#2532: A walk from Furcy to Jacmel

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

WALKING HAITI'S HIGH GROUND.  By JP Slavin with photographs by Steven 
	Irving.  FOOD & HOME.  November 1999.  pp. 92-95.

Comments by Bob Corbett

A number of years ago I was in Haiti to see about some cattle raising 
projects my organization was funding in Haiti's southeaster mountains.  I 
was going to make an on-sight visit and my local guide came for me at 
dawn in Petionville.  We bused up to Furcy and set out.  It was an utterly 
exhausting day and it was well after dark when I, at least, literally 
stumbled into the village of Bellefontaine.  After catching my breath for 
a bit, I felt I should be polite.  My hostess was outside cooking up some 
dinner for me.  It was like I was at the end of earth, the most remote 
place I had ever been.  I walked out and this woman was bent over the 
fire.  I called out to her and she turned around.  I was simply astounded 
to discover she was wearing a tee-shirt announcing the St. Louis V-P 
Fair, a local festival in my home city of St. Louis, Missouri!

That was a hard trip for me.  When I recounted it to others they assured 
me I should try the walking trip from Furcy across to the sea at Jacmel.  
At least, they said, it would be a fun trip and not the ordeal I had had. I 
always dreamed of doing it, but never got around to it.  Now I'm not 
longer sure my weak knees could climb the up parts of those mountains.

List member Patrick Slavin did that walk from Furcy to Jacmel, and did it 
in great style, writing about it in a captivating manner, enriched by 
brilliant photos from Steven Irving.

The did the trip in two legs.  The first was from Furcy to a place called 
Seguin which Patrick points out isn't even on Haitian maps.  But, it 
houses a lovely sounding small hotel where they stayed a few days, 
spending time exploring the near-by pine forest.  After a pleasant stay 
there they negotiated the remaining trip down to Jacmel.  

Patrick writes about it with grace and a romanticizing that will make you 
want to pack your walking boots and head for the mountains of southeastern 
Haiti.  If you can find a copy of this funky magazine, I guarantee you'll 
enjoy Patrick's great story.  Oh my, I'm so jealous!

Bob Corbett