The Beauty and Unease of Labadee, Haiti
- Sohkor Solanke
- Sep 5, 2023
- 7 min read
The Unexpected Cultural Experience I Didn’t Know I Needed
Sohkor Solanke
Labadee Mountains, rocks, beach. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke
I wasn’t supposed to go to Haiti
The same weather system that disrupted the Masters in Georgia and flooded parts of Ft Lauderdale was also responsible for rerouting my Bahamian cruise from Nassau to Labadee, Haiti.
So, I ended up in Haiti.
Admittedly, at first, I was disappointed about missing out on Nassau, but Labadee ended up being the cultural experience I didn’t know I needed.
And I experienced two things while I was there: Beauty and Unease.
Beauty: The Land
Labadee beach and rocky coastline, with mountains in the background. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke
First, let’s discuss the beauty as, let’s be honest, when people talk about Haiti, it’s usually in a negative light
The morning we were to dock in Labadee, Haiti, I decided I’d get up early and make my way to the top of our cruise ship to watch the sunrise. Much to my surprise, not only was I greeted by the most beautiful sunrise, but I was also surprised by the most amazing view of clouds hugging the tips of large mountains in the distance in the early morning haze. Majestic hills and mountains were my first view of the northern tip of Haiti, and it only became more spectacular as we continued to approach the coast and they became closer, showcasing their lush, green vegetation. It was reminiscent of my first glimpse of Freetown, Sierra-Leone: standing on the edge of Lungi Island awaiting the ferry to take me to the mainland, and the early morning mist revealing a similar scene of clouds suspended atop mountains. Funny how the most beautiful places seem to be in the so-called developing world.
Labadee mountains and coastline with boats in the harbor. Pic credit Sohkor Solanke
Labadee is such a beautiful place. It’s small, more of an inlet, with a mix of sandy and rocky beaches depending on which side you are on. And, like many places in the Caribbean, it has the bluest of blue water. While most of our fellow cruisers chose to enjoy the beaches, ziplining, mountain coaster, and water sports (There is a lot to do in this small inlet), my husband and I decided to climb the trails and explore our surroundings. Each time we reached the highest heights of a trail, we were rewarded with the most spectacular views of pristine water, perfectly outlined coastline, pillowy clouds, and rocky formations. I also got to dip my feet in that pristine blue water and take a dive in the sea during the late afternoon sun, after a full day of hiking. That bluest of blue water was saltier than I imagined, and we almost floated in the midst of it.
Swimmers in a cove with cabanas and hills in the backdrop. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke
Coast with rocks & ultra-blue ocean. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke
A terrapin burrowed into a rock on the coastline in Labadee, Haiti
More Beauty: The People
Let’s also address the beauty of the Haitian people.
In my almost 50 years on this earth, I’ve seldom been in situations where I was the majority. Being in Labadee felt akin to being in West Africa in many ways. I was surrounded by people who looked like me- the vendors, the servers, the dancers, the musicians, the security guards. I have picked up a few basic Haitian Creole phrases over my years teaching ESL, and I know enough French to survive in Paris for a weekend. I created a mash-up of both languages to communicate with almost every Haitian I came in contact with. Their eyes lit up when they thought I was one of them. When I told them I was West African, they always responded by stating that “we are all one”, and I felt so accepted, with a deep connection and sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. We were treated differently than our fellow passengers, and for perhaps the first time, I experienced what I would consider a dark-skinned privilege. For example, on one of our hikes, we encountered an area that was cordoned off, so we turned back. But a security guard noticed us from afar, told us to return to the area, unlocked it, and commenced to give us a private tour. He explained to us why the area was named Dragon’s Rock, and he helped us hear the “dragons” in the rocks each time the waves rushed in. Some of our fellow White passengers noticed our private tour and followed a few minutes later, but we knew that he had done the favor especially for us.
I was in awe of the skill of the dancers and musicians who performed on Labadee (See videos below), and I marveled at their proximity to African culture despite being separated from Africa for so many centuries. If you had told me these performances were taking place in a Francophone West African nation, I would have believed it! The clothing, the music, the use of instruments, the dance moves- all so closely aligned with West-African traditions.
