From: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDUP2
Date: 29 Sep 92 14:27:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: travel.1314.168.uupcb
Reply-To: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline)
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO

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but with a French, Haitian twist.  
 
On  Fridays,  they have a band, and then the fake voodoo show. Some of  
the  people  (there  were  about  40  people  in the audience, divided  
between  Haitian  elite  and visiting foreigners) seemed to get really  
wrapped  up in the thing, and acted as though it were real! Maybe they  
were  planted in the audience. Anyway, it was similar in many parts to  
the  Jamaican  dance  shows  put  on  at  GL,  Hedo, and the rest. The  
outfits  and steps were a lot alike, but most of the music was limited  
to  drums,  drums and more drums. The departures were when they burned  
something  in  a  brazier which gave out some fragrant smoke, and when  
one  of  the female dancers "went in to a trance" and started flailing  
about.  As  I  said,  not  very  convincing. The rum punch in Haiti is  
heavy  on  the tart citrus flavors...quite a bit different than in the  
Bahamas,  British  Virgins,  or Jamaica, in my experience. The food at  
the  restaurant  was  local  style, for instance spicy conch stew with  
rice and beans. Tasty.  
 
I  also  went  to  a restaurant near the Swiss Embassy with menu items  
like  weinerschnitzel, beef stroganoff, sausages with sauerkraut and I  
felt very strange eating those dishes in a tropical place. 
 
Port  Au Prince is, indeed, a HUGE city whose infrastructure was built  
for  a  small  village.  Roads  are  a  nightmare. There are no street  
signs,  and  no  road  maintenance.  People drive like Kamikazes. Many  
people  die  in  car  or  bus  accidents,  but you don't hear about it  
because  it  is  an everyday occurrence. Life is cheap in Haiti. As an  
example,  when  the massacre (an attempt on President Aristide's life)  
occurred  in  a  church  preceding the coup, they caught the guys that  
machine  gunned  the  congregation,  killing  many  people but missing  
Aristede,  who fled the country. These guys had nothing against any of  
the  church  members  or,  indeed, against Aristede himself. They were  
simply  paid  three  dollars  and a bottle of rum (worth about $5 max)  
each to do the deed. Get the picture?  
 
The  power  goes out frequently. None is surprised or even reacts when  
this  happens.  The Oloffson must have its own generator, as the power  
only  flickered  once  or twice. Even at the airport, there were power  
failures,  which  makes  things  go  even  more  haywire. No power, no  
conveyor  belts  for  luggage, no computers, etc. Everyone takes it in  
stride.  Many  places  have  "Culligan" water, which is supposed to be  
purified.  I  drank  a lot of it (as it was VERY hot), and suffered no  
ill  effects.  I  did, however, use the Pepto Bismol trick recommended  
by  my  Infectious Disease Physician friend. He says to take two Pepto  
Bismol  tablets  three  times  a day, starting a day or two before you  
leave,  and  continuing  for  a  couple  of  days after you return. It  
appears to have worked. 
 
The  preferred  mode  of transportation in the city is the "Tap Taps".  
It's  amazing  how  similar  things  can be a world away. I think they  
call  it  that  because  of  the  sounds the engine makes going up the  
hills.  Anyway, they are small pick-up trucks which are converted into  
a  sort  of  cross  between  a  bus  and  a  taxi. They run on various  
predetermined  routes.  They make sort of a six-pack type of cover and  
hack  off the tailgate portion. Then they make bench seats on the left  
and  right  side  of  the bed of the truck. The whole thing is painted  
with  bright  colors,  metallic  paints,  drawings, figures, pom-poms,  
Christmas  ornaments...whatever!  Last,  but  not least, it is given a  
name  which  is written in bold letters either near the grill or above  
the  cab.  The  names tend to be (in French or Creole,of course) "True  
Love",  or  "In Gods Hands", or "My Beauty", or other similar moniker.  
Really  a  scream  once  you  translate  the phrase! These then follow  
their  chosen  route.  People  pack in (as many as 14 souls) for a few  
pennies.  Most  have crushed fenders or bashed in doors, but the paint  
remains  bright! When the Tap Tap stops due to traffic (rarely because  
of  a  stoplight  or  stop sign) people will try to sell things to the  
people  who  are  in  the  rear seats. This messes up the traffic even  
more.  
 
The  village where my nun friends work is a very long four hours or so  
away.  The areas that we passed were filled with contrasts. There were  
many  new "houses" being built directly on garbage dumps and untreated  
waste.  In  a  few  months  at  most, or in a few years, when you hear  
about  a  great  explosion  where thousands of people were killed, you  
will  remember  that  I  told you about this. The methane gas escapes,  
and one day it will ignite from a cookstove, a cigarette, anything!  
 
In  contrast,  up  in  the  mountains  you  will find what is almost a  
perfect  two  lane cement highway in the middle of nothing. You wonder  
why  it  is there, and then, at the end, you find what would be a four  
million  dollar  house  here  in  California.  Obviously  a government  
official, military bigwig, or both.  
 
Most  of  the  trees  have been cut down to make charcoal for cooking.  
There  is  a  terrible erosion problem as a result. In addition, great  
scars  are  carved  in  the mountain for gravel to build the roads and  
houses.  I  have  a  picture  of what at first looks like a river, but  
then  you  realize  that it is just silt and sand with no water in it.  
It has been blocked by the erosion.  
 
The  people  are  very  poor, but there is art everywhere. In my hotel  
room,  there  was  barely a surface that didn't have a painting, mask,  
or  even  something  drawn  directly  on  the  wall! Even the bathroom  
mirror had flowers and vines painted connecting the light bulbs!  
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Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean