If God is love or if he ever knew love, it wouldn’t seem so for many of us based off the way he repeatedly torments Haiti. Trust though that there are people so devastated and bewildered by the recent quakes that God’s love and prayer are the only two things they have left. So for us out here watching on CNN, BBC, and various other broadcast networks, I don’t think they would want us to stop our prayer or hope for relief. However, prayer with action is extremely powerful and if your heart moves you, take action.

I recently rallied everyone to vote for a travel piece I wrote on Trazzler about Haiti. With just a few clicks from friends, friends-of-friends and strangers, I was able to win the contest. I wrote my piece on Haiti hoping to give others a glimpse at the country as a desirable travel destination. When I heard this news, I couldn’t even watch it on TV. I didn’t want to imagine it; that the poorest country in the western hemisphere had been hit by a 7.0 earthquake. (Pause) Now, I’m asking you to join me in taking action for something bigger. Don’t just join a fan page on some social network. Don’t just say “poor Haiti.” You can do something even if it is small.

1. If donating money isn’t an option for you at this time try putting a care package together. Look in your closet for clothing to donate or assemble hygiene kits. Imagine the things you’d NEED if you’d lost everything in an earthquake and were homeless.

2. If donating money is an option for you (even if it is as small as $5) do it! Many of us are weary about forking over money to agencies. (Myself included.) There will be many accepting your funds to help Haiti. Do your research if needed and commit to giving something. Yele, Habitat for Humanity, and the Fuller Center for Housing are three organizations, I will be watching personally and collaborating with if possible. Note: The links above take you to relief projects specifically for Haiti.

3. Spread the word. Post ways of getting involved or donating on your Myspace, Facebook, Twitter feed or write a blog.

4. Hope, pray and continue to keep Haiti in your thoughts over the coming weeks when the next big news story wipes it off the headlines. Oh, and take action.

God is love.

I know. Haiti isn’t the first place to come to mind when pondering a tropical getaway which is why I decided to write about it for this particular Trazzler writing contest. (No, it isn’t the pity vote or the sympathy vote.) When I sat down to think of all the islands I’ve been to I really wanted to write about a destination that isn’t frequented as much. I decided to write about a place often overlooked (possibly for some good reasons) to try to get people to start day-dreaming about being in that place. Are you ready to go to Hispaniola yet, or better, Haiti?

Do it for Haiti! This is a travel writing contest folks and I’m in it to win it! If not solely for myself, but as a goodwill ambassador for one of my favorite island travels to date. Jacmel or Jakmel is magic. I could describe it all day and all night, but you wouldn’t believe me until you see it for yourself. In the meantime here is what you can do to help me win this Trazzler contest.

If you have a facebook account wishlist/vote for me this way:

Facebook Connect Login:
Go here to create an account
Go to my trip page url and click “add to wishlist”

If you don’t have a facebook account or don’t want to use your facebook account, wishlist/vote for me this way:

Non-Facebook Login:
Go here to create an account
Go to my trip page url and click “add to wishlist”

Lastly if you have questions or would like to read more about my past travels to Haiti you can find them here. I’m always in for the underdog.

Take me away to Ayiti!

P.S. If I win this that will be Hawai’i and not Ayiti! I know I’m a sell-out. Smile, Merci and Mahalo!

Since I’ve been back home and catching up with friends either on the phone or over dinner everyone has been probing and picking at my brain. What have you been up to? Where have you been? Why did you go there? For work? For play? 2007 has been a colorful year, painted with journeys to the other side of many sides and back. My passport has been stamped and I have learned more about myself than ever before. I was planning on saving these fine highlights of my life for my end of the year blog extravaganza, but I feel as though now is a good time to relive and share.

Why Did I Go To___________ This Year?

Why did I go to St. Lucia this year? I had a week of vacation time from work in March. The original plan was to go to the Dominican Republic and swing through Haiti with my boyfriend at the time. After a series of events starting in as early as January and ending on a very heart-breaking Valentine’s Day, it became clear that I needed to change my vacation plans. QUICK! I no longer wanted to go to the D.R. because my Spanish language skills were not up to par and since I just wanted to get away and enjoy my time off of work still I opted for an English speaking Caribbean destination. I picked St. Lucia and had all my flights re-routed accordingly and changed my hotel reservations all by the morning of February 15th. It was impulsive, but it worked out for the best!

I took off as planned in March for seven days on my own and I had an absolute blast! Not only is St. Lucia beautiful, the people are very hospitable and kind, the food is pretty yummy and it makes for a wonderful place to re-energize. I’d recommend solo travel to St. Lucia for anyone. However, you’ll notice many vacationers are either honeymooning or getting hitched. With the state my heart was in it didn’t bother me at all. In summary I did not plan to go to St. Lucia. If you had asked me last year I would have told you it was no where on my travel radar anytime soon, but I’m glad it fell there. I paid more than a nickel and a dime to go on my own, but it was not outrageously expensive either. I’d go again.

Why did I go to Haiti this year? As noted above I had originally planned to go to Haiti in March while in the D.R. I had done a lot of research, planning, contacting and coordinating to make for a safe and enjoyable time in the country. I didn’t want all that effort to go to waste and so I took off for Memorial Day weekend. For 3.5 days in Haiti the cost of this trip was quite pricey. I flew out of LAX and I had purchased my ticket last minute so I didn’t get a good deal. (There are however, many good deals to Haiti if you look ahead.) I also had to hire a driver and a guide since I don’t speak Kreyol and it isn’t one of the safest countries to go to in the world. The primary purpose was to gain a glimpse of how bad the poverty situation in Port-au-Prince was and to see how life in the sleepy beach town of Jakmel was in comparison. Anyone who knows anything about most places in the world with a bad rep is that there is the good and the bad. Haiti is just that and hopefully will one day rid of the brutally bad images keeping people away. The beach town of Jakmel is magnificent though. It is beautiful. It has a lot of culture and great food. For anyone curious about visiting Haiti you can read my trip reports by clicking here. My only advice – do your research and find someone to show you the ropes. I’d most certainly go again.

