Grocery stores - local products

National brand Rebo and a brand from Cayes.

The previous post was about all the awesome food imported to Haiti.  But I haven't forgotten the importance of local food to the people and economy.  So here is a smattering of local (& national) coffee and nuts you can buy in the stores.  Along with a reminder about malaria - they sell the anti-malarial drug chloroquine over the counter.  In the US you need a prescription for this.  Prices are in Haitian dollars, divide by 8 to get approximate US prices.  ($HT divide by 5 to get goudes, then look up conversion rate for goudes, around 42 gds / $1 US).

Smaller brand and National brand Selecto.

Cashews

Karapina - sugared peanuts, and regular peanuts (pistache)

The grocery stores of Port au Prince.

In 2008 in the Central Plateau we had to drive 3 hours to Hinche to go to a grocery store that was only 13 miles away (now that road is paved it takes less than an hour).

In 2012 I moved to Les Cayes, a large coastal city.  And they have grocery stores!

In 2013 I began spending more time in Port au Prince visiting a friend.  And their grocery stores have everything!  Even guinea fowl & duck.

Here’s a smattering of photos that probably are not impressive to those in the US, but to those of us not in Port it’s the promised land.  (while you are in the store and not outside where all the trash, pollution, traffic, and people are).

Guinea fowl (pintad)

 

Day 3 – St. Marc and Ti Rivye

With Larmier's son in front of his art studio.

(Day 3 of this mini-tour of Haiti)  After leaving the plantation museum around noon, we continued along the coast to St. Marc.  The grocery store mentioned in the Bradt Haiti guide had gone out of business, but we found another on the town square.  We stocked up on some snacks for lunch, then continued to Ti Rivye to visit the bird artist Larimer and his art studio which sits along the highway near the west edge of town.  I have mentioned him in these posts.  If you are interested in his bird art contact me.  It was great to see him again and see where he lives. 

 

Baby goats at the fort.

Larimer and some friends took us for a tour of the local historic sights: Palace of 365 Doors and Fort Crete-a-Pierrot.  A high school social studies teacher was with us and explained the history of these places.  The palace was built in 1816 by Henri Christophe and is being restored (we had to find a man who had to find a key to let us in).  The fort was attacked by Napoleon’s army in 1802.  The Haitians were holed up there for 20 days and used voodoo to fight off the French.  We stopped at a hotel* on the west edge just to see what it was like – another one is nearby.  Contact me if you would like guided tours of this area and we can track down the social studies teacher.  

We continued through the Artibonite Valley to pick up a friend of Rhoda’s who needed a ride to Port, passing the turn to the famous Saut d'Eau waterfall and also the new Partners in Health hospital in Mirebalais, the town where the cholera outbreak started.  Finally meeting up with National Highway 3 and taking it south back to Port.  We ended our journey around 8pm at home in Tabarre.  

Palace of 365 Doors.

Fort Crete-a-Pierrot

View from the fort of the Artibonite River.

Common sight in the valley - rice drying by the side of the road.

*La Piscina Hotel disclaimer – I don’t know the owner and didn’t stay at this hotel.  I just want to let travelers know it is an option if you are in Ti Rivye.  There is another hotel, d’Ossieau nearby.

La Piscina Parc Hotel near the west side of Ti Rivye.

Entrance to the hotel (pink building) as seen from the highway.

The pool at the hotel.

Day 2 – Moulin sur Mer and Musee Ogier-Fombrun

This continues my 3 day road trip around Port au Prince and the Artibonite Valley.  After church on Sunday Day 2 we hit the road around 2pm and drove National Route 1 which follows the southern coast of Haiti’s northern peninsula.  From Tabarre PAP it took us about 2 hours to get to the resort Moulin sur Mer.  There’s a sign right along the highway pointing the way to the resort, just keep driving til you reach the resort gate.  You park inside the gate then a little cart comes and takes you to the check-in booth.  Riding the little cart made me feel like I was at Disney World!  A room for 2 with 2 beds was $156, an affordable splurge to relax at a clean beach.  That price came with a great breakfast of fruit, rolls, omelet, and juice (with real butter!).  There is a higher price that includes dinner.

The room was great – nothing fancy but it did have hot water!  The grounds had a lot to look at - a pond with geese and giant land crabs which entertained people like me and Rhoda.  Miniature golf, a swimming pool, a cage with two monkeys (!), a small playground, racketball court, and a giant chess game.  There is a little gift shop with mainly swimwear, toiletries, and medicines.  But we were there for the beach!

