Haiti Dec 2010

YOLO at Caile Coq on Ile a Vache, Haiti

Shells along the beach path on Ile a Vache.

A pig rooting through the seagrass on the shore on Ile a Vache, Haiti.

A local boat coming back from the mainland. The goosefoot sail plan has more sail than boat, but the winds are often light in the protected bay so they have very long oars and bamboo poles to pole themselves in the shallows. Each village has one motorized boat, usually a larger wooden canoe with an outboard. The sail boats are cheaper and take longer to get to market or the mainland, but most folks don't have jobs so can't afford the few dollars to use the faster motorized canoe.

Haitian home away from the beach.

Local boats in Caille Coq on Ile A Vache, Haiti.

Beach on Haiti

Fish drying in the yard of a home in a small village on Ile a Vache, Haiti. There were no big fish left and the entire village will set a net across a huge area and then haul it in and divide the fish amongst the participants. Some folks are trying to stop this kind of fishing as it doesn't let the fish grow and reproduce. They keep getting smaller and fewer.

Children on playground at Madame Bernard orhpanage on Ile a Vache. Volunteers supply and run the place. This playground equipment looked fairly new and they are building a new building for the orphanage itself. The orphanage cares for 68 children, with a couple dozen handicapped physically and/or mentally. We hiked all the way here to give our extra dishes, pens, pencils, crayons, paper, etc. Just to the right of this photo is a line of rabbit hutches with rabbits in them. I'm told they're for pets, not eating, but I'm not sure.....

Felix, our great guide, and Karen on beach at Caille Coq, Haiti. Felix spoke great English, was very helpful and honest and generous. He was quite low-key compared to the others who approached us and we found him a treat to talk with. He had helped with the relief efforts after the earthquake and everyone on the island knew him.

Jason checking out a boat that reminded him of our "The Sieve" from the lake at home. This beach is at a resort on the island Ile a Vache. It was quite a hike up and over the hill to visit here. We'd heard the owner was from MI but it wasn't so.

Abaska Beach Resort. Loved the shadows of the coconut palms on the sand. The only 2 guests left shortly after we arrived and the place was deserted except for the manager and employees.

Caille Coq beach from YOLO. It looks so typically Haitian. There is no electricity, no running water and no roads. Nearly 1/2 the people we saw didn't even wear shoes.

Caille Coq. That's Felix's house in the trees on the beach.

The view of Ile a Vache, Haiti as we approached from the Carib. Ile a Vache is a tiny island near the SW corner of Haiti.

We left the Dominican Republic expecting to have the traditional trade winds blowing from the east. We were set up for downwind sailing and the swells and waves were expected from the east, too. We got contrary winds or no wind at all. The wave heights were often higher than the wind speeds and we gave up and tucked into Ile A Vache, Haiti for a few days til the weather got sorted out. It was a very pretty place and we really enjoyed our stay there.