Fermathe, Haiti

Fermathe stands in the mountains south of Port au Prince (30 miles and a 90 minute drive from the airport).  The two biggest attractions for potential tourists/volunteers to this small town are the Baptist Mission and Wings of Hope. 

Once you are in Fermathe, you will get everywhere by foot without a problem -- it is very small.  Knowing some basic Kreyol is essential to communicating with the local workers in the open air market place.  Also, purchases are made using gourdes or Haitian dollars.  When you ask them how much something is, they will often quote you in terms of Haitian dollars (which you can convert to gourdes yourself), not US dollars.

The Baptist Mission has created a little community of its own which includes a restaurant and gift shops.  As a result of the small population of American missionairies who stay in this little area, you will be able to communicate in English and even use US dollars to make your purchases within the Mission community and from the guys who sell souvenirs, trinkets, and paintings directly across the street from the Baptist Mission.  You will want to clarify that the prices they are quoting you are in US dollars (because it usually is).

Buying Food

There is a bakery that sells this wonderful flat bread at least three times a day.  It is on the road on the right (the Boulangerie sign will be on your left) going from Wings of Hope towards the Fermathe market.  You can tell by the scent near the bakery if they are currently baking or not (but generally around 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 4:30pm).  There is a quantity discount as well; the more you order, the cheaper each piece of bread is. 

The open air market in Fermathe is a great place to buy fresh produce like beets, carrots, onions, avocados, etc.  Some produce is only sold in the morning (such as bananas) so if there is something that you are looking for and can't find, simply ask.

There are small grocery stores in Fermathe as well.  They kind of look like dark cellars.  You will see a line of people outside waiting to get in because the store owners will typically grab the item for the customer or only let a handful of customers in at a time to prevent theft.  This was a convenient place for us to purchase coffee and beer.


Where to Eat

The Baptist Mission offers a restaurant that sells American food -- burgers, pizza, steak sandwiches, and sundaes.  Just a warning, it also offers everything at American prices.  There is a beautiful view of the mountains and valleys from the restaurant.


There is also a Pate stand (similar to a Jamaican Pattie or a very large Empanada) amongst the vendors to the right of the Baptist Mission sign.  It is a fried dough stuffed with chicken and cabbage, generally sold around lunch time.


Shopping
Within the Baptist Mission, there is a gift shop which sells items at a fixed price.  They offer many handicrafts, but I am a fan of the locally-made vanilla extract which turns out to be a great souvenir. 

Across from the Baptist Mission sign are several souvenir stands.  If you are looking for statues, boxes, or other trinkets, ask for Simon who will generally give you a good deal if you bargain with him for a bit.  For Haitian paintings, I went to Wilmott Robert's stand (an enclosed shack filled with paintings --  he now has his name painted on the outside) and found a portrait that I absolutely loved.