So let’s get started…

If you have and access to high speed Internet, here’s a Google Earth Placemark to get you started. This is of our home in Haiti. Google Earth is by far the best way to “explore” Haiti from a distance. Then we have the graphic files below. Click the thumbnail image to get a larger version of each.

Here is the campus with buildings and location numbered	Closeup of houses on the hill.
	A side view of the houses on the hill showing elevation.

UPDATE: 12/23/07

Pastor Bernard, who was in Haiti as church pastor when we were there, and Pastor Miot with his wife, who have lived there recently, were here the other afternoon. So that was my chance! I took the laptop out to the dining room and we looked at the “maps.” Between Bernard, who knew the campus as we remembered it, and Miot, who knew what the campus is today, we figured out most buildings.
Here is the key for the campus buildings. It’s a work in progress!

1. This appears to be new construction. The first Google Earth image shows what appears to be a building or foundation without a roof. The current one as seen in the closeup pictures how show a completed building. Is where our house was—still is the president’s house. However, there also is, up on the hillside somewhere in the vicinity of the house and above it, the initials UNAH (maybe outlined in rocks, I’m not sure) for University Adventiste d’Haiti. If you look closely one can almost make out the letters. We’re also told there are two roads up that hill now. I think we can’t actually see the house itself; we only see the letters on the side of the hill.
2. I believe this is the president’s house where we lived. This has also been confirmed by a comment posted by Cootchill Nelson on another post. Is the old empty former bakery building that I believe Tim remembered, which is now renovated and used for something like nursing classes.
3. Waterline – which is still there. Where it disappears to the left of our house is where it goes underground.
4. The houses where the Weiss/Nelson families lived. However, the area looks different now because there is a new water reservoir/tank up there also, that serves the whole campus.
5. Nelson House (see 4 above)
6. The old pasture area
7. The park with swimming pool
8. Girls Dorm
9. New library
10. Theology classrooms (the old church)
11. New auditorium (church). If you look closely across the main road from the church you can again make out the “UNAH” letters on the ground, for Universite Adventist d’Haiti. – Built since we were there.
12. Was Arts/Sciences (in other words, the old administration building); is now secondary and nursing classes (mornings for one and afternoons for other)
13. Boys Dorm
14. Elementary School/Middle School
15. Emballage (moving and packing industry)
16. ADRA buildings (new)
17. Where Olson’s lived
18. Bakery
19. A church (new since our day)
20. Hospital (was clinic)
21. - 22. One is English-language academy; other is residence; unsure which is which.
22. See 22 above.
23. Residence
24. Residence
25. May not be related to the school operations
26. Guest House
27. Secondary and theology classrooms (mornings for one and afternoons for other)
28. Press
29. Elementary School

UPDATE: Google Earth now has new, very clear satellite imagery as well as great pictures attached via Panaramio.com and linked information from Wikipedia.

UPDATE: Don’t have Google Earth? Here’s a link to the view in Google Maps – but you miss the 3D and links to addtional pictures and information.

From www.pilotguides.com

An imposing fortress, the Citadelle in Haiti’s Parc National Historique La Citadelle sits 3500 ft on top of a mountain, overlooking the city of Cap-Haitien. Seeped in scandal and superstition, a quick look at the Citadelle’s stats highlight just some of the unusual facts of this ‘eighth wonder of the world’.

History of the Mad King

Built in the early 1800′s it took fifteen years to finish construction of this fortress of thirteen feet (four metres) thick walls, some reaching 130 ft (40 metres) in height! Construction was no mean feat either, up to 20 000 slaves worked on the Citadelle with a reported 10,000 dying from exhaustion during the task.Even once complete, the Citadelle remained shrouded in mystery and scandal. When important dignitaries came to visit the King Henri Cristof, he used to line up a few of his soldiers and make them march over the edge of the Citadelle, plunging to their death just to show how brave they were. The Haiti people hold a widespread belief in the supernatural and numerous stories tell of the ‘mad king’ Henri’s ghost walking the Citadelle.

Visiting the Citadelle Today

To visit the Citadelle, you can leave from the town of Sans Souci, walking up the two miles (3.5 km) path, which leads you to the Citadelle parking lot. The fort is a mile further up steep terrain. For these reasons, and to escape the heat and haze of the afternoon it can be best to visit the Citadelle in the morning.Don’t forget to bring some bottled water, or be prepared to pay inflated prices to buy water at the parking lot. The Parc National Historique La Citadelle is filled with many vendors and unofficial guides who are quite persistent with their offers. It may be worth hiring a guide, simply to avoid the touts and enjoy the history of this spectacular monument in peace.

Some debate the use of the word “slaves” in reports like these since Haiti had revolted against France a few years earlier and had freed all their slaves. Unfortunately their new rulers weren’t much better than the slave masters they overthrew and, at the best, the building of the Citadelle was done with forced labor.

They don’t mention the fact that, although some organizations provide tourist services there, the US State Department has a current tavel warning regarding travel in Haiti.

Other links about the Citadelle

• Henri Christophe
• Washington Post 1997
• Wikipedia
• National Geographic – 1920

Photo used by permission from Luxner News.

Haiti – It doesn’t look like the house is still standing. The Campus of Universite Adventiste D’Haiti (UNAH). We are still discussing if this is the house or if it is the house down the hill to the left – with the green roof.

Takoma Park, Maryland – Takoma Park Home – Elementary School (John Nevins Andrews) – High School (Takoma Academy)

Califorina – Auburn Home – Weimar Academy – These pictures are a bit fuzzy due to a bad satellite image of the area.