Haiti Part 5: Festival Mizik Jakmel Update

by Adrienne Wilson on


Although Festival Mizik Jakmel, with headliners Stephen and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley did not make it into Gadling’s Massively Huge 2007 Summer Music Fest Roundup, I mentioned the first-time event not long before I took a trip over to check it out on my own. Actually, at the time I booked my ticket to Haiti I hadn’t planned on attending the three-day music festival because I hadn’t heard of it. I was simply planning on going to explore culture, arts, food and beaches. When I found out the festival and my travel dates linked up, it made my trip plans all the better.

As noted before the festival would not only involve a slew of musicians from across the globe singing around the clock, there would also be art events, workshops, a tourism conference, and most importantly an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest drumming ensemble in the world. (India got the claim to fame last year.) If you ask me – that is one mega feat to beat. And by now you are probably wondering if their mission was accomplished?

To answer the question: Yes and No.

I haven’t the slightest idea what happened to the drum ensemble and I was a little disappointed that it didn’t occur. My hopes were flying high and my heart-racing every time I heard that the drumming would start. I tried to imagine Congo beach packed with 10,000 drumming sets of hands, but even my imagination failed me. There were a number of people who shared the same somber feeling as I had, but with all of the other events to look forward to there was little room or time to stay disappointed long.

The concert line-up for the first day included some amazing musicians such as Mizik Mizik featuring Belo and Tifane, Reggae Cowboys, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and one of my favorites, Les Nubians. The only problem now was figuring out what time they were going to go on. No one in my camp seemed to have an idea of when the DJ would cut his music and let the real live show start. To kill time we walked around Congo beach for a while. There were tons of people hanging around making puppets dance for the amusement of others and others just standing and waiting. From the stage and screen set-up you could tell they were expecting a packed sandy beach. By the end of night number one I wouldn’t have been the one to tell you whether the masses came out in full force or not. You’d have to ask another festival participant. With it being the first international music festival ever for the area of Jacmel I figured there would be some minor bumps and road blocks in the way, but performances kept getting pushed back. There was no telling when anything would happen and having just arrived to the country overnight from LAX to PAP, I was beat. As badly as I wanted to check every little detail of the festival out I found myself retreating for some rest.

Day two was much better and as it turned out the people that stayed long enough on day one really enjoyed the performances. I wish I had been one of them.


When we finally arrived for the second installment the music was in full-swing and the beach looked at least 7,000 people deep. It had been raining on and off the entire day, but even the wet weather couldn’t keep people from seeing such performers as Emeline Michel, Tabou Combo & Black Alex, RAM and especially Stephen / Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. I was fortunate enough to score some standing room in VIP and made my way up to see portions of most of the performances. It being my first time hearing of many of he Haitian artists, my ears were busier than ever trying to focus in on it all. I listened like a student in a Haitian Music and Kompa 101 class.


RAM was one of the artists that really caught my attention. The music seemed very trippy and can be described as “Vodou rock n’ roots.” Following RAM was Emeline Michel, whose music I had heard before on a few compilation CD’s. The masses really enjoyed her music as well as all the major Haitian bands that went on and it wasn’t until the Marley brothers finally came on stage did I notice a slight difference in crowd participation. I went ablaze inside myself. I was so hyped on seeing them and the setting was perfect. Naturally, everyone moved and sang along to the Bob Marley covers as performed by son Stephen Marley, but there were times when I thought the people could be moving more. It was partly the language and the awe of having the Marley brothers in Haiti that had the crowd standing still at certain moments noted my travel buds.

Even with the language barrier I could still sense the music working. It managed to bring a massive number of Haitians, tourists, and sponsors to Congo beach for two nights in a row thus far and the Marley’s reinforced the theory with their messaging, “We are all one people.”

When the show was over that night I headed back to the Hotel Cyvadier to rest my eyes and sing Festival Mizik Jakmel lullabies.

Day three was all washed up from what I gather. The rain wasn’t letting up and performances were cancelled. I departed Jacmel earlier than planned for Port-au-Prince. I could be wrong about day three and I would love to be corrected if I am. Overall I thought it was a success for a free event and with everything that did and didn’t happen it gives everyone that showed up and those who couldn’t make it something to look forward to next year.

It’s faint right now, but I think I hear 10,000 sets of drumming hands on Congo plage. To view more pictures from the festival check out the Festival Mizik Jakmel Flickr photostream.

