earthquake

The Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)

December 4, 2021 by Anton Lau

exterior view of old gothic gingerbread mansion with balcony and green trees — The Cordasco House (Villa Miramar) in Pacot
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

The Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)

The Cordasco House is one of Haiti’s most iconic gothic gingerbread mansions. The House has been closed to the public since the 90s, but Visit Haiti was able to take a sneak peek inside. Take a look at our exclusive virtual tour of this national treasure.

First impressions

If you drive into Port-au-Prince from the south-east (maybe after a weekend in Jacmel) you can’t miss the charismatic Cordasco House. At a fork in the road where you turn right to continue into PAP proper, rising above you is the yellow, orange, and creamy-brown heights of one of Haiti’s most photogenic Gingerbread mansions. This is the Cordasco House, also known as Maison Cordasco, Villa Miramar, and “Le Petit Trianon” in honour of the palace of the same name in Versailles. In Haitian Kreyòl, Cordasco House is affectionately known as Ti Trianon.

As a child, I remember sitting in the back of a pickup truck coming back from Jacmel and looking up in awe at the latticework, turrets, and high, rounded towers. The high-walled gardens overflowed with the tops of frangipani trees, their aromatic waxy flowers heavy. The house was as imposing as any fairytale castle I could conjure, and my childhood self wondered if Haiti’s own Rapunzel lived up in those towers.

Gingerbread houses are ornate turn-of-the-century buildings unique to Haiti. Like their edible namesake, Gingerbreads are famous for steep roofs and ornate details highlighted in vibrant, contrasting colours. They are architecturally fascinating for a number of reasons – not least because they’ve proven to be surprisingly resistant to earthquakes.

In 2020, I was invited by a colleague in the arts to take a private tour of Cordasco house, and I finally got to go through the tall gates I had been gazing at in wonder since childhood.

stairs to large door entrance to house with decorative metal details — Villa Miramar sign above the main entrance at the Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

Take a peek inside Cordasco House

At the gates, a stone-faced guard greets me with a twinkle in his eye – one part artisan, one part soldier, I soon discover – and swings open the gate. A long, wide driveway, lined by flowering trees, winds toward the four-story turreted mansion. Large, heavy stone vases are embedded in the entryway masonry, flanking the double staircase leading to the main door.

Cordasco House and many others like it were rapidly built in Port-au-Prince starting in the 1860s, as Port-au-Prince’s economic and industrial growth skyrocketed. At that time, as Haiti’s only port open to foreign trade, it was the epicenter of commerce on the island. A new bourgeoisie class of affluent traders, businesspeople, and educated professionals flourished. Opportunity was everywhere, and as the city’s population grew in tandem with its economy, the newly wealthy class migrated out of the chaotic downtown core to the evergreen eastern hillsides of Turgeau, Bois Verna, and Pacot with gorgeous views of the bay. This district is where you’ll find many of the attractions on our self-guided gingerbread tour.

Villa Miramar, the name given to the house by its original owners, can still be seen traced in wrought iron filigree above the main entrance that arches above the grand staircase. As appreciation for the gingerbread style grew, the house increasingly became known as maison Cordasco, after one of the most famous architects of the style.

There’s two theories on who designed and built the Cordasco House. One theory claims the house was built by Fioravante Cordasco, an Italian-born architect active in Haiti until the mid-twentieth century, and an integral part of the gingerbread movement. Although the nickname of “the Cordasco house” lends weight to Cordasco theory, a joint project by Haitian art collective FOKAL and Columbia University writes that the house was actually built by Parisian-trained Haitian architect Joseph-Eugène Maximilien. According to FOKAL, Maximilien built the house in 1914 for the lady Ewald Clara Gauthier.

facade of old gothic gingerbread mansion with decorative fretworks and latticeworks — Facade of the Cordasco House (Villa Miramar) in Pacot
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

The guard waves me to drive my car past the main house, to where a second, separate building stands. A series of smaller houses stretches behind the mansion’s back, many of them with ornate balconies and gingerbread trim. Towering trees, manicured gardens and pools complete the picture.

