Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Traveler Docks in Haiti

Well, I am back to blogging after my long hiatus! The girls finally took me out of the drawer and we headed off on a Caribbean Cruise!


Our ship is The Allure of the Seas, currently the largest cruise ship in the world! She is a beauty!


We left from Ft. Lauderdale, FL...


The Allure pulled into Labadee, Haiti on the morning of July 17, 2012.

Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt.

Hispaniola is the ninth-most-populous island in the world, and the most populous in the Americas.

You'll remember that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 and devastated Port-au-Prince. The highest reliable death count was estimated at 220,000...


Christopher Columbus landed near here at Môle Saint-Nicolas on 5 December 1492, and claimed the island for Spain. Nineteen days later, his ship the Santa María ran aground near the present site of Cap-Haïtien; Columbus was forced to leave behind 39 men, who founded the settlement of La Navidad.

Following the destruction of La Navidad by the local indigenous people, Columbus moved to the eastern side of the island and established La Isabela. One of the earliest leaders to fight off Spanish conquest was Queen Anacaona, a princess of Xaragua who married Caonabo, the cacique of Maguana. The couple resisted Spanish rule in vain; she was captured by the Spanish and executed in front of her people. Queen Anacaona is revered in Haiti as one of the country's founders.


The island is beautiful with tropical foliage and volcanic rock...


There are Hermit Crabs all over, they are really cute!


Once we hit the beach, the girls bought me a new Haitian beaded necklace...


I spent most of the day lounging on the beach and people watching...


There is a really high zip line that goes right over the beach. I wanted to go on it but Sally wouldn't let me...


So we napped in our little cabana. What a great vacation this is turning out to be!

- Posted by Shiloh's Traveler from the road

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