Bonswa from Haiti: To Kenscoff

‘Come, let’s go for a drive.  Be sure to bring a jacket with you, or a sweater.’

Huh??  A jacket or sweater, in this hot sun?

We’re going up the mountain to The Lodge, they tell me.  And it’s going to be cold up there, so bring something to keep you warm.

Hmmm … okay, if they say so.  I took out my handy cowl/scarf and stuffed it in my bag.

We drove through the dusty roads and through the winding streets in the town, and as we turned off towards Kenscoff, we started to go up the mountain side.

The roads were smooth and paved – quite a change from the dusty and gravelly roads of the city.  As we drove up, the scenery changed, and we stopped at the side of the road to look down on Port-au-Prince.

And we drove higher up the mountains, and couldn’t see the city any more … 

We finally arrived in the town of Kenscoff …

… but had to drive some more to find The Lodge, which was down a stretch of dirt road …

This sign had me confused … I read the words The Lodge, but was looking at the arrow on the top, which pointed to the right.  Good thing they were more familiar with the roads, and went left.  And I’m just noticing that there seems to be a bag of onions by the plants …

The Lodge, from the others’ description, is a banquet hall, with rooms available to stay in, if the party chooses.  These days, it is used more as a restaurant, where one can get away from the dust and heat of the city, and spend a few hours in the cool, clear weather of the mountains.

One of the guest rooms

Stairs leading down to the gardens

It was a nice place, although I think they could have kept the place a little more maintained. The main entrance and restaurant area were clean and orderly; however, the rest of the grounds were run-down with overgrown plants and bushes.  Their neighbour, on the other hand, was clean and well-maintained … and nobody lives there … they’re kind of in exile …