The gingerbread architectural style in which the Cordasco House is built is truly creole, blending together foreign influences with local materials in an ornamental way. For example, Haitian gingerbread houses adopt 1830s Victorian “picturesque” features like intricate trim that resembles lace, but execute it with locally available and affordable elements like timber-slatted siding. The classic flamboyant colors of Victorian houses are intensified to neon.

Here in Haiti, the vaulted ceilings sometimes seen in Victorian architecture are an essential feature, improving air circulation in the sultry eternal summer of the Caribbean. To provide shade from the Haitian sun and accommodate the need for daily meeting space, where much of Haitian life takes place, gingerbread houses have wide galleries and porches, integrated into the faux-Victorian aesthetic with intricately adorned latticework.

Climbing up the main steps, I enter a high-ceilinged ante-chamber which opens out onto a three-story winding wooden staircase, rising up, up, up into the rafters. On either side are the principle rooms of the ground floor, framed by intricately-carved doorways.

interior of gingerbread mansion with old wodden staicase — Wooden staircase at the Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

In the 1970s and 80s, the Cordasco House rose to new fame in the city as a tea house and fashionable boutique under the name Le Petit Trianon, and many of Haiti’s society ladies recall stories of lunching in these airy rooms.

The early 1990s saw the gingerbread house become a home once again, as a private residence to members of the Hudicourt family. One former resident, Lorraine Hudicourt, currently the owner-operator of La Lorraine Boutique Hotel, recalls fond memories of climbing the frangipani flower trees in the front yard in her youth, and playing hide and seek in the fourth-floor attic space with her many sisters and tribe of cousins. In those days, the gates were often open all day as children and cousins came and went, bringing life, laughter and mischief to all corners of the vast property. Housekeepers slept in the sprawling staff quarters at the top of the property, themselves equivalent in size to three Haitian middle-class houses.

Indicating where I should place my step due to earthquake damage, the groundskeeper leads me up the staircase to the second and third floors. Each doorway, each moulding, is intricately carved. Green granite countertops and Portugese tiles decorate the bathrooms. The slanted floors bely the age of this grand old lady, but do nothing to diminish her dignity or grandeur.

interior of old gothic gingerbread mansion with tile floor and structual damage — Ground floor at the Cordasco House (Villa Miramar) in Pacot
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

The Cordasco House survived the 2010 earthquake, but not without some bruising. The walls suffered several large cracks, and the three-story spiraling staircase that rises up through the house’s center was destabilized. Fortunately, though much of Haiti’s capital had been levelled by the disaster, the Cordasco House’s foundations were undamaged.

The Cordasco house’s resilience is part of a surprising trend. U.S. conservation experts discovered that only five percent of the estimated 300,000 gingerbread houses of Haiti had partially or fully collapsed due to the earthquake, in contrast to forty percent of all other structures, most of which had been considered to be in better condition. The Wall Street Journal suggests that Haiti’s Gingerbread architecture could serve as a model for seismic-resistant structures in the future.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the owners opened up “Ti Trianon” as an improvised hospital for earthquake victims, run by Medecins Sans Frontieres. Part of the house continued to be rented out to NGOs for several years, and was fitted with impromptu walls to delineate offices and cubicles. By 2018 though, many international charities had largely pulled out of Port-au-Prince with their budgets in tow, and office rental in the Cordasco House came to a halt. For two years, only the trusty guardian graced the dozens of rooms, protecting this historic property.

In early 2020, the owners threw open the shutters to sunlight once more, investing in renovations. The neighbourhood of Pacot became a flurry of movement as gallons of fresh white paint coated the Cordasco House’s interior and new scaffolding was erected against the famous facade, ready to usher in another new era of the house’s rich history.

By the time I step out onto the uppermost balcony, an orange and pink sunset is unfurling over the bay of Port-au-Prince.

balcony with decorative fretworkand latticework details — Balcony with view of Port-au-Prince at the Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

Cordasco House is currently not open to the public, but you can see it from the corner of Rue Pacot and Avenue N in the area of Pacot, Port-au-Prince.

Want to see inside a gingerbread house? Here are my two top picks nearby:

Gingerbread Restaurant: For those looking for a fabulous gingerbread house as a backdrop for photos or a video shoot, we encourage you to discover this nearby gingerbread mansion of equivalent grandeur. Known for great cocktail hours by the pool, Gingerbread Restaurant also does great pizza and salads, and the herring and cod croquettes are out of this world.

Open to the public, Gingerbread Restaurant is located on 22 Rue 3, Pacot. Look for the light blue gate. Open 11am to 10pm Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Hôtel Villa Thérèse: This three-story gingerbread mansion is distinctly different from most of the gingerbread houses, but its pink turrets and ornate masonry, painted in soft yellows and vibrant blues, clearly draw on the same tradition. Villa Therese operates as a boutique hotel, but you don’t need to book a stay to see inside – anyone can visit the restaurant, open 6:30am to 9:30pm.

Hôtel Villa Thérèse is at 13 Rue Leon Nau Nerette, Petion-Ville.

For a list of gingerbread houses open to the public, check out our guide to gingerbread houses in Haiti.

exterior view of old gothic gingerbread mansion — The Cordasco House (Villa Miramar) in Pacot
Photo: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf / Wikimedia Commons

Written by Emily Bauman.

Published December 2021

Find The Cordasco House

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WIKIPEDIA

Gingerbread Houses

May 21, 2020 by admin

old colonial houses in coastal city — The Boucard House in Jacmel
Photo: Anton Lau

Gingerbread Houses

“an important architectural and cultural heritage, not just for Haiti but also for the international community.”

Gingerbread Houses are ornate turn-of-the-century buildings unique to Haiti. Like their edible namesake, Gingerbread Houses are famous for steep roofs and ornate details highlighted in vibrant, contrasting colours. They are architecturally fascinating for a number of reasons – not least because they’ve proven to be surprisingly resistant to earthquakes.

An iconic feature of urban communities around Haiti, these ageing architectural masterpieces have survived a century of turmoil and natural disaster, and are a compelling conservation opportunity. And they’ve just been formally recognised as one of the most important at-risk heritage sites in the world.

old colonial haitian house in tropical garden — Old gingerbread house on Rue 16 F, Cap-Haïtien
Photo: Mozart Louis

Where can you see Gingerbread Houses?

These stately relics are scattered throughout Port-au-Prince, but are concentrated in the neighborhoods of Pacot, Turgeau, Bois Verna, and Bas Peu de Choses. You’ll also find Gingerbread Houses in other cities around Haiti, including Jérémie, Jacmel, and Cap-Haïtien.

Who were they built for? What are they used for now?

Originally, Gingerbread Houses were built as the residences of powerful Haitian families, and many surviving examples have housed Haitian presidents. During the 1900s, some of these Gingerbread residences were acquired or built by Catholic institutions, which is why many of the Catholic schools and buildings you can see today are examples of the Gingerbread style.

During Haiti’s boom time as a fashionable travel destination in the 1950s and 60s (when the moniker “Gingerbread” was first introduced by American tourists), Gingerbread Houses were symbols of prestige, used as the seasonal residences of stars like Truman Capote, Noël Coward, Graham Greene and Katherine Dunham, who stayed at the Hotel Oloffson or bought Gingerbread Houses of their own.

Today, most of the investment in Gingerbread Houses comes from the arts. Organizations like Kolektif 509, FOKAL, Fondation Viviane Gauthier and Le Centre d’Art are restoring iconic Gingerbread Houses and opening them up to the public as spaces to preserve, practice and promote Haitian art forms.

colonial house decorative fretworkand latticework details — Gingerbread house in Turgeau
Photo: Franck Fontain

Architectural style

In 1895, three young Haitians travelled to Paris to study architecture, and adapted Parisian architecture to the Caribbean climate and living conditions. Together, these young architects refined the architectural style now known as “Gingerbread”, designing civic buildings and residences that combined French-inspired, Victorian Gothic grandeur with flamboyant colors and vivid decorative patterns – including vèvè symbols from Haitian Vodou.

Designed for Haiti’s tropical hot and humid weather, Gingerbread Houses feature tall ceilings, doors and windows as well as wrap-around verandahs, all decorated in a vibrant, distinctive style with elaborate details unique to Haiti. Most Gingerbread Houses were constructed using natural, flexible timber frames that have the innate ability to weather some of the Caribbean’s toughest storms (and as it turns out, even earthquakes).

Inside, they’re a mastery of climate-control, with high ceilings and tall turret roofs designed to draw hot air upwards and out of living rooms. Louvred shutter windows allow cool breezes in and keep moisture out. In the leafy suburbs of Pacot, Pétion-Ville and Turgeau, these majestic windows open out onto picturesque views of the city. Luxurious, extended front porches plunge onto stately grounds with manicured tropical gardens.

old colonial houses on city street in jacmel — Gingerbread houses on Rue Du Commerce, Jacmel
Photo: Anton Lau

Conservation

By the 21st century, many of these once-elegant, century-old structures had fallen into disrepair. Although the communities of people living in and caring for Gingerbread Houses had made substantive efforts to preserve them, political and economic conditions meant that only some of these iconic buildings could be adequately preserved.

As a whole, the historic Gingerbread House district of Port-au-Prince wasn’t getting the support it needed as an at-risk cultural heritage site. In 2009, the Haitian Leadership and Education Program (HELP) successfully brought Gingerbread Houses to the attention of the World Monuments Fund (WMF), in the hopes of generating support for the restoration of these irreplaceable treasures. In late 2009, Haiti’s Gingerbread Houses were chosen as one of the WMF’s 2010 World Monuments Watch list.

2010 earthquake

Less than three months later, the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 struck. The Haitian government made Gingerbread Houses a conservation priority. Now internationally recognised for their architectural and social significance, local and global cultural heritage organizations mobilized quickly to assess the damage. By early February, teams were touring Gingerbread House sites to inspect and evaluate. Though many suffered serious damage, their traditional construction proved surprisingly earthquake-resistant, and very few of them collapsed.

In fact, less than five percent of Gingerbread Houses collapsed completely, compared with forty percent of modern, conventionally-constructed buildings. Architects are now trying to analyse what makes the fragile-looking, intricate Gingerbread Houses so seismically resistant, in the hopes of designing future homes in Haiti to be more resilient.

2020 World Monuments Watch

In November 2019, the Gingerbread district of Port-au-Prince was chosen as one of 25 globally-important sites on the WMF 2020 World Monuments Watch, a list of exceptional sites that “marry great historical significance with contemporary social impact.”

The Gingerbread district was selected from more than 250 applications, after a series of in-depth reviews by an independent panel of international experts in heritage preservation.

“The chosen locations are determined not only by their architectural value, but also by their impact on communities around the world,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, CEO of WMF. “These remarkable sites demand sustainable, community-driven solutions that bring people together and combine conservation and social change”

Being on the 2020 Watch list means that local stakeholders working to preserve Port-au-Prince’s Gingerbread district will now receive crucial funding from the WMF and its international financial partners. Hopefully, the hard work of local conservation teams will now have an even bigger impact.

A compelling conservation opportunity

Port-au-Prince’s historic Gingerbread Houses embody Haiti’s cultural heritage in a nutshell: rich and incredibly valuable as a cultural and economic resource for contemporary Haitians and future generations to thrive – but also endangered, under-documented and underfunded.

Make a difference by visiting Port-au-Prince’s Historic District today. If you’re lucky, you might get to meet the communities of artists and conservationists working to revitalize these extraordinary treasures.

old colonial houses lined on street with ocean in background — Old gingerbread houses on Rue Stenio Vincent in Jérémie
Photo: Anton Lau

Go on a self-guided tour of Gingerbread houses

Open to the public in Port-au-Prince

Villa Kalewès – 99 Rue Gregoire, Petion-Ville. Easily recognizable by the rich gingerbread color of its fairy-tale wooden walls and icing-like white lace edging. One of the most important Gingerbread structures in Petionville, Villa Kalewès remains both in-use and, lucky for us, open to the public. Villa Kalewès isn’t open every day, so make sure to visit during an advertised event or call head to check.

