Sunday, March 8 - Jacmel

We started out pretty early this morning, met our guide for the day, Rayna (a Haitian who attended Goshen College from 2004-7) and drove out to Jacmel which is about 3 hours south of Port-au-Prince.

Not so much traffic on Sunday morning so we were soon out of the city and cruising past fields of sugar cane backed by rows of coconut palms.

After about an hour we began to climb up the mountain range that is between Port-au-Prince and the southern coast of Haiti, where Jacmel is located.

Some trees were home to many bromeliads as we gained elevation.

Large bromeliad (air plant) growing on a tree trunk.

Our first visit in Jacmet was to the Fleur d' Experience Shop owned by the artisan Isidor Jocelyn. He specializes in paper mache masks and a variety of other artisan crafts. His shop has been at this location in Jacmel for 15 years.

Connor was eyeing the masks with great interest.

Friendly and not-so-friendly masks.

Isidor's workshop was just one block down the street from his shop. We were able to observe some of the painting process.

Careful, expert painting is critical in order to get a good finished product.

This young man was working outside and showed us how he makes a mold from clay before forming the paper-mache around the mold. He'll pass the elephant head on to the guys in the painting workshop for finishing.

Paper mache cattle and a donkey in Isidor's shop.

Growling tiger.

Colorful rooster.

Another rooster. Which one would you buy? Why not both?

Kelly is finalizing payment for her purchases with Isidor. 

Connor is a big Detroit Tigers fan so he had to have the tiger mask. Here he is, behind the mask, with Lyne Stephanie (Isidor's daughter), Kelly (Connor's mom) and Isidor.

Our next visit was to the home and workshop of Plaisimoad Gerald, a painter who has worked with Gisele at CAH since 1991. He was working on these serving trays that are part of an order for CAH.

Plaisimoad also paints large pieces like this rendition of the 'unknown slave' behind him. 

Another set of trays for the CAH order. It was good to hear Plaisimoad say that Gisele is a good friend as well as a good customer. He said that she always pays a fair price and always pays on time. The only things he wishes for is more orders.

Patrick from MCC Haiti saying goodbye to Plaisimoad at the front door of his not yet completed house and workshop. More orders would help him to complete his house more quickly. 

When it was time for lunch we headed down to the seashore and arrived at the grounds of the Hotel Cyvadier Plage (Cyvadier Beach Hotel) - Caribbean paradise in Haiti.

In order to get to the beach we walked down stone stairs since rock bluffs ring the small cove where the hotel is situated. 

A couple of local fishing boats were pulled up on the small sand beach just below the hotel. 

The waves were crashing on the rocky headland that protects the cove.

Ginny, Kim and Jean enjoying a refreshing green coconut drink. 

Lunch is being served. Warm sea breezes, conch, fish, chicken, salad and dessert with good friends - what more could you ask for on a Sunday afternoon in Jacmel, Haiti?

Enjoying the surf in the cove below our lunch hotel. 

Our hotel, swaying coconut palms and bathtub warm turquoise Caribbean waters.

Waves crashing on the headland.

Small tidal pools were filled with seaweed, purple spiny sea urchins, sea snails and a lone chiton (upper left). 

Bougainvillea on the garden wall at Hotel Cyvadier Plage in Jacmel. 

Another good day in Haiti with some Sunday afternoon rest and relaxation thrown in for good measure.

Tomorrow we will visit Caribbean Crafts and an MCC Project in Port-au-Prince that works with street kids.