Yesterday: Art & Souvenirs
Tomorrow: A Few Last Words

Haiti Part 4: Art & Souvenirs

by Adrienne Wilson on


Art is everywhere in Haiti. Evidence of such can easily be seen long before arriving in the so-called arts epicenter of Jacmel. Within moments of hitting the bustling Port-au-Prince streets I found myself googly-eyed, head turning left and right just trying to zone in on all the details found on a passing tap-tap. Tap-Taps are small pick-up trucks that are transformed into magnificent, colorful vehicles of public transportation. The painted pick-ups often times tell a story, some have scriptures from the Bible and many have the faces of popular music artists going from front to back. Discussing the artwork found on tap-taps could make up their own individual post and photo gallery, so allow me to proceed to other areas of art found in the country.

I’ll begin by suggesting a visit to the Foundation Sant D’A Jakmel (FOSAJ) in Jacmel. FOSAJ is a non-profit institution with a mission to empower the Haitian people through art and cultural initiatives. By visiting their art gallery I could see their mission in action.


There are a number of interesting and vivid paintings in addition to mixed media pieces worth spending a few gazing moments. I would have loved to have taken many back home, including a large vibrant piece that had just been painted by one of the local artists hanging around the gallery. Unfortunately, I had some other souvenir purchases that had to be made before acquiring any paintings and now I could kick myself for not taking it off his hands.

At the very least I knew I would have a few photos and some memories to keep me going until the next trip in to explore more about Haitian art and the artists behind the brush.

The items I was holding out for more than anything were the voodoo flags. It was a D.C. based photographer that put me onto them long before taking off and with the way he described their beauty I knew it would be a souvenir I would like to have and give to family and friends.

Finding them was not always easy. There were a few art and gift shops selling beaded mermaids, but I was more interested in the flags with sequins – one-of-kind pieces. My first attempt to find a flag led me and my fellow travel companions to an area of Jacmel supposedly known as the red-light district of the town. We didn’t know it at the time. We waited in a small home while someone went to find the voodoo priestess who made the flags. Our wait was not a long one as a woman with a stern face came wondering in and then out looking for the key to unlock where ever it was the flags were kept. She returned with a very large, beautiful sequined piece of what I regarded as art and she regarded as something much more. The flag was done in black, white and red sequins. The material behind it was a light lavender color and the picture was of a knife pointing to a bowl of blood with the word ‘KRIMINAL’ beneath the bowl. She took all this very serious and it was the only flag she would allow me to see without being baptized in the religion. I passed on purchasing the flag because I wanted something a bit brighter and smaller. I did not beg to see others and she didn’t seem as though she were playing hard to get in not revealing the others. The search here was over.

The rain had started to come down in buckets as we pulled up to a second home where I was told there would be flags for sale. Again, I saw only large flags. Large wouldn’t be so bad if I were into the stuff for religious purposes or had a huge place back in the states waiting for my new world trinkets, but neither particularly applies to myself – at least for the time being. Though the two flags I was shown didn’t have the sequins or beads I was told the symbol found on them represented all voodoo symbols. Still, it was not what I was hoping for and so I held off once again. There was only one last hope in the area and we would not be able to get to it that day as the rental car could not cross the river where this last woman lived. I paid the man who had become our assistant in finding the flags to have the woman bring her flags to me when it stopped raining.

The next morning she arrived by motor-bike to my hotel with only three flags. Two were identical with the exception being in size and the other was only partially covered in sequins. I decided to purchase one of the larger fully sequined flags for all the trouble she had gone through. The flag had the word ‘Ba Ron’ at the top which she said meant cemetery. It seemed like a dark moody flag, but it was still quite beautiful. She said she had other colorful ones of the voodoo heart, but no further transactions were made that day as the other flags she brought back only got larger and larger in size.

It was on my last day in Port-au-Prince that I found a man who had obviously somewhat embraced the art of making flags for many people to include tourists. Buying five flags was never my initial intention, but he had a variety that were right size, price and he was also able to provide me with the story behind the spirits seen on each flag. He told me ‘carrefour’ which meant intersection was the gateway for all spirits to pass. The peach colored one (I cannot remember the name of that spirit) is the one that opens up ‘carrefour.’ La Sirene’ is the mermaid spirit and a very popular good spirit.

My lessons in voodoo spirits, flags and artwork in Haiti had to end there that day. I had a flight to catch, but I was pleased. I had successfully gotten souvenirs from Haiti that I would probably never find on any other Caribbean island.