Maison Dufort – 9 2eme Rue du Travail, Turgeau, Port-au-Prince. Open to the public 9am – 4pm. Maison Dufort was extensively restored by nonprofit FOKAL (Foundation Connaissance et Liberté) between 2012 and 2018. To find out more, ring 2813-1694 or email studiofokal@fokal.org. Voyages Lumière run guided tours in French and English.

Gingerbread restaurant – 22 Rue 3, Port-au-Prince. Open 11am to 10pm Monday thru Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Hotel Oloffson – Ave Christophe, 60, Port-au-Prince. A working hotel, Hotel Oloffson also has a restaurant where non-guests are welcome for lunch (US $12-15) and dinner (US $15-25), as well as a famously good live Vodou rock show every Thursday night. Originally built as the residence of an influence family, Hotel Oloffson has been a presidential residence, a US military hospital (during the 20-year US occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1935) and a hotel since 1936. Glorified in Graham Greene’s 1966 novel The Comedians.

Le Centre d’Art / Larsen Family House – 22 rue Casseus, Pacot, Port-au-Prince. In late 2019, this house was purchased from the Larsen family and will become the new home of Le Centre d’Art. The old premises of Le Centre d’Art, at 58 rue Roy, were damaged beyond repair during the 2010 earthquake.

Maison Gauthier – In the heart of the historic Gingerbread district, Maison Gauthier “represents both the life of the celebrated doyenne of Haitian folkloric dance, Viviane Gauthier, and one of the finest examples of gingerbread architecture in Haiti.” In 2015 the Fondation Viviane Gauthier was established to restore the villa and maintain it as a place to teach and promote Haitian folkloric dance.

Open to the public outside Port-au-Prince

In Jacmel it’s possible to see inside a Gingerbread House at Hotel Florita, Hotel Manoir Adriana, Sant d’A Jakmel and Alliance Francaise.

In Cap-Haitien it’s possible to go inside Hotel Roi Christophe and Alliance Francaise.

Not open to the public

The Peabody House – hidden from view by dense tropical gardens, the Peabody House is near the corner of Rue Pacot and Rue Malval in Pacot, Port-au-Prince.

The Cordasco House (also known as Villa Marimar / Le Petit Trianon) – a 19th century gothic Gingerbread mansion in Pacot, Port-au-Prince.

Villa Castel Fleuri – Avenue H. Christophe, Port-au-Prince. Briefly home to the President of Haiti, Villa Castel Fleuri suffered extensive damage during the 2010 earthquake.

Le Manoir – Avenue John Brown, Port-au-Prince. Has remarkable roofs and turrets constructed with decorative pressed metal roof shingles.

The Patrice Pamphile House – 4 Rue Casseus, Turgeau, Port-au-Prince. Extensively damaged by the 2010 earthquake.

Maison Chenet, also restored by nonprofit FOKAL between 2012 and 2018.

The Bazin House on Rue du Travail Deuxième, Port-au-Prince.

The house of Jean-Richard Montas – 79 Avenue H. Christophe, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House built by Tancrede Auguste – 32 Lamartiniere, Port-au-Prince.

Wood-frame house – 24 Avenue Lamartiniere, Port-au-Prince.

A charming example of a smaller and simpler Gingerbread House – 26 Rue 7

A large and elaborate Gingerbread House, still surrounded by its original
spacious property, at 9 Rue Bellvue, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House – 51 Avenue Christophe, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House at 59 Lavaud 3, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House at 14 Rue Marcelin, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House at 32 Lamartiniere, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House at the Episcopal University, 14 Rue Légitime, Port-au-Prince.

Gingerbread House at 22 Rue Pacot, Port-au-Prince.

