Photo Journal

Grand'Anse

The Grand'Anse river

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

One of the country's southernmost departments, and the home to cities like Jérémie and Abricots, Grand'Anse is where coastal cruising meets mainland adventures.

Between mountains and valleys, the people of the Grand'Anse department are open and eager to make a life for themselves. If you are ever hiking through a town outside the main cities, you will note that the trek some farmers and vendors accomplish to sell their goods every day is nothing short of a miracle.

older haitian man with machete and bag on head

A farmer on his way home near Kafou Zaboka, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Modern infrastructure is not just a thing of Haiti's big cities. In Jérémie, a massive bridge connects the two edges of the Grand'Anse river, allowing cars and motorcycles through, and for a very scenic drive.

traffic on large bridge crossing a big river

Bridge over Grand'Anse river to Jérémie, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

For those whose journeys are a little bit shorter, a brisk walk through the waters of the Grand'Anse river takes them straight to their destination. Farmers, vendors, and passersby can sometimes be seen quickly wading through, while early morning or late afternoon sunshine ripples over the water.

haitians crossing the grande-anse river by foot and donkey

People passing through the Grand'Anse river near Fouache

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Some of these daily journeyers — when schools are open — are students. They often make the daily trip in small groups with their friends, to reach their schools in nearby cities. When school is out, they can be seen running and laughing down the same paths, in the soft summer heat.

haitian school boys in uniforms

Boys going to school near Moron, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

The bridge in Marfranc is one of those places that is part of daily scenery for students living in the areas around it, but that can add excitement to any visitor's tour of the Grand'Anse department.

haitian school girl in uniform walking over suspension bridge

School girl crossing a bridge in Marfranc, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

As with any place in rural Haiti, the Grand'Anse department is chock-full of hotel, inn, and bed-and-breakfast options for you to choose from. Not sure where to stay? Easy: ask a local!

 

motorcycle with passenger driving past hotel building

Cash-Cash Hotel in Dame Marie, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

For these coastal cities like Corail, the importance of local fishing cannot be overstated. Wholesaling and retailing is how many individuals make a living, put food on their tables, and on those of their customers.

haitian woman with red head scarf and bowl of conch

Woman selling conch in Corail, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

The beauty of towns surrounding the Grand'Anse river is that they have learned to embrace and adapt to its natural architecture. All around the current, vegetable plots and small homes have sprouted, never so much as disturbing it.

 

aerial view of farmers fields, river, road and plantation

Landscape in Troupeau near Corail, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Fisher-men and -women alike are no strangers to the sharp art of scaling, gutting, and preparing fish in preparation for the day's sales. The fresher, the better; often times, a morning catch will become a fried or stewed afternoon lunch or dinner.

haitian woman with straw hat cleaning fish

Woman cleaning a fish by the habour in Pestel

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Mountain towns hold their own busy and bustling communities, too. Farmers and vendors will make their way downhill to the main towns where they will bring and sell fresh produce. Schools often pop up in these remote areas as well, removing a burden off the backs of students who would otherwise struggle to afford tuition in cities like Jérémie, Abricots or Pestel.

haitian school building in mountainscape

A school in the mountains above the village of Jean Beurry, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

The people of Grand'Anse hold hearts as vast and as open as their hometowns. If you are able to make the drive down there, it is an experience worth living and re-telling.

 

four haitian boys posing for photo

Haitian boys in the Joly Guibert village, Grand'Anse

Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen


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