There are several mini-beach areas.  At the edge of the roped off swimming area next to the man-made ‘island’ are rocks with sea urchins and fish, but jet skiers were going back and forth just beyond us, churning up the water and making it difficult not to get sloshed up against the rocks.  Why couldn’t they go farther out?  They have the entire bay!  The hotel offers kayaks and snorkeling gear to rent, and there’s a marina right next to it to rent jet skis, store boats, etc.  We swam, had dinner, then the best part came after dark when we were hanging out on the little ‘island’ where fish were attracted to the lights!  It was so exciting to see all the fish, clear water, no jet skiers.  Next time I’ll try night snorkeling.

Food was Haitian restaurant fare, a bit more upscale I suppose, but since I am a vegetarian I can’t comment on how it compared to other places.  For vegetarians I recommend a cheese sandwich with mushrooms and onions on the side to put on the sandwich which came on a great baguette.  Even better was the dessert, Twa Let, which caused some confusion.  Twalet – a toilet?  Or Twa Let – 3 milk?  Fortunately it was cream-based desserts (see photo).

We got up for a sunrise swim.  No jet skiers!  Clear water!  And then a great breakfast.  We checked out at 10 am and went to the plantation museum right across from the main gate.  This Musee Ogier-Fombrun was closed for renovation, but we were able to walk around the grounds and see some of the exhibits in the entrance way (and oddly there is a small pool and a bar – I suppose for the hotel patrons?).  With my museum studies degree, I was horrified to see letters written by Toussaint Louverture, Haiti’s revolutionary leader – in the entrance way – under glass but still exposed to light and humidity.  Here is a photo to preserve the letters for all eternity (or until the end of computers).

We left the museum around noon and traveled to Petite Riviere via Saint Marc.  Stayed tuned for the next posting about that journey.

The turn from Route 1 to Moulin sur Mer.

The island lights attract fish at night!

A good place to do some light snorkeling - sea urchins and fish.

And you can do some light birding - sandwich terns!

The marina next to Moulin sur Mer.

 

Historic letters.

Letter by Toussaint Louverture!

Day 1 – Apparent Project and Art Fair

This continues my 3-day road trip post.  On Saturday Day 1 we went to Papillon Enterprises, the boutique of the Apparent Project which strives to prevent orphanages by teaching job skills to its employees who create jewelry and art.  Thus the employees have income and don’t need to put their kids in orphanages which are big business in Haiti (even I was encouraged to start one as a business venture).  Many ‘orphans’ are really kids whose parents were desperate enough that they gave them to strangers at an ‘orphanage’ to be cared for.  There are even people who go around collecting kids for these orphanages, where the kids essentially work as slaves and may be sold to other people, while the person running it collects all the donated money.  I know this from a friend who reunites these kids with their families.

Workers at the Apparent Project make their own beads out of Haitian clay.  It is a refreshing change from all the rolled bead projects that have become popular (which they also make).  Last year here in Les Cayes I met a woman selling jewelry she had made through this program.  It was nice to see that the store and woman who runs the business actually exist!  (I’ll have to do another post on all the foundations that I’ve been asked to support!).

We then spent the afternoon at the art fair at the Parc Historique de la Canne a Sucre (Sugar Cane Museum).  It cost 300 gds (~$7US) to get in, and the ticket came with a free pop, 50gds in digicel minutes, and 150gds to use at any booth.  

There were the typical metal art, ash(?) sculpture, and food/syrupy alcohol product booths.  But new to me were the handcrafted fashion products.  The Apparent Project had a booth there.  Others included variations of beaded purses and sandals, scarves and dresses, and crocheted dresses, sandals, and bathing suits.  The clothing was quite expensive, >$100US for some items.

Our best find was a paper mache barn owl which Rhoda bought for me!  I will use it in teaching and fill it with candy so kids have a good association with owls (which most people seem to associate with demons).

We ended our outing with a trip to the grocery store which deserves its own post, as I live in Les Cayes which seems to have slim pickings compared to the Port grocery stores.  Stay tuned for Day 2 at  the beach!

Look for the pink gate to go to the Apparent Project boutique.

Beads made and sold at the Apparent Project boutique.

Entrance to art fair was across from the US Embassy.

Too much metal art - if anyone who runs the art fair reads this, contact me for suggestions!

Fashion booths

Pressing sugar cane for fresh juice.

Apparent Project gifts.  A new bag that isn't so long it hits the moto wheels!