College de Jeunes Filles, at 10 Lavaud, Port-au-Prince.

old colonial house on city street with traffic — Gingerbread house in Jacmel
Photo: Anton Lau

Written by Kira Paulemon.

Published May 2020

Explore Haiti’s History & Heritage

Great Haitian charities to support (and those to avoid!)

April 7, 2020 by admin

haitian boy holding a red heart carved in limestone, enscribed haïti — Franklin in Kabik, Jacmel
Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Great Haitian charities to support (and those to avoid!)

Whether you’re donating from a distance or only able to visit the project site briefly, it’s difficult to see what is – or isn’t – happening with your support. Here is a list of charities to avoid and charities you can support in good faith.

Don’t be misled

Recognisable charity names can be assuring, but sometimes the biggest and most established organisations are the ones with the worst track record of squandering donations to cover inflated administration costs and failing to effectively turn your dollars into genuine, on-ground change.

Over the last decade, many have seen Haiti as a destination for altruism, travelling here to volunteer or donating to charities in the hope of supporting Haitian communities recover from the tragic 2010 earthquake. Despite the best of intentions from most of the people involved, hundreds of millions of donated dollars were mismanaged.

After warnings from the Haitian community, an investigation led by ProPublica and NPR discovered the American Red Cross grossly misrepresented its work in Haiti, betraying the trust of well-meaning donors and preventing desperately-need funds from flowing to local organisations who could have used it more effectively. Trust in ARC and foreign aid more broadly has, understandably, been shaken.

So who can you trust? Which charities are credible? Are there any on-ground volunteer projects where visitors here for just a short time can genuinely help?

three haitian boys on bmx bikes — Boys on bikes, Marigot
Photo: Franck Fontain

Nine charity organizations doing amazing work

Nine local associations and organizations doing amazing work in Haiti that you can fully support in good faith.

FOKAL
Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète (Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty) known as FOKAL is a Haitian foundation established in 1995. FOKAL supports smallholder farmers associations, grassroots women’s organizations and small local ethical enterprises that are true first responders on the ground as well as the best agents to strengthen grassroots network, self-care communities, local advocacy and economic recovery.

You can donate directly to FOKAL here!

One of the best ways to help Haiti? Visit!

If you get the chance to visit Haiti and learn more about the situation here, you’ll be in an even better position to make informed decisions about how you want to contribute.

Keep in mind that the ethical tourism dollar can be a very effective way to donate directly to local communities. The cost of living in Haiti is low enough that you can afford to eat, sleep, relax and adventure well and tip locals generously, all without breaking the budget.

Experts see tourism as a sustainable way to provide resilient livelihoods for developing economies, and this is especially true in Haiti where the influx of tourism spending is enabling the country to invest in the infrastructure it needs to fully recover from the 2010 earthquake. Where international aid has largely failed, an international holiday can make a surprising difference.

Right now, one of the best ways you can contribute to the development of this fiercely independent nation is to come here for yourself. Enjoy the beaches, the carnivals, the creole cuisine and the Caribbean vibes. Tip where appropriate, and look out for the non-profits doing work we can all be proud to support.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published April 2020

Updated August 2021

Top things to see in Haiti

10 Years after the Earthquake in Haiti

November 10, 2018 by Editor

People walking, carrying containers, across the horizon at sunset, Haiti — People walking in the sunset
Photo: Kolektif 2 Dimansyon

10 Years after the Earthquake in Haiti: The Long Road Back to Growth

Almost ten years on, we take a look at how the nation is recovering, and what it needs now from the international community.

Some things never really fade from the fabric of memory. For Haitians, and many people watching from around the world, the earthquake of January 12, 2010 was devastating.

The damage wrought by the earthquake was more than physical. A sense of grief and the injustice of this random event hovered over the twenty-seven thousand square miles of Haiti; a thick grey cloud no one called for, and many believed was here to stay.

How could Haiti possibly get back up after a blow like this?