Why did I go to Mexico this year? Let me start off by saying I have nothing against Mexico. I love Mexican food. The culture is colorful and the people are delightful. However, my desire to travel and explore Mexico has never been a burning one. If I could spend money traveling I’d see all of the Caribbean and Africa and then hit Mexico and South America, but here is the tale of a young woman duped by love and passion. First off I had another week off from work. I went to Mexico this year because a friend of mine of five years who I had started dating after the horrible break-up earlier this year wanted to go and explore Mexico. He is Mexican – fair enough. I liked him and I was sure it would be great times. WRONG! From those who have followed the blog on and off this year you may recall how short I was on describing Mazatlan and Guadalajara. In fact I let all the pictures do the talking.

The problem with pictures is they say a thousand words and not always the right ones. You couldn’t have paid me earlier to confess that I had been dumped by my boyfriend in Mexico, but looking back I can laugh at it – sort of. Did we get in a major fight? No. Did I see it coming? Of course not. I was blindsided, pissed that I had spent pesos and dollars to fly across the border to get my heart stomped and demolished once more – now in some foreign land that didn’t even tickle my travel fancy. I couldn’t even talk to anyone in English to take my mind off the situation and for the last four days I pretended to be cooler than tossed tamales in the basura. Needless to say this didn’t help convert Mexico into a future destination of choice. I’ll probably never pay to go to Mexico again. I’ll let someone send me on their dollar. Just so I leave you with something nice about Mexico – Mazatlan was pretty and Guadalajara is a big bustling city. Would I go again? No. Not for vacation.

Why did I go to Vancouver B.C., Canada this year? Well I was working in Portland, OR and it was Labor Day weekend. I’d never been to Vancouver, but I had heard several great things about the place. I went with my co-worker for the weekend and had a very good time. Vancouver is a beautiful city and I wish I had more time to check it out. That being said I would most certainly go again for another weekend. Maybe even in ski season.

Why did I go to Ghana this year? Here again is another trip I hadn’t planned in previous months and just happened to go on. I went with my friend, tagging along while he was there for business and sightseeing every chance I could. I went because I had time between looking for new gigs and wanted to make sure I got some travel time in before getting locked into a new position. My pictures and trip details can all still be found below in previous blog entires or by clicking the link above. In short I went because I had both time and spare change. (I won’t say money, because I’m not rolling in the Benji’s here.) Would I go to Ghana again? Absolutely. I’m thinking now that I have a visa good for five years I might be back within the next two years. Maybe even in 2008.

I guess the real reason I felt the need to write this entry was to clarify some points that got left out the first time. I’ve sadly left some people to believe that just because I go on journeys near and far that I am not one to get dumped in foreign lands, food poisoning (didn’t happen this year) or have common problems like everyone else hanging tight on solid ground. I suppose Stevie Wonder’s “Love Light in Flight” would be a great addition to this year’s travel soundtrack.

So why did you go to…. this year? Was it a successful romantic escape? Was it all mucky business travel? Did the company foot the bill? Were you able to finally take that dream trip? Did you tell the boss to screw themselves before booking one to the Cayman Islands? Please share in the comments or leave a link to your travel stories. There’s always a reason behind every trip – what’s yours?

I’m still working on the creative Haiti travel piece for my personal [Adrienne-is] travel page, but I’ve recently completed a six part series at Gadling. I’d say it’s worth much of your attention if you know little about Haiti or even if you think you know a lot. This doesn’t go to say that I’m close to being an expert on the place either — far from it. I’d need to make a few more trips back before getting anywhere close and I’d like to make more trips. There are several beaches in south left to find as well as the north. Anyways, please check out the plugs as I have conveniently left the links below for easy online travel to Haiti.
Haiti Part 1: A Country with a VERY Bad Reputation
Haiti Part 2: Kreyól Cuisine
Haiti Part 3: Hotel Cyvadier & Other Jacmel Hotels
Haiti Part 4: Art & Souvenirs
Haiti Part 5: Festival Mizik Jakmel Update
Haiti Part 6: A Few Last Words

Only one of many photos that chronicle the FOSAJ stencil workshop hosted by Flores McGarrell and attended by Jakmel artists. Photo: Festival Mizik Jakmel

Missed the Festival Mizik Jakmel? Click the link to see more details on Jakmel and the concert. Click the picture to see more pictures from the Festival Mizik Jakmel Flickr photostream.

Enjoy and Bless Up!

Yours Truly,
Adrienne

Sa k pase? Easy? Oui. Just got back from a quick three day trip through the mountainous Caribbean land known by many simply as Haiti. I have many notes still being scrawled on the mind as I write and in some ways I’ll never know if I’ll be able to describe exactly, but for now I’ll tell you this like I’ve told everyone I’ve touched base with by phone. Traveling from Port-au-Prince to the tiny southern beach town known as Jacmel felt like a scene from a movie. In fact it felt like the scene from the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster where she ends up on this beautiful beach after she thought she was going to be shot into space… Know what I’m talking about? It felt like that for me, but I won’t stay short on the details for long. Hang tight and stay tuned. A traveler’s tale and some photos to follow soon.

In the meanwhile let’s brush up on the Kreyòl. You may or may not need it.