I took my ecology class on a field trip to Bassin Zim in
Haiti’s Central Plateau. The road to it
is in Hinche off of National Route #3.
At the last big bridge as you are heading out of town toward Pignon, on
the Pignon side of the bridge look for the road that goes to the east (marked
308 in google earth). Take this road until
you come to a fork with a large sign for a peasant organization, it has the
word LAKAY on it. Take the road to the
left and keep going through Papaye. You’ll
eventually see a green sign for the falls, and the road gets rocky and steeper
going downhill, until it ends at the parking lot for Bassin Zim. It might be ½ hour from the highway, but we
kept making stops so I lost track (see this post for the stops). You can see the basin in aerial maps, in
google earth search Bassin Zim, Centre, Haiti.
We paid 25 goudes each to enter, and as soon as we started
walking a bunch of kids came and 2 latched on to me as my guides (even though I
was with 12 university students). They
helped me on some of the rockier parts of the trail and across the stream up to
the cave. I gave them each $1US at the
end.
The basin at the base of the falls isn't ideal for swimming
since the force of the water creates a whirlpool with debris swirling in
it. Downstream where it becomes a stream
might have been ok, but there were women washing clothes at the edge of the
pool. A bunch of UN soldiers from Uruguay
were having a party there and had inflatable tubes, so they must have been
swimming.
The walk up to the cave is relatively easy, up steps and
across a small stream. Wear shoes you
can get wet. At the first landing you
can see the basin from above and several pools leading down to it. There is also a small alcove with stalagmites
and stalactites and what looks like voudou activity. Get back on the steps and keep going up to
the main cave. There the small stream
starts from a pool that has little fish.
There are wasp nests all over the wall of the cave, as well as swallow
nests. Shine a flashlight into the
cavern that is farther in and you’ll see bats.
We didn’t climb up into the cavern, so I don’t know where it leads. The child guides knew where to spot boas in
the trees.
I would like to visit Bassin Zim again with fewer people, no
“guides,” and spend some time birding and exploring the streams!
After leaving Hinche, the road to Bassin Zim goes through
Papaye. After making a left at the major
fork in the road, look for Terezya on the left.
Make a stop to buy some cassava bread, jellies, and wine made by the Little
Sisters and Little Brothers of St. Teresa, and see how it is made. I’ve seen their yellow jars of jelly in
supermarkets. You can also see their biogas pigs and tilapia ponds.