Yesterday: Hotel Cyvadier & Other Jacmel Hotels
Tomorrow: Festival Mizik Jakmel Update

Haiti Part 3: Hotel Cyvadier & Other Jacmel Hotels

by Adrienne Wilson on


Before I took off to Haiti I was told of a number of beach towns in south worth hanging around on a weekend getaway, but Jacmel was always the top recommendation. One reason being the wealth of beach-side accommodation and eclectic hideaways found in the magical arts-epicenter of this country. For my first visit it was suggested I stay at the Hotel-Restaurant Cyvadier Plage. I followed instructions accordingly, had a room booked and found myself at a loss for words upon my arrival.
From check-in to check-out, I felt as though I were in dream. I’ll compare the feeling I was experiencing to the one scene in the film Contact where Jodie Foster expected to be shot into space, but instead found herself on some beautiful tropical paradise witnessing the unimaginable. It was as though the three hour drive from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel’s Cyvadier hotel had taken me to other worlds. This peaceful, idyllic, Caribbean dreamscape couldn’t possibly be the reason so many people stay away from Haiti.

It couldn’t be the fluttering hummingbirds moving from flower to flower or the warm smiling and welcoming faces waiting behind the Cyvadier reception desk keeping travelers away. With so little information available by guidebook and on the internet I wouldn’t be surprised if most people knew nothing of Jacmel or the Cyvadier, but now that I have your attention let me tell you more about the place.
The Hotel-Restaurant Cyvadier Plage is located off of Avenue Baranquilla in the direction of Marigot. Once in Jacmel the drive up the road is roughly seven minutes. As you near the Cyvadier you will notice the ‘Bienvenue’ signs before pulling up into the parking lot. With my travel companions by my side we made our way to the reception, checked-in and headed to our rooms.

Sadly, I did a fine job photographing the exterior, but failed to take a picture of the cozy double bed luxury room I was staying in. A great idea of what the interior looked like can be found on the hotel website. By description the room was actually quite simple. There were two double beds, two chairs, a small table, a nightstand, and a sliding glass door with a view of the Caribbean Sea. The room is equipped with AC and a ceiling fan to keep one extra cool after a day of sight-seeing. There wasn’t a TV in my room or my companion’s room, but who needs TV? If you are looking for amenities that provide access to the outside world during your short escape try some other place.

At the Cyvadier you can get lost in a book while lounging around the spring water filled pool.

If you find yourself running on an empty stomach, step-up into the restaurant for a bite to eat with a cool fruity drink to wash it down.

And when you’re ready to get a better view of the ‘plage’ or beach instead of the one found at the restaurant and bar walk down the steps to the private beach cove.

Cyvadier Plage does not offer miles of sandy beach, but it has enough for a honeymooning couple or a small family of four to enjoy without the bother of hundreds of beach-goers. Again, it is a private beach which means it is kept extremely clean. The water is often warm and rivals that found splashing up on the shores of many other islands with its crystal clear blue-green color. From time to time you may find a few locals laying out and selling local handicrafts, but even then you’ll always find plenty of room to catch some sun and surf.

If you’d like to plan your own stay – do check out the hotel website for full contact, rate, and reservation information. Rooms come in luxury and standard and rates can vary depending on whether you want all-inclusive type of service or wish to have only breakfast included. Luxury double rooms typically go for $55 per person. Additional rate information can be found here. Staff and management are very accommodating and awaiting all interested island visitors.

The Hotel-Restaurant Cyvadier Plage can be reached by phone at 509.288.3323. Email: contact@hotelcyvadier.com.

Ready to visit Jacmel, but prefer public beaches, more in-town action and more atmosphere? As mentioned before there are a number of options. During my stay I swung into a few of the hotels and found charm in many.

The Jaclef Plaza Hotel is located next door to the Cyvadier. The establishment seemed like a nice place to camp out and I actually had a reservation booked here for my driver, but with all the commotion from the music festival taking place my reservation somehow got tossed out the window. The management wasn’t as apologetic as I would have liked. I’m sure things could be different on a regular weekend without an event, but in other words – book at your own risk.

Jaclef Plaza Hotel Ph. 509.288.9700 / 509.554.2296 / 509.482.3064 Web: www.jaclefplazahotel.com

La Jacmelienne Hotel rests in front of Congo Plage and were the head-quarters for practically everything taking place during the Festival Mizik Jakmel. I caught a glimpse of the rooms and found them very pleasing. The beach views aren’t as charming as that found at the Cyvadier, but La Jacmelienne offers much more access to the town and is located near many art galleries and shops.

La Jacmelienne Hotel has 30 rooms and is located at 17, rue Ste Anne. Ph. 509.288.3451 Email: hoteljacmelienne@hotmail.com

Should I find my way back to Jacmel sometime in the near future, the Hotel Florita may very well win my business. There are no beach views and it is noted there are only eight rooms, but it has tons of character. Beautiful Haitian artwork can be found on each floor and it too is located near art galleries, shops and restaurants.

