Today was our day off from clinic for some rest and relaxation. We got up early and headed out for the Citadel after breakfast. A little history lesson: The Citadel is a fort on a mountain that a man named Christof from Grenade built in Haiti for his princess Marie-Lousie. Long story short, the princess never came to the fort after it was built. Christof became ill, paralyzed, and ended his life. The tour guide said soldiers secretly buried his body somewhere in the Citadel.
We hiked 2.5 miles up a steep mountain on a rocky road to get to the Citadel. Haitian men would follow us up the mountain with horses trying to convince us to ride them up to the Citadel in order to make some money. There were also many people selling crafts and little trinkets at the Citadel. It was a different experience for all of us because we quickly found out the vendors are very persistent and not afraid to approach us. They would come right up to our vehicle to try and sell us a hand-crafted item. We got a good workout in and many of us ended up with sunburns, but the views were breathtaking. The trek down the mountain was a lot easier, but still filled with many vendors. Once we traveled down the hill, we visited the palace Christof lived in. We got some great photos here as well. When we were ready to leave for the market in Cap-Haitian, one of our vehicles got a flat tire and wouldn’t shift gears, so we ended up squishing all 14 of us in one large van. Luckily there was air conditioning. The market we went to was right by the ocean in the middle of the city. The market was lined with up to 70 vendors each hoping to make some money. Each vendor had a variety of items including: handcrafted bracelets, wood carvings, and paintings. We got to practice our bargaining skills in order to come to a mutual agreement with the vendors. Finally the day came to an end and we squeezed into the van again to make our way home. We are cooling off and enjoying the rest of our night journaling and reflecting about our long, fun, and adventurous day. Hope all friends and family are staying warm and well. We miss you all and appreciate you checking in on us. Bon wi (goodnight), Chelsey and Meggie PS We were able to add some pictures, even a slideshow or two, to some previous blog entries. Be sure to check them out! Your comments are thoroughly enjoyed by all, so keep them coming!
1 Comment
Lynn Hanson
11/13/2018 06:23:43 pm
Love reading your blogs and seeing all the great pictures! Thanks to all of you for sharing this great experience with all of us here at home!
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AuthorWe are 12 North Dakota State University senior registered nursing students on a mission to expand our knowledge, culture and diversity. Our professors, Abigail Vetter and Molly Secor-Turner, will guide us on our final experience of nursing school (short of graduation and boards!) to complete our practicum in Northern Haiti. This is our experience. Archives
November 2018
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