Moulin sur Mer

Moulin Sur Mer

We've been at the Moulin Sur Mer hotel for 7 days and it's been like a secret world. Beautiful tropical beaches with palm trees and coconuts, clear aquamarine water, conche shells, clean, white sand and friendly, sociable people enjoying the warm balmy days.

We've met some interesting families here, of all races and nationalities, many in the diplomatic services, some working for charities, the UN or Haitian Americans who have returned here to spend time with families.It has been wonderful to meet such interesting people, all seemingly super intelligent with such vast experiences of the world, work and travel. 

One lovely couple, the wife a Haitian American and her husband an Italian, who live in  Geneva and work for the UN. Another couple, a Haitian American lady married to a French guy, who are in the process of adopting 2 little Haitian toddlers, over here spending time with their adoptive children while they wait for the adoption procedure to be completed before they take their children off to America to live. 

There seem to be quite a few families with one adopted Haitian child to a westernised family, who seem to have brought the children back for a holiday ...not sure if this is a requirement of adoption over here or whether the parents want to keep the children in touch with their roots.

Have spent time with a super friendly and clearly very smart guy from the UK military who came over to help immediately after the Haitian earthquake and has continued to spend his leave time from the army, doing charity work as well as combining this with military duties in America. 

Have met various families and individuals, whilst swimming and floating about on a giant inflated trampoline, moored close to the beach...a short swim from shore and a big attraction for Seb.. One couple, the husband an American attache and originally from the Cameroon, just recently arrived.. sharing their experiences of Port au Prince and their immediate impressions. People have mentioned that Haiti is very expensive and some have said, surprisingly, that private education here, is not particularly good, in the international and westernised schools. But that has only been the opinion of one or two.

As we've got closer to New Year, the hotel has filled up and there seem to be more Haitian families having a holiday and then Haitian American families, meeting up with their relatives who live on the island, to spend new year together. 

There are a few of these hotel complexes along this stretch of coast, close to Port au Prince but a million miles away from the lives of most Haitians. This is another Haiti, clean, comfortable and safe. Litter free, with westernised music and food...a 'bubble', and maybe a necessary (?) luxury getaway for expat families, tourists, Haitian professionals and charity employees, to escape the litter strewn, chaotic life, traffic infested, dusty, rutted streets and bleak hills, and shanty dwellings, that exist outside of the hotel estates. It's difficult not to feel guilty about the inequality that exists in this poor but (in parts) beautiful country. However as one Haitian doctor said to me, 'Tourism brings money and jobs...don't knock it.'

Its been a wonderful beach holiday, despite Seb and I suffering persistent 'deli' belly, which we have renamed 'Haitian tummy'. But you can't help feeling constantly aware that a mile away from the resort, there is poverty, unemployment, despair, lack of basic infrastructure like reasonable roads, and too many people living on the breadline.

Our last day here, ending after New Year. Back to the central plateau, and Mirebalais, for one day. Then to Port au Prince for the last night before we fly back to the UK. Think my lasting impressions are not going to be of this idyllic beach, but of the Haitians I see on the roadside and in the overcrowded taxi's, struggling home after a hard day battling to make a living.