The Beauty and Unease of Labadee, Haiti

The Unexpected Cultural Experience I Didn’t Know I Needed

Labadee Mountains, rocks, beach. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke

I wasn’t supposed to go to Haiti

The same weather system that disrupted the Masters in Georgia and flooded parts of Ft Lauderdale was also responsible for rerouting my Bahamian cruise from Nassau to Labadee, Haiti.

So, I ended up in Haiti.

Admittedly, at first, I was disappointed about missing out on Nassau, but Labadee ended up being the cultural experience I didn’t know I needed.

And I experienced two things while I was there: Beauty and Unease.

Beauty: The Land

Labadee beach and rocky coastline, with mountains in the background. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke

First, let’s discuss the beauty as, let’s be honest, when people talk about Haiti, it’s usually in a negative light

The morning we were to dock in Labadee, Haiti, I decided I’d get up early and make my way to the top of our cruise ship to watch the sunrise. Much to my surprise, not only was I greeted by the most beautiful sunrise, but I was also surprised by the most amazing view of clouds hugging the tips of large mountains in the distance in the early morning haze…