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Can Port-au-Prince Haiti EVER Have A Paradise Caribbean Look?

Updated October 8, 2012 11:00 AM

I need your opinion on this... There is an underlying social issue in Haiti that makes it impossible for a city like Port-au-Prince to have a developed Caribbean look, paradise as they call it, unless some people cry foul play... What is it you ask? Keep on reading...


caribbean beach haiti

First, Let's use our imagination a little bit...

What do you think is a major difference between Haiti and most other countries?

I will answer this question with one simple statement:

I pay a hell of a lot more for my apartment in South Florida just because there is a LAKE in my back yard... I had to settle for a LAKE because I cannot afford to live by the OCEAN at this time... LOL...

I can't even afford to live next to a freakin' water CANAL in Las Olas... I think a Yatch is required and I don't have one yet... LOL...

NOPE... That's where Anderson Cooper grew up... That's where Wayne Huizenga lives... Rich bastards... (Just being jealous, that's all :)

Are you beginning to understand what I am trying to say?

In Haiti there this idea of NEG ANWO and NEG ANBA...

Neg ANWO means "the rich" and Neg ANBA means "the poor" but it is more complicated than that...

I don't know if this concept came directly from Port-au-Prince but, in Port-au-Prince Haiti, the rich lives UPHILL (anwo / Petion-Ville, Montagne Noir, Fetmathe, etc) and the poor lives DOWNHILL (anba / Cite Soleil, La Saline, etc...)

Assuming that "the rich" in Haiti is involved in the decision making as far as development is concerned, chances are, unless they woke up and smelled the Cafe REBO, they are going to build NEXT DOOR... ANWO... Right? Not DOWN THERE... No way... 'BODME... ANBA bo Lanme-a' that's where the poor people live! That's where Marche Croix Bossales is... That's where you go to fix a dent in your car for cheap!

Noone wants to be ANBA... Well... No one except tourists with cash in hand!

Ha Ha...

Now let's think about Caribbean tourism for a minute...

When a tourist dishes out his hard earned money to visit a Caribbean Island... Paradise... They are not exactly thinking about sunbathing 1,000 feet above sea level... Oh No... They want to be AT the beach drinking their pina colada, Rhum punch, sex on the beach, enjoying the beautiful Caribbean sunshine on a white sandy beach, and hopefully jet skiing and parasailing half drunk...

If they do go up hill it's only to catch the Zip Line...

Don't get me wrong... they might want to visit the old Fort Jacques and the CITADEL... But they don't want to sleep there... NOPE!

Am I right?

Now we do have some beaches in Haiti but there not exactly easy to get to if you happen to be vacationing in Haiti and staying at a luxurious hotel in Petion-Ville are they?

There aint no expressways from Petion-Ville to Cotes Des Arcadins... There aint No Expressways from Fermathe to Labadee...

Being that Haiti is a Caribbean country... Paradise Island... wouldn't it be nice if one day, as your airplane is getting ready to land in Haiti, the Pearl of the Antilles, Home of the REAL pirates of the Caribbean, to see nothing but Cash Machines (Casinos, Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, Jetskis, and Boats) all over Port-au-Prince bay ready to take your money with you READY and WILLING to give it all away for one week of "The Good Life"???

Wouldn't that bee cool???

There is only one problem... Port-au-Prince bay is inhabited by poor people (NEG ANBA)

How the hell do we get them to move??? I smell RIOT...

Just a question...

Reply with your comments

A day at the beach - Haitians enjoying themselves in the ocean   Haiti island of hispaniola   caribbean travel photo   caribbean island of Haiti   caribbean island of Hispaniola   Best Caribbean destination   caribbean island of Haiti   caribbean picture  

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Tags: Haiti Travel Guide, Cite Soleil Haiti, Rich Vs Poor in Haiti, neg anwo, nag anba, Travel and Leisure, Tourism, Travel

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All Comments (12)

Miejo says...

WOODY YOUR TEXTE IS VERY JUICY, I LOVE IT, I could not say any better.

love it, love it, loveeeeeeeeeeeee

Reply  ... More

Roudia says...

Hi...

How are you?

For the "NEG ANBA" you talk about, it's only they miss the possibility to have money.

Reply  ... More

Jb says...

No, no my brother you got it all wrong.

No one needs to move. Why would you want to have a business next to your home. You are right, what kind of attractions could you possibly have up

Reply  ... More

Wag says...

OK my people everyone has some good valid points but no real solutions because none of us are really putting our money where our heart is.

Yes Haiti is the ideal location for tourisum and we better capitalize on this before Cuba next door opens back up, yes opens back up which is coming soon. Either way there is always enough room in the Islands for everyone.

Lets work together and get the country back in order.

Reply  ... More

Lena says...

if we working together put politik a way for the love of our country we can work with our president together to rebuil

Reply  ... More

Jacques L says...

The biggest problem with Haiti is its upper class.

They only live for the moment.

That is why they moved to the mountains, so they can be protected.

Reply  ... More

David Grant says...

There is no need to be a riot if the government decide to remove these people from the beachfront and locate them elsewhere.

All the government has has to do if it is willing to beautify Port-au-Prince, is to allocate some money and build some attractive modest homes for these people, or a few high rise apartments which in my view will be more practicable.

However, to receive repayment for these houses, certain creative measures is to be put in place.

Reply  ... More

Josy says...

We must first educate, and work hard to change their mentalities.

We would need to be very careful, and fair with the poor. We can built very low cost housing for them not too far from the resorts, and let them keep a small piece of land to grow some food. The resorts will give them jobs, and our government should demand certain benefits.

They should built the roads leading to the resorts, and their should be a strip so the resorts are not too far from each other like in Atlantic City or Las Vegas.

Reply  ... More

Richelet says...

St Preux,
the question that you asked here, that is not a one question.

that's a debate subject, I called

Reply  ... More

Colette says...

While my solution to this never-ending problem may sound harsh, I don't see any other option.

Those with the means to make significant changes, which will benefit not just a certain portion of Haiti's population, must be the ones to make the sacrifice.

To put it bluntly, plough the road!! Those who will not move, must be made to do so. If not, this vicious cycle will continue, ad infinitum.

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