Citadelle 2020 Part 2 - The views

Here are some photos from the excursion to the Citadelle! It was overcast with low clouds at the Citadelle, but full sun at the Palace.

Palace San Souci, from the road above.

Haiti ecotours by Louiders

If you are in Haiti's Central Plateau and would like to go on an ecotour, contact Louiders Alfred (509-3881-2985).  He works in Bohoc and Caiman along National Route 3 between Pignon and Hinche.  His specialty is birding and he knows most of the birds by sound.  He can also take you hiking or to caves, and to cultural activities such as the Bohoc market, a casava mill, a sugar cane mill, or to see how coffee is grown and processed.   

Louiders speaks English.  I trained him in 2009 when he didn't know much English.  Now he knows English and even helps me teach ecology in schools.  Contact him if you would like a program at your school or community group (in Creole or French) about Haiti birds and bats.   In Haiti call him at 509-3881-2985.  Or contact me by email and I will pass the message along naturesphoto at hotmail.com.

Tour ideas

I'll keep track of ideas for tours here. Please comment if you have additional ideas!

Coffee - Haitian coffee is really unique - it is roasted then roasted again in a sugar cane molasses. Show visitors the entire process, from fruit to final product: coffee trees, harvesting, fruit (let them taste it), how beans are extracted, roasted, and ground. Sell them the final ground coffee. Or even the roasted beans - Americans often grind their own coffee.

Banana and plantain fields or plantations - Explain how these are cultivated and how to tell the plants apart. Are they eaten locally or transported across the country, or exported?

Coconuts - hack open a coconut for a visitor to drink and eat.

Sugar cane - Point out the sugar cane fields and presses. If anyone is pressing cane, take them to see it and ask the workers if pictures can be taken. Explain the entire pressing process and how the juice is processed into rum. Are there industrial plants that produce granulated sugar? Explain why or why not. Perhaps visitors should give the press people a dollar or two per group. Also show visitors the equipment left over from colonial days. Explain how the molasses residue is made and sown up in leaves (see the picture of this with the roasted coffee). Cut a piece of cane and show visitors how to eat it.