In the twenty-four hours after the earthquake, most people had the same answer to that question, and that was to do what they knew how to do best: be there for one another.

It wasn’t easy. To this nation of people tempered by centuries of struggle, this enemy was the hardest to fight. There was no battle, no rallying cry, no tangible chains to be broken. In less than a single minute, the landscape of Haiti as we all knew it had changed forever, and in the darkness of a January evening, it was hard to see the light of hope.

But if there is one thing that Haitians have learned to master over the years, it is taking misfortune and turning it into strength and resilience.

Group of fisherman in Dame Marie, Haiti — Fishermen, Dame Marie
Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Over the course of that afternoon, all throughout that night, and for the next two to three weeks following the earthquake, the true colors of the Haitian people shone bright. People helped complete strangers, volunteered to clear rubble, distributed food and supplies, and opened their front and back yards to folks looking for a place to make sense of their new life. Beyond the ceaseless static of dreadful international news reports, a shift was taking place.

Haitians were pulling other Haitians through the worst of it all.

It is that Haitian resourcefulness, that Haitian spirit, that Haitian perspective on life that saw hundreds of thousands through the worst of the earthquake aftermath. Nobody knew where the next meal would come from, when we would rebuild, or whether there would even be a tomorrow – but we made the most of those grim moments. Late at night, strangers bonded on sidewalks, next to street food vendors; families woke up to each new sunrise on salvaged mattresses in their front yards, grateful to see the dawn. Life in Port-au-Prince was lived day by day.

“Kòman nou ye?” “Nou lèd, men nou la.”
“How are you?” “We are ugly, but we are here.”

After the earthquake, life was indeed ugly. The blow came swiftly and unexpectedly; and while Haitians across the country were fighting their way through each day, it wasn’t easy to recover. With over 230,000 killed, there were fewer people to repair the damages, and their families were grieving for them while they tried to rebuild. Non-governmental organizations, charities and volunteers distributed first aid kits and food to neighborhoods in need, and eased people into temporary housing installations – but something was missing.

Tourism numbers had dropped off a cliff.

Five runners jogging over the suspension bridge in Chameau, Haiti — Dining area at Maraca restaurant in Santo Domingo
Photo: Anton Lau

In times of natural disaster-induced crisis, the instinctive reaction is to put a band-aid over whatever is broken or hurting – literally and figuratively. Emergency care is a big priority, and people came from across the US and the world to volunteer. But after the first few months, what Haiti really needed for rehabilitation was more visitors.

In its prime location in the heart of the Caribbean, Haiti is a natural tourist destination: with the turquoise Caribbean sea lapping at a thousand miles of coasts, sunny weather throughout most of the year, plenty of natural treasures to discover, and a bold and rich culture, Haiti is a tropical El Dorado waiting to be discovered.

After months of international news reporting that painted Haiti as a disaster zone, it’s hard to blame travellers for staying away. But this stagnation in the tourism sector was an extra setback for Haiti.

There’s another factor that often goes overlooked, too. In 2010, the whole Caribbean was enduring the effects of the financial crisis.

While dealing with a massive natural disaster, Haiti was also sharing the weight of the Great Recession with the rest of the world. Strenuous economic conditions tightened travel budgets in the US especially, and made it difficult for people to visit. The typical influx of tourists coming from the United States, from Canada and France decreased sharply – and for Haiti’s tourism economy, the wind went out of the sails. In major tourist cities like Jacmel, Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie, and Les Cayes, as well as in Port-au-Prince, the repercussions were strongly felt: “Pa gen afè.” “There is no business.”

Despite all this, Haiti took on the optimistic character of its frequent sunshowers: through steady rain, the sun shines on, bold and bright.

As it kept putting efforts into pulling itself up, the country fell into a virtuous cycle. People picking up the pieces of their lives motivated others to do the same; one person walking through their neighborhood clearing up rubble prompted another to ask them if they could pitch in. A mother spending the night staying awake to watch over children was relieved by another come dawn. A shoulder to cry on over a lost one became a friend to lean on for long after the disaster.

