CAP HAITIEN WALK

Bob Corbett
Walk taken: April 24, 1990
Notes finally written, March 2001

March 18, 2001 -- I just found these old hand written notes. This was a crazy day of wonderful experiences. I had set out from the Roi Christophe just to take a little walk. I had no water and wasn't prepared to be gone 6-7 hours or more. But, one thing led to another and I was simply captivated.

I don't know how much has changed in 11 years, but if any want a marvelous, magical experience, I recommend this walk. In the very late afternoon, hot, sweaty, exhausted, sitting on the balcony of the Mount Joli, drinking at least my 5th or 6th Prestige (the first three only washed the dust out of my lungs), I made the notes below of where I had been.

• Go to the water front north of the port.
• Take the water front street to the end (toward the open sea).
• Jog left one block and begin assent on a dirt road.
• In just a few hundred yards it will wind up to the left and you'll see the remains of a first small fort with short squat cannons.
• Follow this road to the open sea and around to the left. Thus the sea is north and you're walking west.
• Follow this coast road to a very large fort (I believe this is Fort Piccolo) which has neat tunnels and lots of cannons.
• Continue on a narrow dirt path past Fort Piccolo at its top.
• After a short while it will turn left (sea is still on your right), and you seem to be going nowhere.
• Stay with it. (Blessed are they who persevere.) You'll climb into jungle-like hills, simply fabulous. Just continue to follow the trail, such as it is.
• Soon you will come to the ruins of a French plantation including a huge 40-50 foot deep well, and a stone arch way entrance.
• Eventually, 1 to 1 1/2 hours later, you'll come down the other side to the sea again, and on the sea is another remains of old buildings.
• Once down at the beach (I climbed back up around some rocks, then down to the beach), I could see several large buildings up ahead.
• Find a path inland (on your left). And I do mean a path. Much of it was just farm land walking carefully between rows of plants.
• Take this a long way to the main road.
• Turn left at the main road and it will take you back to O Kap.
• Unlike me, bring water, some nuts or other snacks, even a flashlight I was worried about getting lost and caught out there at dark. If I were doing it again I'd take toilet tissue as well.

BRIEF ADDITION
20 Mar 2001

A list member of my e-mail list wrote to add that:
> (and that other fort near Fort Jacques)

I think it's called Fort Alexandre, and I believe that it is - or at least once was - connected underground to Ft. Jacques.

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