recently the Dominican Republic, who shares an island with Haiti, closed its borders in hopes to contain the chaos of the nation.

Future of Haiti- Remember when I mentioned the waters around Haiti were the same ones that Columbus sailed? Well unfortunately this led to the region’s involvement in slavery during early 16-17th century Americas. I highlight this fact not to dwell on the part of the lands history but pave an idea for the future – Haiti is home to the first and ONLY successful revolution/rebellion against slavery. Haiti is not weak. Haitians are not weak. They have overcome oppressive government before, and I have faith they can do it again. Below I will list some resources and ways you can support but remember – these people know themselves better then you know them. They are strong and can overcome this difficult period of time.

A Glimpse Into Local Life

A Touristy Version of a Local Village

Conversations I had With Locals:

Housing in Haiti- Imagine the heat strong enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk during the summer. Concrete in the sun. Now your house is made of that concrete making up the floor of your house, limited air conditioning only for the rich, and fabric being used as doors and walls. This is the house of a Haitian women who served as my tour guide for the day. Seeing pictures of the house considered to be a luxury among Haitian people in comparison to home I live in back in the United States truly grows my appreciation for living in a country with resources to keep me comfortable.

Death of the President- Relativly recently, on July 7th, 2021 Haiti experienced a social/political tragedy that shook the nation and in particular one woman living in the village I visited. Her devotion to the president was based on her hope of Haiti becoming a country of the people. The president during the time was, “there for the people of Haiti,”. Assassinations are a sad reality of politics across the world and the fate of this leader was no exception the hatred of different views. The woman expresses her disappointment and how the nation had fallen back into dictatorship since, and corruption is now running rampant. This was the catalyst many locals gave to the downfall of Haitian freedom and government power increasing.

Perspective on Missionaries- The right to religious freedom. While available to every citizen of the USA, this right isn’t considered a natural born right or regulated fairly in other nations around the world. The most eye-opening conversation I had while in Haiti was with a local discussing the use of missionaries to control citizens of the island nation. Coming from a suburb town where religious missionaries are considered fairly common – this was shocking. The push of Christianity after the death of the previous president caused the loss of local religion and traditions carried on for generations. It broke my heart to hear how what used to be sacred was taken away from the people born and raised there for the sake of control. HOWEVER, this is not the missionary’s fault. One should have the right to preach what they believe in; the issue is the government not giving the individuals a choice in whether to listen/convert or not.

Community in Haitian Villages – One of the common complaints I heard about Western nations when traveling Europe, the previous summer, was the division in the US – specifically when it comes to political ideology and agendas. This division has been normalized my entire life growing up here, and it wasn’t until seeing such a strong community that I truly understand the sentiment of what they meant. The people of the country shared their struggles and grievances with me while immediately going back to work with a smile on their face. They support each other and offer support despite their differences in political opinions. Haitians struggle together and understand the efforts of others in their community. Part of me, without hoping for tragedy, wishes the US had some common ground to connect on, the way these people do!

Is Cruising Harming Haiti?

Labadee is known for being owned and operated by the Royal Carribean cruise line. Even for me the idea of rolling up to a third world country on what can only be described as a luxury floating city felt… well… inconsiderate to say the least. However, the majority of islands cruises visit actually depend on the tourism to support the economy and employment of the nation and Haiti is no exception. The people employed around the resort town need the tourist dollars to support a lifestyle better than the majority of Haitian people. So no, cruising is NOT harming Haiti.

As with many crises the question of outside help is called into question. Whether the aid of foreign nations will help or hinder to restoration to order and equality. Coming from powerful western nations such as the United States and Canada puts us as citizens in a position to push for help and aid in Haiti… but should we?

Time after time other countries’ interference, especially in political matters, can lead to worse results over time. It seems as though against pressure to help, countries like Canada are choosing to remain out of the matter and allow Haiti to regain strength themselves.

While it may be difficult for large forces to make a difference in the political makeup of a country, individuals like you and me have power to listen to give to the people of Haiti.

The BEST way to help Haiti is by physically going there, separate of any affiliation to companies or governments. Bring cash to ensure the money stays with the people who earned the dollars. Offer your business and support to local businesses. AND more than anything, listen to the people of Haiti for where to go next!

Resources to Help

Unfortunately, the opportunities to help politically in a country like Haiti are few and far between especially from an outside perspective. Many organizations end up having funds intercepted by the government and their help not reaching the people of the country. However, there is one circumstance that allows our dollars to truly support the communities… natural disasters.

Haiti is located on a hotspot for not only hurricanes and tropical storms but earthquakes. Every year Haiti suffers horrific disasters and are in need of resources to rebuild infrastructure. If you are in a position to help here are a few links to check out –

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herofoundationusa.org

Support Our Work – Haiti Emergency Relief Fund

projectstanne.org