There are still no words to accurately describe the strength, courage, and enthusiasm for life Haitians had to muster up in the weeks, months, and years of earthquake’s aftermath. If you visit now, you’ll see a million ways their faith in a better tomorrow has manifested itself. Taking each day as it came turned into an openness to adventure, and a new desire to travel within the island and see more of our beautiful country. Opening our homes to other Haitians was good practice for AirBnB! Wanting a better tomorrow for one another became putting our best foot forward for the world to see.

Almost ten years on from the earthquake, this tragic setback has turned into what it truly means to be Haitian: bravely marching into each day, arm-in-arm, making only the very best of who and where we are.

What Haiti needs now from the international community is tourism – if you’re looking to soak up some Caribbean sun, come visit Haiti, and see how much has changed.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published November 2018

Our recommendations

Ciné Triomphe and Rex Théâtre

August 6, 2018 by Editor

Couple leaving the Ciné Triomphe on Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince — Ciné Triomphe on Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince
Photo: Franck Fontain

Ciné Triomphe and Rex Théâtre

Champ de Mars is home to Haiti’s two major theaters. Read about their history, the destructive effects of the 2010 earthquake, and how you can visit them today.

Take a closer look

Opened in the 1930s, Rex Théâtre has seen Haiti’s culture shift and evolve and adapt to modern times. In the past, it housed many of Haiti’s literary figures as well as French poet André Breton. When the theater was still standing, the dance school Joëlle Donatien Belot would hold its yearly musical there. Parents and students rushed through the antique-lit corridors, ballet tights moved between dress pants and shiny shoes, and impatient audiences filled the foyer. The Rex was where modern movies were first shown in Haiti, and crowds could indulge in American snacks like hot dogs and popcorn.

During the 2010 earthquake, the Rex theater was almost entirely destroyed, and only the bare bones are left standing. If you visit the Champs de Mars, you’ll find it boarded up with colourful sheet metal and street art, waiting to be brought back to life.

The Ciné Triomphe fared better than the Rex Theatre. A competitor of the Rex in the mid century as a popular destination for film-lovers, the Triomphe actually closed down in the 1980s and sat empty. Three decades later, in 2015, the Triomphe reopened after arduous renovations, filling the gap created by the tragic – but hopefully temporary – loss of the Rex. The Triomphe now sports a sleek modern façade, with lettering in a bold red typeface. The Ministry of Culture has been in talks with the Bank of the Republic of Haiti to further improve the new venue.

Under the eaves of the Triomphe theatre, a long strip of artisans sell their arts and crafts: paintings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, wooden bowls, metalwork, and more. Interspersed between these artisans street food merchants sell hot food, usually rice and beans, by the Styrofoam box. For an authentic treat, and relief from the Caribbean heat, find a Fresko or snow-cone merchant.

Getting there

The Ciné Triomphe and Rex Théâtre are located in Port-au-Prince on Champs de Mars.

People walk past the painted, ruined facade of Rex Théâtre on Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince — Rex Théâtre on Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince
Photo: Franck Fontain

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published August 2018

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The Cordasco House (Villa Miramar)

The Cordasco House is one of Haiti’s most iconic gothic gingerbread mansions. The House has been closed to the public since the 90s, but Visit Haiti was able to take a sneak peek inside. Take a look at our exclusive virtual tour of this national treasure.

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Gingerbread Houses

“an important architectural and cultural heritage, not just for Haiti but also for the international community.”

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Great Haitian charities to support (and those to avoid!)

Whether you’re donating from a distance or only able to visit the project site briefly, it’s difficult to see what is – or isn’t – happening with your support. Here is a list of charities to avoid and charities you can support in good faith.

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10 Years after the Earthquake in Haiti: The Long Road Back to Growth

Almost ten years on, we take a look at how the nation is recovering, and what it needs now from the international community.

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Ciné Triomphe and Rex Théâtre

Champ de Mars is home to Haiti’s two major theaters. Read about their history, the destructive effects of the 2010 earthquake, and how you can visit them today.

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