Little Haiti

OK, first impressions. Here's the neighborhood where we're staying, referred to by some as "Little Haiti." Lots of Haitians, Dominicans and Jamaicans; a distinctly third-world look and feel here. Everyone is super friendly, and there's lots of smiling. People here live very simply, and there's none of the opulence we'd see even in Mexico.

There are piles of junk and garbage here and there. There are packs of wild dogs roaming around. While there are some homes we'd call "houses," most dwellings in this neighborhood are small shacks with multiple families living in them.

This isn't the stuff you'll see in the travel brochures, but this is how it is. But again, everyone is very nice and friendly. The neighborhood is vibrant, with a steady flow of people walking or bicycling by. There are relatively few cars on the road, but a few - mostly older, thrashed cars but the occasional new car or Cadillac. The sounds of singing from the neighborhood churches ebb and swell late into the night. As I write this, about 9am, I can hear hymns coming from the Haitian church a stone's throw away.

We haven't seen any tourists up here. While some people come and stay on the island, mostly tourism is in the form of cruise ships. There was a ship in today, and Chris took us down to see it. There was a small handful of people on the beach adjacent to the cruise ship mooring; Chris told us this is as busy as it gets here..