Day 3-033
8 hrs, 10 .3 kms

Next morning, I'm feeling good and ready to explore. My main challenge of the day: reaching "La Citadelle", which is perhaps the largest castle in the western hemisphere. A trip to Haiti really would not be complete without it.

Before that, I'd better go ahead a buy my ticket to Dominican Republic for tomorrow. I go ahead a catch the tap-tap into town, where I continue on on foot, hoping to find the bus station without needing a motorcycle taxi.

Cap Hatien has a very different feel from the other cities. its narrow streets are lined with very typical Latin American architecture... most of the buildings look like they're in reasonably decent shape. It actually feels like, well, an ordinary, functional city.

It's true, there are still mountains of trash at the entrance of the streets. But then...

What is that? a mountain of trash being cleaned up? A bobcat loader in digging into the mountain of trash and emptying it into a dump truck .

As it turns out, trash DOES get cleaned up here in Cap Haitien... just not as often as in other places!

Another thing I notice here are lots of UN and USAID vehicles driving around. I've actually seen less presence of aid workers/UN on this trip than I expected. It seems they're mainly concentrated here in Cap Haitien. Not sure what they're doing here, but they're here.

I ask a fellow what people think of them.

"American aid workers are OK... at least they'll tip a dollar or something... but UN guys--they don't tip at all!"

I continue on through crowded market streets, schools and homes packed tightly together. Finally I reached the coast with a empty street except for a couple of joggers. I realize I feel more at ease on the crowded streets, so I head back in towards town. Finally, at the far end, where the city meets the steep mountainside, I find the bus station to Santiago and buy my ticket .

Challenge Number 3: accomplished.

On my way back I find a plaza sandwiched between a police station and a UN compound. Seems like a safe place for a park bench concert.

On my way back to find a tap-tap to "La Citadelle" I spot the main cathedral just a few blocks to the side. Definitely got to check it out. In front is a large, beautiful plaza--very peaceful and inviting, with statues of the founding fathers of Haiti all around. This cathedral/plaza scene could just as well be anywhere in Latin America. This feels world away from the chaos of Port-au-Prince.

I would like to tarry here longer, but I've got a castle to explore. I head to the tap-tap that'll take me close to La Citadelle... and climb aboard.

Later that Day: Two Funerals

Back from La Citadelle, I still have a big chunk of the day ahead of me . I start out by walking back to the hotel. This stretch is a pretty grimey, ugly stretch of road. without any real sidewalks, just trash and random stuff along the road. I do find a restaurant along the way that looks decent. Not very impressed by the food, but at least it was clean.

Back at the hotel, I drop off the guitar and then head back into town once again. I try taking the tap-tap, but traffic is so bad that it's actually faster to walk.

And I soon figure out why: there's a huge funeral procession going through the middle of town. Here I see my first Haiti-New Orleans connection: as there's a brass marching band playing at the head of the procession, followed by groups of people in different uniforms. Men in suits... young people in school uniforms. The music is somber--unlike the New Orleans funerals you see in the movies.

I ask to know if it's an important person, as it seems the whole town is dressed up and attending, but I can't get a clear answer .

I finally reach the head of the slow moving funeral... pass the cemetery in the middle of the city and....

Another funeral procession coming the other way! This one looks even fancier... Another brass band... a parade of older men wearing a boy scout kind of uniform... groups of young people wearing graduation gowns.... The deceased is a beloved professor perhaps?

One thing is clear: funerals are a big deal here in Cap Haitien. They basically shut down traffic coming in and out of the city. I wonder if this is a daily occurence...

I head down toward the side street towards the iron market. Sure enough, on cue, a young fellow approaches me demanding money. I guess it's just a thing about markets in Haiti... I give him a few coins and he lets me go.

Nearby a well dressed man and woman are doing an impromptu church service right in the middle of the crowded market alley ... complete with song, dance and all! I hear a couple "amens!" from the vendors, showing at least a couple of them approve of this activity...

I have one last thing to do here in Cap Haitien. Massimo, my friend in Italy likes to collect national team football jerseys from around the world. I've already picked up a couple for him... So where do I find one here in Haiti?

It suddenly strikes me that... uh... I haven't seen a single "normal" clothing store in the whole country! People sell clothes by the side of the road, or in a hole in the wall shop--but it's mostly just second hand clothes from the US (you see some pretty amusing t-shirts that have made their way here!)

I realize I haven't seen a singe football jersey of any sort here--not even of the global favorites, Barcelona or Real Madrid...

And yet, I notice many of the ladies manage to look quite dignified. They manage to make themselves businesslike and elegant with simple accessories and clothing...

Finally, I give up on finding Haiti's football jersey, and head back to the hotel. It's been a good day, all the same...