My only negative experience was with the extreme tactics of the market sellers pushing their wares in a way that felt uncomfortable. But, again, we are the same people, and I would expect no less in the markets in Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Nevertheless, I managed to buy the Haitian straw hat that I have long coveted, so I was happy.
Standing below a sign that says Labadee, Haiti with a cruise ship in the background. Pic credit: Sohkor Solanke
Now to the Unease:
This was never a destination I would have chosen of my own accord as its existence makes me uneasy. You see, there’s a certain sensitivity common among people, like myself, who can trace their origins back one or two generations to countries in the so-called “developing world”, to the exploitation of certain people groups by the West.
You see, Labadee is a section of Haiti that is leased by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RC), which pays the Haitian government for the use of this port. Apparently, they pay the government a set fee for each passenger that comes off the ship. The whole deal feels somehow exploitative. If Haiti is run anywhere close to how Sierra Leone and Nigeria are run, then I’m guessing RC and Haitian government officials are the ones benefitting from this deal, and the average Haitian citizen sees little to no benefit from these vast tourism dollars.
In fact, the peninsula is cordoned off from the rest of Haiti by large fences and security that emphasize to the Haitian people that this section of their country is off-limits to them and reserved solely for Western tourists. So, the average Haitian citizen does not have access to this beautiful port in the Northern peninsula of their nation.
And therein lies the dichotomy that creates a sense of unease and tension: while the deal between RC and the Haitian government does feel exploitative, elitist, and exclusionary, the port is staffed by Haitian citizens who work and make their living selling wares, serving drinks and food, braiding hair for tourists (“Protective styles for hair that don’t need protecting”- Kev on Stage), performing, and maintaining security in Labadee. Without the money they are paid by RC and the tips they receive from cruise passengers, how would they support themselves and their families?
I feel a similar unease about cruise stops in locations such as Mexico and Honduras, places where people are fleeing deadly cartels and desperately seeking refuge at the U.S. border, only to be denied entry most times and possibly even lose their lives on the journey. Meanwhile, Americans have unlimited access to places like Cancun, or Roatan where they can enjoy paradise, cordoned off from the violence of those nations, often gaining entry via cruise ship with just a U.S. birth certificate. Somehow, that doesn’t seem fair. But, like Labadee, these are also places where the local economy is heavily dependent on tourism dollars and would struggle and probably collapse without them.
I found a disturbing video on YouTube (admittedly 5 years old) that highlights the sense of entitlement and elitism that Western tourists often bring with them to places like Labadee. In the clip below, an American couple approaches a young man from the UK who is trying to give food and financial assistance to some Haitians on the other side of the RC fence in Labadee and asks if he is American. They caution the young White male to stay away from the Haitians because “They don’t like Americans” and “They will kill us”. I cannot for the life of me understand why this White American couple would want to visit Haiti if they believe this about the Haitian people. There’s something truly nefarious about enjoying the beauty of a struggling nation while simultaneously looking down upon its people as savages and animals. Why not just stay in your own country?
I recently read an article that listed Freetown, Sierra Leone as one of the most beautiful places in the world and an up-and-coming tourist destination. Time magazine even listed it as one of the World’s greatest places for 2023! My initial thought was, oh, boy! Here comes further exploitation and Western tourists taking over and behaving badly. But the truth is, those tourism dollars would be a huge boost to that nation and create an entire industry that, as of a few years ago, didn’t really exist. If managed correctly, this could change the lives of so many Sierra Leoneans. We just need to somehow find a harmonious way of bringing our tourism dollars into struggling nations in a way that benefits the average citizen and not just the fat cats in government and the Western businesses (think Hilton, Marriott) that create a monopoly everywhere they go, and without the relationship becoming exploitative and elitist.
Overall, my short time in Labadee, Haiti was such a beautiful experience, and I felt completely safe. All of my Haitian friends were so excited that I got to visit, and one of them even told me that she was so glad that I got to experience the beauty of Haiti and not just the ugly side that is always portrayed on American news and tv shows. I look forward to my return and to a day in the near future when it will be safe for me to experience the rest of Haiti- the real, authentic Haiti, surrounded by real Haitians and far removed from Western tourists.
Standing at a sign that says “Welcome to Labadee”. Pic Credit: Sohkor Solanke
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