Found this video of the Citadelle Laferriere built shortly after 1800 to repel a French retaking of the island which never happened as Napoleon met his Waterloo.
This vivid video takes me back to July 1979 and it looks like nothing has changed except the trail up the mountain is much improved/paved.
Back then along the trail were grass/palm huts, people carrying things in bowls on their head, and not for tourist voodoo rituals going on.
It was a 14 mile donkey ride (with lots of donkey dung) and the guides making no attempt to avoid it.
The poverty in Haiti was like nothing else I have seen worldwide.
The condition of the water they drank from our used coke bottles would lead to instant illness for most of us. They filtered it through their dirty shirt from one bottle to another.
I would like to hope things have improved. The small bit if the town and street pavement shows some. I do not remember paved streets outside the port. I remember trucks packed with what seemed like 50 people.
The young person narrating the video seems very bright. Back then, you did not see many signs of literacy.
Education and clean water are critical to improving this place.
Royal Caribbean goes to Labadee. But I have never heard of anyone being able to leave the compound?
Haiti is not a safe place to visit. Labadee is a separate compound and guests cannot leave it. It has been closed even to cruise visitors from time to time, due to unrest.
