Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Labadie

The fog you're looking at isn't from the threat of rain but from tree burning (In Haiti you burn wood if you want your food cooked. Those who got cash use Wesson oil)...





But once your eyes can see clearly again, you find reasons to explore or remember...



Think of it as a club med kinda thing, where the locals don't own it and can't use it cos it's privately owned. That means jobs for servers and tram drivers. It's Haiti and it's not Haiti. Like you got Disneyworld? I got somebody else's getaway...












While we're still pulling dead bodies out from under buildings and homes in Port-au-Prince, Labadee serves as a reminder of how colonialism is still a reality for many under-developed countries that are independent only in title...

Boat bar







...yet it's the same 'private owner' who put in a water pipe for the nearby towns...




...since the Haitian government wouldn't do it.

2 comments:

Die Pierre said...

Beautiful place..I've been there! Who are the owners?

K. Koromantee said...

Yes, it is. Unfortunately, Haitians do not own it, though Labadie provides jobs for them. World Caribbean Cruise Line owns the island off the mainland. If you do your history, past and current, you will discover that everyone but Haitians own Ayiti. On the other hand, it was World Caribbean who provided a water pipeline for the inhabitants. When you're hungry and destitute, you will pray to the Pope and smile at cruise travelers while keeping your rage hidden. It's just part of being Haitian.

Thank you again for appreciating this piece.