Haiti Anyone?

A while back, I shared my adventures from Jamaica with you. That was my first time out of the country (besides Tijuana) and my first cruise. Jamaica was the first stop, but we also got to enjoy a day in Haiti.

If you’ve been there, you know that the small part of the island we got to visit was the cleaned up touristy area rented out by the cruise line. The “real” part of Haiti was on the other side of a hidden fence with several heavily armed guards behind the bush line so we wouldn’t notice them.

I noticed them while riding in an open vehicle to the top of the hill for my excursion. I found it to be sad that such a beautiful place had so much poverty, famine, and violence. I’m not completely educated on the history of politics in Haiti, but my thoughts are with them that things improve.

Despite that, I did enjoy my time on the island. The weather was perfect, the staff was professional and friendly, the water was amazing, and the vibe was chill.

I still wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, but I refused to miss the opportunity to play in Haiti. Remember that open air vehicle ride I took to the top of the hill? That was to experience Dragon’s Breath Flight Line.

Five hundred feet above the beach, I was suited up in the zip line harness and soared over 2,600 feet above the water and beach. It was mesmerizing. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It was peaceful. It was exciting. It was so many things all at the same time.

I recorded my “flight” with my cellphone, not even caring too much if I dropped it in the water below. I was breathing in the full experience (hence some of the bad footage) and trying to take it all in as the moments passed by.

In the video it almost seems like I was gliding toward the water at a snail’s pace, but I was actually going up to 50 mph and loving every second. When I got to the bottom, which was an abrupt stop, I was smiling like the kool-aid man.

The gentleman that helped me out of my harness asked if I enjoyed it. I eagerly shared that I did. He asked if I wanted to go again. I asked him if he was paying for it. I suppose that wasn’t appropriate to ask because he looked at me kind of funny and quietly finished getting me out of the gear.

It was a rather expensive excursion, costing a hundred dollars for just a few minutes of flight time, but it was well worth it, at least once. If I ever find myself in Labadee, Haiti I will certainly take on Dragon’s Breath again if the opportunity presents itself.

I also went on the Dragon’s Tail alpine roller coaster, that was also called a bobsled thing. It was a solo cart thing on the track that zipped around with amazing views of the mountainside and sea.

I spent the rest of my time on the island shopping in the district where locals came to sell their handmade goods. I also sipped on a cocktail under an umbrella listening to the soft sounds of live reggae floating into my ears.

And last, but not least, I enjoyed some time in the clear, warm water. I asked a nice couple to take a couple of pictures for me and just leave my phone on the beach. I was vibing with the island and truly just didn’t care about my phone or whatever was in it.

My group had left and went back to the ship while I was on the coaster, unbeknownst to me. By that time, I didn’t even care. I was going to soak up every juicy experience I could while I was in this incredible place.

I would definitely go back. I got to experience adventure and relaxation all at the same time.