Hotel Florita is located at 29, rue du Commerce. Ph. 509.288.2805 / 509.482.5158 / 509.785.5154 Email: hotelflorita@yahoo.fr

Yesterday: Kreyól Cuisine
Tomorrow: Art & Souvenirs

Haiti Part 2: Kreyól Cuisine

by Adrienne Wilson on


One might imagine that food and its preparation between each Caribbean island couldn’t possibly vary drastically in taste, but then one would be wrong. I’ve learned now through an odd handful of islands visited; St. Lucia, Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago and now Haiti, that the art and science of cooking and eating a good meal on each is an experience of its own. No where else have I been able to feast upon conch salad the way I had in the Bahamas or the doubles and roti found in T&T and in Haiti, Creole cabrit, picklise, and lambi. The islands are without a doubt full of flavors. I’m sure I did not come close to taste-testing every Haitian delight on the menu or even the grilled corn on the cob which I longed for from one of the street vendors, but what I have here is only a glance of what savory, mouth-watering dishes await the visitor hoping to dig into Kreyól Cuisine during a weekend, week or months stay in the country.

Pasta Nostra was not the first sit down restaurant I dined at, but it easily became my favorite. It possibly was the story behind the place alone that won my affection. As the story goes the breath-taking, beautiful mademoiselle pictured above had once been involved with an Italian man who taught her the art of cooking pasta and other Italian dishes. While the man in the story is somewhat of a ghost now, the beautiful chef can still be found preparing fresh seafood and pasta dishes across from the quiet beach of Ti Mouillage.

The establishment is cool, casual and comfortable like most situated next to the beach. Wooden chairs and tables sit atop of a small deck and small, bright, colorful artwork hangs from the wooden pools along the restaurant. Come before you feel you will absolutely faint of hunger because it is a one-woman operation in the kitchen and so it will be a moment before the food arrives. If you’ve come all the way to Haiti only to sample items typical to the country and wish not to have what I call ‘Italian fare remixed’ there is enough delicious fresh seafood to fill you right on up and if you weren’t aware – seafood is pretty typical for most islands.

On my plate: Grilled red snapper with plantains covered in a spicy red leafy sauce. The fish was cooked wonderfully and the sauce (I cannot remember the name – pictured below) had the right amount of kick. My companions all had the same with the exception of one who sampled the lobster and noted it was delicious. To wash it all down I sipped on cold cherry juice which I expressed some initial skepticism over as I’m not wild about cherry flavored foods/beverages in the States, yet the taste of cherry in Haiti is much different. The gelato featured on the desert menu was not available, so I skipped on having sweets afterwards. The rest of the bunch ordered crepes, which I took only a bite of found tasty as well. After you’ve refueled head across to the beach for a snooze underneath the island sun. ($$)

Pasta Nostra is located in Ti Mouillage, up the road from Jacmel. Ph. 509.453.3413

The restaurant at Hotel Cyvadier was the first I ate at and found the food appetizing. It wasn’t until we’d made the long three hour drive from Port-au-Prince and got all checked in did I finally rest my limbs and gobble down my first real meal. The restaurant as best described on the hotel website ‘seats up to 70 people and specializes in a diverse variety of fish, crawfish and lobster delivered daily from the local fishermen.’ The atmosphere is casual for breakfast and lunch which were the only two times I actually dined at the Cyvadier. Views of the hotel, swimming pool and the alluring Cyadier Plage (beach) can all be seen from the restaurant.

On my breakfast plate: I usually went the light way for breakfast having fruits (mango, banana, pineapple and/or melon) and bread with confiture (jelly or peanut butter). Simple and yummy! On the lunch plate: Spaghetti with ham and onions. If my memory serves me correctly I believe it may have been called Creole spaghetti, but I could also be wrong. For the first meal it wasn’t too bad. It was not mind-blowing, but highly satisfying. I would have liked to have explored other dishes on the menu, but didn’t want to stick exclusively to the hotel restaurant. ($$$)

Hotel Cyvadier Restaurant Plage is located in Jacmel off of Avenue Baranquilla in the direction towards Marigot. Ph. 509.288.3323

Ambiance was the dinner stop right before heading out to the second night of Festival Mizik Jakmel. It sits on the second floor above a business which I did not bother taking notice of and has a nice view of the activity taking place on the streets below. There isn’t a ton of ‘ambiance’ with the speeding motor ‘taxi’ bikes passing along, but once your meal is served you forget about all that is surrounding you including the screeching tires. The dishes took a while to prepare and by the time my Cabrit Creole (Creole goat) arrived I had lost the sense to take a photo of it and instead dug right in.

It was accompanied by a small field salad and a plate of red beans and rice far to large for me to tackle alone. The goat itself was very tasty and the meat was falling off the bone. Considering how different the taste was from the curry goat I’d had in T&T so many times and how easy it was to rip right into the meal I questioned whether I was truly having goat, but only for a short few seconds. I cannot recall what was on everyone else’s plate, but the overall reaction to the food was a good one. ($$)

Ambiance is located at Avenue Baranquilla, Jacmel, Haiti. Ph. 509.288.3067

There were a few things on my wish list that I still hadn’t eaten and I didn’t want to wait anymore. I had been told about how delicious the picklese and Creole lambi was in Haiti and I didn’t want to miss either and in the process I still managed to miss one. The last sit-down spot where I had the opportunity and sadly failed was at Le Lambi Beach Hotel near Carrefour.

Le Lambi is HUGE! It was by far the biggest place we’d been to and during the time of our visit one of the quietest. It was obvious the restaurant had been there for ages as it was decorated from every inch of the ceiling in colorful baskets and every inch of the walls in conch shells. When you walk in your attention is split between the dance floor to the right and the open floor in the center where one can look down into the sea beneath. Old kompa tunes hum from the stereo system calling music lovers to the dance floor on a packed night I’m sure, but for lunch every patron in the restaurant was either far too hungry or too relaxed. I was so thrilled that they had picklese (a chopped cabbage in an extra delectable vinegar dressing) that I made the mistake of ordering my lambi grille
d and not the typical way which is served in Creole sauces.

When my meal arrived I looked down at what seemed like an appetizer. My companions then confessed that they’d never eaten the lambi (conch) grilled before and always order it in Creole sauce. I thought to myself why they hadn’t shared that valuable information before I ordered and let it slide as they were probably only trying to provide me with a reason to come back. In the end the grilled lambi was ‘OK’ and the picklese amazing! In fact I had everyone else’s picklese too. They were more than happy to share. And yes, I must finish what I started and return to sample more. ($$)

Le Lambi Beach Hotel is located in/near Carrefour at Mariani Mer Frayyte, Haiti. Ph. 509.234.0272

Dollar Guide: ($) Under U.S. $10 ($$) Under U.S. $20 ($$$) Over U.S. $20. While some restaurants are pricey and there is much street food to devour there are cheap tasty items on most if not all menus. Menu prices are noted in Haitian dollars (which do not actually exist) and can be paid for in Gourdes or U.S. dollars. To get the price in Gourdes multiply the Haitian dollar amount by five. For the price in U.S. dollars divide the amount of Gourdes by the going exchange rate approx 35-37. After you’ve done all the math treat yourself to a cocktail.

Want to go cheaper and hit the streets! Go for it! Among most busy town roadsides you can find chicken, plantains, sugarcane, juices, you name it! Just be careful to always have bottled water.









Yesterday: A Country with a VERY Bad Reputation
Tomorrow: Hotel Cyvadier & Other Jacmel Hotels

Haiti Part 1: A Country with a VERY Bad Reputation

by Adrienne Wilson on


None of my close friends and family was sure why exactly I wanted to visit the western most side of Hispaniola, also known as Haiti. Like most people their minds had been beset by images of rallying city folk advancing the streets with machetes in hand, spirits flying loose and free from voodoo ceremonies taking place around the clock, acute poverty and so much political turmoil that Haiti would forever remain a no-man’s land for leisure travel.

Guess again.

Yes, ongoing political instability has been an issue the country has been dealing with for years and while all those images combined make for great nightly news stories and horror films the greater Haiti does not live up to the negative hype or stereotypes. Sorry folks, this is not going to be your guide to slum tourism or the darker side of the country. My primary reason for visiting the country was to explore the brighter opposites and there are many.

During the next few days I will share with you the details of my journey into Port-au-Prince, the long drive to island paradise known as Jacmel, as well as arts, culture, cuisine, events and perhaps I’ll even suggest a place or two to stay. It would provide me with much delight to learn that one or two curious travelers find inspiration over the next few days to haul off to Haiti and in my wildest dreams many more travelers, but not all destinations are built for everyone.
For those who have decided to read further, I applaud your interest and invite you to continue down to a small selection of photos taken in both Port-au-Prince and Jacmel. Feast your eyes now on monuments, colorful tap-taps, beach hideaways and more.

One of my greatest beliefs is if you feed the people food and wisdom they’ll always look for ways to come back. Tomorrow I’ll start by exploring one of my favorite topics on any excursion: the local delicacies.











Tomorrow: Kreyól Cuisine